To show the bottom two unbid suits, bid 2 NT. To show the top and bottom unbid suits, bid 3. To show the top two unbid suits, bid 3. If the opponents have bid two suits, both at the one level, then the only overcall is 2 NT, which shows the two unbid suits. As opposed to Michaels cuebids, the 3 and 3 jump overcalls aren’t available as natural bids.
|
|
Together with the unusual notrump convention to indicate the lowest of the two unbid suits, this hi-hi cuebid allows two out of the three possible two suiters in the unbid suits to be specified in one single bid. A drawback of this method is that the hi-hi cuebid does not cater for two-suiters in the highest and lowest unbid suits.
|
|
If Opener raises the third suit, that promises four cards in the suit and denies a stopper in the unbid suit. 3NT bid by Opener shows four cards in the third suit and promises a stopper in the unbid suit.
|
|
Together with the unusual notrump convention to indicate the lowest of the two unbid suits, this approach allows all two suiters in the three unbid suits to be indicated. Compared to standard Michaels, the disadvantage is that after an opposing minor suit opening, one cannot describe a two suiter in the majors in one bid. Also, Michaels cuebid variants exist that remove any ambiguity on what is the second suit. An example is the hi-hi cuebid that over opponent's opening invariably shows the highest unbid suits.
|
|
Several modifications and extensions exist, such as the Modified Michaels cuebid, Leaping Michaels and Super Michaels. In the Netherlands, a particular modification is growing in popularity: over opponent's opening, a cuebid shows a major and a minor unbid suit. The 2NT overcall is then used to show both majors (after a minor suit opening) or both minors (after a major suit opening). This approach allows all three two suiters in the three unbid suits to be indicated.
|
|
This means that an opening bid of 1 or 1 will sometimes be made with only 3 cards in that suit. Doubles are sometimes given conventional meanings in otherwise mostly natural systems. A natural, or penalty double, is one used to try to gain extra points when the defenders are confident of setting (defeating) the contract. The most common example of a conventional double is the takeout double of a low-level suit bid, implying support for the unbid suits or the unbid major suits and asking partner to choose one of them.
|
|
A 1NT overcall is used over an opponent's opening suit bid to show a weak hand with support for the unbid suits and shortness in the opponent's suit, a doubleton at most. Maximum strength is thirteen points and the minimum depends on vulnerability and partnership agreement.
|
|
Donald Farwell and Jason Rosenfeld, Bridge Baron Companion, Third Edition, Great Games Products, 2008, , page 186. The Snapdragon double is a convention used by advancer when the other three players have shown three different suits without a jump. It shows length in the fourth (unbid) suit, and tolerance for partner's suit (10x or better).
|
|
Narrowly, unbalanced distribution implies a void, singleton, or 7-card suit. ;Unbalanced hand: A 13-card hand with unbalanced distribution in the broad or narrow sense just above. ;Unbid suit: A suit that has neither been bid nor indirectly shown. ;Unblock: To play a card whose rank interferes with the use of cards in the opposite hand.
|
|
Compared to standard Michaels, the disadvantage is that after an opposing minor suit opening, one cannot introduce a two suiter in the majors at the two-level. Also, the cuebid invariably leaves one of both suits unspecified. A variant often referred to as upper cuebid is popular in Germany. In this treatment a cuebid shows the highest unbid suit and another unspecified suit.
|
|
Partner is expected to respond in their longest suit, and the subsequent bidding proceeds naturally. However, those very strong hands are rare enough that the traditional meaning has been largely abandoned, and other meanings assigned to the immediate cue bid. The most common treatment is now the Michaels cuebid, which shows a weakish or moderate hand with at least 5-5 in two unbid suits.
|
|
Methods differ on the priority and meaning of opener's response to the NMF asking bid. According to Seagram and Smith, the priority for responses by opener are: # to show an unbid four-card major. This can only be hearts. With a minimum 1NT hand (12 to a poor 13 HCP), bid the minimum 2; with a maximum 1NT hand (a good 13 or any 14 HCP), jump to 3.
|
|
To do so can be either a matter of tactics or of general style. ;Lightner double: A penalty double, usually of a slam contract, that requests partner to choose an unusual suit for the opening lead. This criterion tends to regard as typical (and thus to exclude) a trump lead, the lead of defenders' bid suit, and the lead of an unbid suit. ;Limit: In the bidding, to define a hand's strength with some degree of precision.
|
|
The negative double is a form of takeout double in bridge. It is made by the responder after his right-hand opponent overcalls on the first round of bidding, and is used to show shortness in overcall's suit, support for the unbid suits with emphasis on majors, as well as some values. It is treated as forcing, but not unconditionally so. In practice, the negative double is sometimes used as a sort of catch-all, made when no other call properly describes responder's hand.
|
|
For example, four-card major openings have a more preemptive effect compared with five-card major openings, but also carry less precise information, as the partner should not support the opened suit without at least 4 cards; that could result in missing a partial contract or even a game. Many partnerships also use Michaels Cue Bids preemptively. A Michaels Cue Bid is a bid of two of a suit in which an opponent has bid one that promises two five-card suits including the unbid majors and, in most partnerships, at least seven or eight HCP. Thus, either 1-2 or 1-2 promises both five hearts and five spades, 1-2 promises five spades and either five clubs or five diamonds, and 1-2 promises five hearts and either five clubs or five diamonds.
|
|
Fourth suit forcing (also referred to as fourth suit artificial; abbreviated as FSF or 4SF) is a contract bridge convention that allows responder to create, at his second turn to bid, a forcing auction. A bid by responder in the fourth suit, the only remaining unbid suit, is artificial indicating that responder has no appropriate alternate bid, remains interested in the potential for a game contract and asks opener to bid again to show additional features. Opener responds to the fourth suit forcing by (in prioritised order): # Raising responder's first bid suit with 3-card support, # Bidding notrump with values in the fourth suit, # Raising the fourth suit with four cards in that suit, # Making the most natural rebid possible, lacking any of the above. Fourth suit forcing is minimally forcing for one round and usually forcing to game - partnership agreement is required.
|
|
Once all other players have passed, the winning partnership (declarers) must take a number of tricks equal to the winning bid plus 6 (so a winning bid of 2 commits the declarers to winning 8 tricks), while the defenders attempt to set them. If the declarers make contract, they get 10 points per bid trick; if they are set they get nothing. The defenders get 10 points per overtrick made by, or undertrick missed by, the declarers (if the declarers bid 2 and only make 6 tricks, the declarers get nothing and defenders get 20 points; if the declarers make 10 tricks, the declarers get 80 points but the defenders get 20 for the 2 unbid overtricks). Thus, the defenders have a choice of tactics; they can either set the declarers so they get no points, or may "bag" the declarers by forcing them to take overtricks so both sides get points.
|
|