April 2021 - 67

Special Contributor

Dear Billy
BY BILLY MILLER

dearbilly@aol.com
dearbilly.org

Good Morning, Mr. Miller,
Playing in a recent ACBL online
tournament, we missed a laydown
game. These were our hands:
Partner	Me
 A J	
7
 A K Q 8 7 3	
 10 9 6
 8 4 2	
AQ753
 6 5	
K732
We play 2/1 with several gadgets, including reverse Drury. The
bidding:
Pard	 Opp 1	
Me	
Opp 2
1	1	2	Pass
Pass	2	3	Pass
3	
All Pass

If you don't see the light, I am afraid
you will remain a bean counter. That's
good if you are an accountant, but not
good if you want to be an excelling
bridge player!
P.S. I noticed that you mentioned that
you play reverse Drury. Had you been a
passed hand, I love to play that reverse
Drury is still on after a 1 overcall by
the opponents, as well as over a takeout
double. It keeps the bidding very low
while expressing limit raise values: a
winning treatment. If they overcall a
strong notrump, however, then Drury
is off. Start with a penalty double and
then support partner if they run out
successfully.

Dear Billy,
Opener bids one of a minor suit,
and responder bids a five-card
The opening lead was the A.
major, also at the one level, holdPartner made five, as the diamond
ing fewer than 10 HCP. Opener
finesse worked. Where did we go
then raises responder's major to
wrong? Thank you for your advice.
2M. Responder passes because
					 a game contract is not safe even
Recent Retiree from though there is a probable 5-4 fit
Price Waterhouse in that major. Question: If there
is a competitive minor-suit bid
Dear Tabulator,
to the three level immediately
Your hand is worth 9 HCP to start. Had after opener's raise - for example,
partner opened 1, your hand would
1-(Pass)-1-(Pass); 2-(3)
still be worth 9 playing points. But once - how does responder show that
partner opened 1, your hand became
major-suit fit without inviting
worth 11 playing points and should
game? In other words, if responder
have been treated as such. Whenever
raises over the competitive bid, is
the bidding proceeds, you must take
that invitational or just competithe time to reevaluate based on the
tive? Note that opener as yet has no
auction. Your singleton spade is a ruffinformation as to the strength of
ing value, as you will be ruffing spades
responder's hand.
in the short heart hand. That translates 				
to extra tricks. You should have cuebid
Do I or Don't I?
2 showing a limit raise or better in
hearts instead of making a simple 2
Dear I Do!,
raise. Your hand is too good for that.
If responder competes to the three
Partner would have jumped to 4.
level by repeating the anchor suit, he

is not inviting game. Once the major
fit has been established, only a change
of suits at the three level is deemed
to be inviting game. In your example
auction, therefore, 3 or 3 would be
inviting a game in spades, whereas 3
would just be competitive. Does that
clear up the issue?
Here is one added wrinkle: What if
there is no room between our suit and
the opponent's suit? For example, after
1-(Pass)-2-(3), 3 would be
competitive but not invitational, and
double would be artificial, not penalty, used to say, " I am inviting you to
4. " This double is called a maximal
overcall double and is located in the
Special Doubles box on the back of the
convention card. It only applies when
the opponents are competing in the
suit directly below our suit.

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April 2021 | Bridge Bulletin | 67
http://www.dearbilly.org
April 2021

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