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    38 Michaels and Unusual NT

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    38 Michaels and Unusual NT

    Uploaded by

    wael samman
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    38 Michaels and Unusual NT

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    38 Michaels and Unusual NT

    Uploaded by

    wael samman

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    Adventures in Bridge

    Leaders in Bridge Entertainment and Education


    www.advinbridge.com

    (38) Competitive Bidding: Double, Michaels, and


    Unusual NT
    Date: December 2012 ©AiB Robert S. Todd
    Level: Intermediate [email protected]

    General
    There are many ways to compete in the bidding. With one primary suit we know how to
    compete in the bidding: we make an overcall – simple or jump, based on the length of our suit
    and strength of our hand. In this lesson we will consider how we should compete in the
    bidding with other types of hands. Specifically, we will consider 3-suited and 2-suited hands.
     3-suited hands usually have three 4-card suits, but we will consider treating some hands
    that are 4432 or 5431 as 3-suited hands.
     2-suited hands have at least 5-4 distribution, but we will generally be discussing the
    more distributional hands of at least 5-5.

    3-Suited Hands – Takeout Double


    When we have a 3-suited hand that has length in the opponent’s suit, we usually have a lot of
    defense and we are happy to pass and see what happens - “Be patient when you have lots of
    defense.” When we have a 3-suited hand with shortness in the opponent’s suit then we want
    to compete in the bidding if we have a good hand (approximately opening values.) With one
    long suit we can overcall with less than opening values because the long suit will produce tricks.
    When we have a 3-suited hand, we usually don’t have a long suit and thus we will need HCP in
    order to help produce tricks. The way we show this 3-suited hand that is short in the
    opponent’s suit is with a double – called a “Takeout Double.”

    A Takeout Double says a lot about our hand:


     About 12+ HCP (approximately opening bid values,)
     Shortness in the opponent’s suit,
     At least 3+ cards in all the unbid suits.

    [email protected] PO Box 14915 ♠ Tallahassee, FL 32317 850 570 6459


    Adventures in Bridge, Inc.
    www.advinbridge.com

    We make this takeout double after the opponents have opened the bidding:
    Example: 1 (X) …

    2-Suited Hands
    When we have an unbalanced 2-suited hand that has at least 5-5 distribution, we strive to
    compete in the bidding. With a minimum hand (about 5-11 HCP), we want to do this ASAP –
    “Get into and out of the auction as quickly as possible.” That means we want to find a way to
    show both of our 5-card suits as quickly as possible. We will use some gadgets to help us show
    these weak and shapely hands immediately, before the auction gets too high.

    2-Suited Gadgets
    We will discuss two useful conventions - Michaels and Unusual Notrump. Think of these bids
    as preempts with two suits (at least 5-5) instead of just one long suit.

    Michaels - Both Majors OR Major & Minor 2-Suiter, 5-11 HCP


     (1) 2 5+/5+ in the Majors
     (1) 2 5+/5+ in the Majors
     (1) 2 5+ and a 5+ card minor
     (1) 2 5+ and a 5+ card minor

    What if we have Michaels shape, but stronger hands?


     With 12-15 HCP we overcall our suits naturally. We start by bidding our higher-ranking
    suit first and bid our lower-ranking suit later if we get a chance.
     With 16+ HCP we can use Michaels as well. This treatment is called “Max-Michaels”
    and is far less common. When we bid Michaels, partner will always assume we have a
    “Min-Michaels” (5-11 HCP) unless we do something to demonstrate we have this rare
    maximum hand. This approach is called Min-Max Michaels.

    Examples
    o 1 2 P 2 16-19 HCP, 6+, 5+minor
    P 3
    o 1 2 P 2 16-19 HCP, 5, 5+
    P 3

    (36) Competitive Bidding: Double, Michaels, and Unusual NT 2


    Adventures in Bridge, Inc.
    www.advinbridge.com

    Advancer Asks for the Unknown Minor


    If the Advancer does not know both of partner’s suits,
     (1) 2 or
     (1) 2,
    then Advancer can use 2NT to ask the Michaels bidder for the minor suit.

    Example
    1 2 P 2NT
    P 3 …
    This shows a 2-suited hand with 5+ and 5+.

    Meckstroth Advances (Advanced)


    Some players play that they have two ways to ask partner for the “other suit” – minor. If you
    play this special agreement, then you use both 2NT and 3 to determine partner’s other suit.
     3 is “Pass or Correct.” The Michaels bidder passes with  or corrects to 3 with .
     2NT is an invitational asking bid. 2NT shows a very good hand and asks the Michaels
    bidder to make a strong bid with a good hand (8+ to 11 HCP) or show their side suit with
    a bad hand (5 to 8- HCP.)

    Unusual NT – The Two Lowest Unbid Suits


    We have Michaels available to preempt the bidding with high-ranking suits (Majors or Major-
    minor). Now we want to have a way to preempt the bidding with low-ranking suits (minors or
    minor-). This is done with a gadget called the Unusual Notrump. This is a direct seat jump to
    2NT:
     (1) 2NT 5+/5+ minors, 5-11 HCP,
     (1) 2NT 5+/5+ minors, 5-11 HCP,
     (1) 2NT 5+/5+, 5-11 HCP,
     (1) 2NT 5+/5+, 5-11 HCP.

    We are free to define this jump to 2NT as a preempt since we do not need it for a natural call.
    We overcall 1NT with 15-18 HCP and double and then bid notrump with 19+ HCP.

    Note: We do not use the Unusual NT with strong hands because if we play in game then we are
    likely to play in 3NT (since we have minors.) In this case we will likely want partner, the player
    that is long in the opponent’s suit, to be the declarer. But if we bid 2NT we will have wrong-
    sided the contract. Thus, with these strong hands we just overcall our suits naturally.

    (36) Competitive Bidding: Double, Michaels, and Unusual NT 3

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