October 2006 - 41

PLAY BRIDGE

Conventional
Wisdom
Filling out the convention card - part 3
The 24-part Conventional Wisdom series is available online at
www.acbl.org/play/conventionwisdom.html

If you play this method,
you must Announce
" Tr a n s f e r " t o t h e
opponents when partner
responds 4 or 4 to your 1NT opening.
The BLUE box indicates a bid that must
be described to the opponents by an
Announcement.
Smolen Experienced pairs use
Smolen to help them describe a
hand with a 5-4 or 4-5 pattern
in the majors after partner's 1NT
opening. Smolen also helps keep
the strong hand as declarer if a fit is found. Say
the auction begins
Partner
You
1NT
2
2
?
After your 2 Stayman inquiry, partner has
denied holding a four-card major. If you hold
game-forcing values with five spades and four
hearts, you know your side doesn't have an
eight-card heart fit, but you might still have a
5-3 spade fit. How to show this kind of hand?
Playing Smolen, you may now jump to the
three level in your shorter major (hearts) to tell
partner about your pattern. Partner can then
decide between 3NT and 4. If you have
four spades and five hearts, you would jump
to 3 instead. Smolen requires an Alert after
the three-level jump.
October 2006

NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS
1NT
______ to _____
______ to _____
5-card Major common
System on over ______
2♣ Stayman Puppet
2♦ Transfer to ♥
Forcing Stayman
2♥ Transfer to ♠
2♠ ____________
2NT ____________



3♣ _______________
3♦ _______________
3♥ _____________3 ♠
_______________
____________________
4♦, 4♥ Transfer
Smolen
Lebensohl (____denies)
Neg. Double :________
Other: ______________







4, 4 Transfer
Many partnerships use 4 and 4 as
transfers to 4 and 4, respectively.
This popular treatment is known as a
Texas transfer. After partner opens 1NT,
you may show a long major suit (with
appropriate values) at the four level by
bidding the suit one rank below the one
you actually hold. Partner will accept the
transfer by bidding your "real" suit.

3, 3, 3, 3 Ask a dozen pairs what meanings they assign to these bids and you're
likely to get a dozen different answers. There are many popular treatments, so it's important
that you discuss with your partner what these bids mean in your partnership. Many pairs play
3 and 3 as natural, but be certain you understand what strength these bids promise.
Some pairs like to play these as weak; they're a sign-off. Others prefer to treat them as
invitational to 3NT promising a decent six-card suit. And others prefer to use them as strong
and slam-going. If you play any of these treatments, no Alert is required. If, however, you'd
prefer to use any of these bids to show, say, a two-suited hand (many pairs use 3 and
3 to show both majors) or maybe a three-suited hand (with shortness in the suit bid),
that's okay too, as long as you write a brief explanation on the convention card and Alert
the treatment. Note that these lines are in RED, requiring an Alert.
Negative Double Say partner opens
1NT, right-hand opponent bids 2
and you double. Many pairs play this as
a good old-fashioned penalty double,
but some like to play it as a negative
double, promising values and length in
the other suits, especially the major(s).
If you prefer the latter approach, check
the box.

Lebensohl When the opponents intervene over your side's 1NT opening, it
can be difficult to describe your hands accurately. For example, what does
3 mean in this auction?
You Opponent Partner Opponent
1NT 2
3
2 is natural. Is 3 forcing? Or is it to play? Both ways are reasonable, but you must have
an agreement. To help differentiate between forcing and non-forcing actions by responder,
many pairs use lebensohl. It works like this: Direct three-level actions (as in the given auction)
are forcing, but with weak hands, responder bids 2NT (Alertable) first. This conventional bid
commands opener to bid 3 so that responder can pass (with clubs) or bid another suit
(such as diamonds) to show a weak hand with a long suit. Another nice part of lebensohl
is that it allows you to tell partner whether you have a stopper in the enemy suit. Many
lebensohl enthusiasts use this type of sequence to deny a stopper:
You Opponent Partner Opponent
1NT 2
3NT
Partner's 3NT call says, "I have enough strength to be in game, but I don't have a stopper."
To show a stopper, partner bids 2NT first, forcing you to bid 3, and then bids 3NT:
You Opponent Partner Opponent
1NT 2
2NT
Pass
3 Pass
3NT
Since the "faster" auction denies a stopper, many pairs write the word "Fast" in the blank
next to "denies" on the card. This treatment requires an Alert.
41

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2006