When responder raises a 1H or 1S opener to 2H/2S - and what happens next.
Responder
1NT & Responses
This Level Four series looks at some improvements we can make to the standard responses to One No Trump Openers (Stayman and Transfers), with some interesting nuances including utilising bids which otherwise would be wasted. We also consider how to set a Major as the Trump suit after Stayman or Transfers, with a Slam interested hand. Andrew suggests the use of three of the other Major as setting Partner's Major as Trumps with a Slam interested hand. We discuss how we bid invitational 11 and 12 point balanced hands after Partner's One No Trump Opener, with Andrew suggesting something a bit different to what we have learnt up to this point. In this context we discuss the meaning of One No Trump - Two Spades (can have three meanings) and then One No Trump - Two No Trumps (meaning Five Card Stayman in our new world). We talk about follow-on bids from our new toy. We also explore responses after the use of the Quantitative Four No Trump Bid. We end the series looking at "Forcing via Stayman" auctions
When an Opponent has opened one of a suit, overcall 1NT with a balanced hand, 15+ points and a stopper in their suit. In Level Three 1636-1641 we consider how to respond to Partner's One No Trump Overcall. We also look at how to respond as the Partner of the One of a Suit Opener and what subsequent bids mean for both sides. We end by recommending the use of the Halmic Wriggle when Partner's Overcall of One No Trump has been doubled and you want to run
Andrew to check he is happy with this wording These Level Four videos explore the special meaning of the Two Spade response when Partner has bid One No Trump. It follows on nicely from the previous Level Four week on how we can improve our One No Trump responses (numbers 1642-1647). We look at why Andrew recommends that most balanced 11 count hands should not invite game, only very good 11 counts or decent 12 counts, and these should go through the Two Spade response, not the Two No Trump response. The rest of the series looks at the three different meanings of the "Multi" Two Spade response, and how to progress from there in the bidding
A balanced hand showing 20-22 high card points
Opener
3NT v Four of a Major
When should we be in 3NT and when in four of a major? This is an important consideration in becoming a great Bridge player. In these Level Four videos we consider the costs of bidding Stayman to find the Four-Four fit versus the gains and discuss what factors should guide our judgement including the shape of our No Trump hand, the "texture" of our doubleton, whether we have any weak suits and whether we are playing Duplicate Pairs or Rubber Bridge/Teams. We talk about bidding Three No Trumps when we have three small cards in a suit opposite a likely three small holding in the same suit for Partner. We also discuss playing Three No Trumps versus Four of a Major when holding two stoppers in Opponents' Overcalled suit and values in an unbid suit
Signal
Ace for attitude, King for count
Once you are an experienced Bridge player and are on lead, if you hold the Ace and King in a suit, lead the Ace to ask partner for an attitude signal (asking you to continue the suit) or lead the King to ask for partner's count (number of cards) in the suit. In these Level Four videos we discuss when to ask for an Attitude signal and when to ask for Count (andrew's receommendations depend on the level of the Opponents' Contract) and what we should lead when holding Ace-King-Queen. We look at lots of interesting play in the Deals including after the Opening Lead and subsequent Attitude, Count and Suit Preference signals. We look at defence from both sides of the table and discuss lots of nuances
Opener, Slam
Ace-showing cue bids (Control Bidding)
Ace-showing Cue Bids (we prefer the term Control Bid) show suits in which you have the Ace (or void) showing slam interest in your agreed trump suit. Normally they follow a Trial or Splinter Bid. In Level Three 412-417 we discuss the use of Control Bids after Trial Bids and Splinters, how it works, when to use them and when not to and how they enable you to investigate Slams below the level of Game. We discuss an Opponent's Double of our control bid, what it means when we bid the Opponent's overcall suit after suit agreement with Partner and touch on the disadvantages of making Control Bids. In Level Three 826-837 we revisit Control Bids in the context of Andrew's The Next Level book. We look at the real nuts and bolts of Control Bidsmand their nuances with twelve excellent illustrative deals explaining why and how we use them, how the subsequent bidding should go, and how and when they work better than or in conjunction with Roman KeyCard Blackwood. We also discuss control bidding Kings in detail to avoid Partnership confusion, and Control Bidding in auctions including No Trump bids. Check it's ok to say this. The early Level Four videos 262-267 cover similar themes although the hands are different. Great for reinforcement of what we have learnt in the early Level Three videos and some great Declarer/Defensive challenges. In Level Four 418-423 we revisit Control Bids with some more great deals, looking at how often we use them when we have a particular concern about another suit, how we never use them immediately after agreeing a Trump Suit (the next bid of a new suit must be a Trial bid - length showing- or a Splinter bid showing shortage). Plus some high level auctions where we use multiple control bids. We also discuss how Control Bids can give away information to the Opponents and whether this matters. Some interesting challenging play in the deals
Competition
After 1NT - (Bid)
In these Level Four videos we discuss what to bid when Partner opens One No Trump and your Right Hand Opponent makes an intervening bid. We discuss Take Out Doubles and Penalty Doubles and what to do when the Opponents bid Landy or Multi-Landy
NT Responses
After 1NT - (Pass)
In this series of Level Four videos we look at some tricky responding hands to Partner's One No Trump Opener including Weak Stayman, stretching the Two No Trump Invitational bid to include some skewed hands, the meaning of the Four No Trump bid, bidding Five-Four Major hands via Stayman (and continuations), bidding Five-Five Major hands via Transfers (and continuations), how to bid a Game-Forcing Responding hand with Five-Four in the Minors
Double
After 1NT - Double
Wondering if this series should be amalgamated with the videos under The Wriggle in row 216 ? These ones are slightly wider ranging as they cover the Wriggle, but also go on to talk about what the Partner of the Doubler does and what the One No Trump Opener themselves does subsequently. I have not included them there for now but we may want to think about it. In this series of Level Four videos 1342-1347 we look at how to respond to Partner's 1NT Opener when an Opponent has Doubled. We revisit the Wriggle, both when to use it and when not to, but also go on to talk about what the Partner of the Doubler does and what the One No Trump Opener themselves does subsequently. We look at wriggling with Five-Four shaped hands, consider subsequent Doubles from both sides, talk about when to rescue your Partner's Double and the meaning of One No Trump - Double - Two Spades. We also look at when the One No Trump Opener should run to their Five Card suit and what to do if they are Doubled, Partner has passed, but they really don't want to play in One No Trump Doubled (for example their values are concentrated in two suits) but they have no five card suit
Responder
After a 2NT opener
In these Level Four videos, after a brief look at the types of hands that open Two No Trumps, we mainly consider how to respond to Partner's opener. We discuss Stayman and Transfers touching briefly on Puppet Stayman and Smolen. We look at how to bid Slam interested responding hands with four of a Major and a longer Minor, and the meaning of the responding bid of Three Spades. We talk about when to "break" the Transfer and consider the meaning of the Four No Trump bid when no suit has been agreed,