So, you're playing at a local club where all the good folks there play SAYC or even the occasional 2/1 the big shots play. All of a sudden, this couple from out-of-town comes to play. They look like early twentysomethings, eager with something fierce behind their eyes. You can bet your last dollar that those two crazy kids are playing some new-fangled system, probably Precision. That means they'll have a weak 1NT opening, a natural 2C opening, and a strong 1C opening that doesn't promise anything in clubs. Sheesh! Crazy kids and their bidding...
Ok, you need some kind of defense for these bids. All the overcalls and takeout doubles as you know them are used against Standard bidders, but they don't take into account these new bids. Here are some suggestions:
Weak 1NT - This one isn't too bad. You probably have a defense for a 15-17 1NT opening, so use that. I suggest Cappelletti if you don't already play it. In this system, double is for business (you're balanced with more than 14 HCP), 2NT is for the minors (like Unusual NT), and 2C is bid to show any 1-suited hand worth an overcall at the 2-level (you're partner will bid 2D automatically, then you can bid your suit naturally as long as those precision folk don't bid). The other 2-level bids (2D/2H/2S) are used to show 2-suited hands (typically 5-5).
2D = MAJORS (H + S)
2H = HEARTS & a minor suit
2S = SPADES & a minor suit
Natural 2C - Here you want to bid like they opened 1C in Standard bidding, but you should have about 2 HCP more than you normally would. So, double is for take-out, suit bids are natural, and 2NT shows a 15-17 NT (to show a bigger balanced hand, double first, then bid NT).
Strong Artificial 1C - This bid is low for a reason: to have the maximum amount of space in which to explore each other's hands. So, it's imperative you interfere when you can. A simple defense would be to bid naturally directly after 1C (or after 1C - 1D which is also artificial) with less than opening values and a decent suit, and PASS with an opening hand or better. This may be counter-intuitive, but if you have an opening hand, you will get to overcall on the second time around (responder to 1C opening MUST bid something other than pass).
Here's a different option:
With 1-suited hands, bid them at the 2-level (even clubs). This way you take up more space and makes things hard for these young'uns. That leaves double and the 1-level bids for 2-suited hands (5-5 or even 5-4 in this situation). Here's what I mean:
Dbl = C+H
1D = D+H
1H = majors
1S = S+minor
1NT = minors
You can play a similar system over 1C - 1D, but you change double to mean the majors, and 1H to show hearts and a minor (like 1S).
So, the next time those Precision players come in looking to bid all over you, just wink at your partner and throw a wrench in the works (they should know better).
4 comments:
Many years ago, I played in a midnight game with a young player of great talent. We were supposed to play six boards but only made it through four before the round was called, comparing to a huge win. The opponents played Precision and fell apart against our defense.
The idea was that all two-level overcalls showed various rwo-suited bids (nothing exciting), and 1NT shows balanced (weird, but OK). One-level calls (double for clubs) showed either the suit bid (1♠ shows spades) or shortness in that suit and the other three suits (1♠ also could be 1-4-4-4 or something resembling that). If Responder liked spades, he picked the side suit that he liked best. If partner disliked spades but liked some side suit a lot, he raised spades. If partner liked spades and liked some side suit, he could jump. Kind of psychotic paradox advances.
Needless to say, the opponents had no idea what was going on. I'm not so sure this would work against good opponents, but it was hilarious in the midnight game. Beer makes all conventions work better.
More advanced players may be interested in the TWERB defence to a strong 1C opening, it allow for both single suited and two-suited hands to be shown. Click the 'pattayabridge' link to check it out.
I read about a defense to 1C exactly the same as TWERB, but they called it "Suction" (and in USA, I believe that's what most people call those bids). They are credited to Harold Feldhelm (USA), but there is no good way of crediting conventions in the world of bridge without getting into argument. I do think it is a superior method of interfering with 1C (and legal in USA after 1C).
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