July 2008 - 52

INTERMEDIATE PLAYERS

It's Just MayHem

Marilyn Hemenway
mayhembridge@cox.net

I love gimmicks - Part 2
Are you always looking for little
things to add to your game? I know
I am. We continue with Part 2 of our
series on bidding gimmicks.
McCabe over doubles of
weak two-bids
The McCabe convention, also
called the McCabe adjunct, occurs
after one partner opens a weak
two-bid and an opponent makes a
direct-seat double. The partner of the
weak two-bidder uses these Alertable
methods:
1. Redouble forces the weak twobidder to bid the cheapest suit
and is the start of a single-suited
escape or run-out bid. The redoubler then passes or corrects to his
suit, and this is to play. In case the
partner of the doubler bids, the
person who opened the weak twobid should pass.
2. 2NT is a game try with systems
on (Ogust, showing a feature or
whatever else you normally play).
3. A new suit is a lead directional
raise of the weak two-bidder's suit.
This is particularly useful because
the weak two-bidder will frequently be on lead after a takeout
double in the direct seat.
52

Here's an example of a hand in
which the lead directing bid is really
nice. Your partner opens 2 and
right-hand opponent doubles. You
hold:
8 7 8 7 3 Q 8 7 4 A Q J 4.
Instead of raising to 3, you
would bid 3. This shows a heart
raise and asks partner to lead a club if
he is on opening lead.
Some players use a variation of this
gadget in which:
1. redouble shows a strong hand,
2. new suits at the two level are to
play,
3. 2NT forces 3. You either want
to play there or to sign off in a different suit at the three level.
In this variation, if you redouble,
you can follow that with a bid in a
new suit to show a forcing one-suiter
or you can follow with an invitational
raise of hearts.
Both of these variations are superior to standard.
Puppet Stayman
Puppet Stayman is used when the
partnership has agreed that it is permissible to open balanced hands that
contain a five-card major with 1NT
or 2NT. Although it can be used after
1NT opening bids, it is much more
common after 2NT openers or after
2 followed by a 2NT rebid. Puppet
Stayman uncovers a five-card major
in the strong hand, and it has the benefit of making sure that the stronger
hand is the declarer.
Using this convention, responder
should still transfer with a five-card
major of her own, but with only
three- or four-card major suits, 3 is
used as Puppet Stayman. After a 3
response to 2NT the responses by the

opening bidder and the continuing
sequences are as follows:
1. 3 by opener shows one or two
four-card major suits
Responder's follow-up bids are:
3 = I do not have hearts, but I
do have four spades,
3 = I do not have spades, but I
do have four hearts,
3NT = no four-card major, was
checking for five,
4 = both majors, only interested
in game,
4 = both majors, some slam
interest,
4NT = no four-card major, was
checking for five. Invitational to
6NT.
2. 3 = five-card heart suit
Responder's rebids:
3NT = to play,
4 = Roman Key Card for hearts,
4, 4 = cuebid in support of
hearts,
4 = to play,
4NT = invitational to 6NT.
3. 3 = five-card spade suit
Responder's rebids:
3NT = to play,
4 = RKC for spades,
4, 4 = cuebids in support of
spades,
4 = to play,
4NT = invitational to 6NT.
4. 3NT = no four- or five-card major
suit
Responder's rebids:
4 = Gerber,
4 = transfer to hearts (rarely),
4 = transfer to spades (rarely),
4NT = invitational to 6NT.
r

Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2008
