August 2008 - 52

INTERMEDIATE PLAYERS

It's Just MayHem

Marilyn Hemenway
mayhembridge@cox.net
I love gimmicks - part 3
Are you always looking for new
bids or conventions to experiment
with? I know I am. There are often
better bidding methods if you're willing to do the memory work. This is
a continuation of our series on gimmicks.
Useful conventions after an
opponent overcalls 1NT
Do you have any partnership
agreements as to what bids mean
when partner has opened the bidding and your right-hand opponent
overcalls 1NT? It's a good idea to
have a method in your arsenal that
enables you to compete effectively. I
have found that it works best to play
some convention, possibly the same
one you would have played had your
RHO opened 1NT; it works just the
same. You don't need many values
(but shape is nice) because partner
has opened the bidding. Let's take an
example using a modified version of
the Cappelletti convention (although
other conventions can be used as
well).
1. After one of a minor followed by a
1NT overcall:
Double = penalty
2 = any one-suited hand
2 = both majors
2 = hearts and a minor
2 = spades and a minor
52

2. After 1 - 1NT:
Double = penalty
2 = any one-suited hand
2 = a heart raise with longer spades
than hearts
2 = heart raise with a minor on the
side (or this can be played as a simple
heart raise)
2 = spades and a minor
3. After 1 - 1NT:
Double = penalty
2 = any one-suited hand
2 = spade raise with longer hearts
than spades
2 = hearts and a minor
2 = spade raise with a minor on the
side (or this can be played as a simple
spade raise)
4. You can also use the Cappelletti
convention when partner opens 1NT
and right-hand opponent makes a
penalty double:
2 = any one-suited hand
2 = both majors
2 = hearts and a minor
2 = spades and a minor
Equal-level conversion doubles
Sometimes you hold a decent hand
and are planning on opening the bidding when your right-hand opponent
opens before you with 1 or 1.
Now suppose, unfortunately, your
hand has the values for a takeout double but doesn't have the right shape.
If you are 5-5 or 6-5, you can use a
Michaels cuebid, but what if you have
a 6-4 or 5-4 hand, such as:
A Q 7 4 4 A Q J 7 6 3 7 3?
After a 1 opening bid by your
right-hand opponent, you have a
problem. Of course you can overcall
2, but then you may miss a spade
fit. What's the solution?
The answer is what's called an
equal-level conversion double. With
the above hand after your RHO opens

1 you make a takeout double. If
partner responds by bidding spades,
everything is great. But what if partner responds by bidding 2 (as my
partners always seem to do)? Playing
ELC doubles you can convert to diamonds and you're at the same point
you would have been had you just
overcalled 2 in the first place. The
ELC double shows no more values
than a 2 overcall would have. You
have just converted partner's response
to a more playable contract - hence
the term, "equal level conversion."
The ELC double is an exception to
the rule that when you double and bid
your own suit, you show extra values.
Another case in which a takeout
double would appear to be less appealing - but actually works just as
well - would be something like:
K 8 7 3 A K 3 K 10 9 7 3 2  -.
Now it's quite obvious that the
partnership needs to have an understanding about ELC doubles. To
reiterate, doubling the opponent's
opening bid of a major suit, and then
bidding diamonds (after his partner
responds with clubs), does not show
any extra values. It's just a correction.
Since this is clearly a partnership
agreement an Alert of the 2 bid is
required.
If you decide to try ELC doubles,
here are two warnings:
1. It's probably best to keep these
ELC doubles as fairly limited bids.
If you hold a strong hand with diamonds and spades and your RHO
opens 1, it may be best to simply
overcall 2 with the intent of bidding your spade suit later.
2. If you hold the other major and
five or more clubs this ELC agreement does not apply. For example,
over a 1 opener, with:
A K 7 3 7 3 2 A J 8 7 6 3,
you should simply overcall your
club suit.
r
Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2008
