OVERVIEW: SAYC plus RKC1430, splinters, 4 suit Jacoby transfers, Texas transfers, Smolen, Cappeletti, Flannery, weak jump shifts, gambling 3NT, support doubles OPENING BIDS: Suited openings: ~13-21 points * 5 card majors * better minor Use rule of 20: can open if HCP plus the combined length of your two longest suits >= 20 (not required though, if HCP are in short suits, etc.) NT opening: can open w/ 5 card major, even 5-4-2-2 distro 1 nt = 15-17 2 nt = 20-21 Weak 2H/2S bids: 6 card suit, 5-10 HCP, 2/3 of AKQ in seat 1/2 Strong 2C: 22+ points or 9+ fast tricks Flannery (2D opening): shows 4 spades and 5 hearts and 11 to 15 HCP Weak three bids: 7 card suit, headed by QJ or K in seat 1/2, 3C/3D could be a good 6 card suit Gambling 3NT: 7(8) card minor, headed by AKQ(AKJ), no outside A/K NON-COMPETITIVE BIDDING: New suit by responder is "almost-forcing" for one bid. Bidding the fourth suit is artificial and forcing for one bid. Weak jump shifts = single jump in a new suit, shows 6 card suit and no support for partner (less than 2) 2NT response to a weak two bid = feature asking. Opener bids a suit to show a side ace or king, otherwise rebids suit. Responses to 1 of a major: Single raise = 3 card support, 6-9 points Double raise = 3+ card support, 10-12 points Triple raise = usually 5+ trump and a void and less than 10 HCP Splinter = double jump in a suit, shows game-forcing strength, 4 card support for partner, and a singleton or void in bid suit Jacoby 2NT = game-forcing strength, 4 card support for partner, asks partner to describe hand further. Responses are: 3 of non-trump: singleton or void in bid suit 4 of non-trump: non-minimum hand, good 5 card outside suit 4 of trump: no short suit, minimum (<14 points) hand 3NT: no short suit, medium (15-17 points) hand 3 of trump: no short suit, 18+ points Responses to 1NT (and similar over 2NT): 2C = Stayman 2D = transfer to 2H 2H = transfer to 2S 2S = transfer to 3C (need 6+ clubs) 2NT = natural (8-9 HCP) 3C = transfer to 3D (need 6+ diamonds) 3NT = natural (11-15 HCP) 4C = Gerber 4D = transfer to hearts (6+ hearts, no slam interest) 4H = transfer to spades (6+ spades, no slam interest) 4NT = quantitative NT slam attempt (~16 HCP) Super-acceptance: with 17 HCP and 4+ card support, opener accepts a transfer one level higher than required. Smolen transfers: if responder is 5/4 or 6/4 in the majors, don't transfer, bid Stayman instead. If opener replies with 2D (no 4 card major), responder jumps in his _shorter_ major to show 5/4 distro and game-forcing strength. If opener bids 3NT, showing only 2 card support, responder can jump to the suit below his long major to show 6/4 distro. Opener must accept this transfer. SLAM BIDDING: responses to 2C: 2D = waiting, probably less than 8 HCP 2H/2S/3C/3D = 8+ HCP, 5 card suit, headed by at least queen 2NT = 8+ HCP, balanced distro RKC1430 (if trump is not clear, assume it's the last bid suit): 5C = 1 or 4 controls 5D = 3 or 0 controls 5H = 2 or 5 controls w/o trump queen 5S = 2 or 5 controls w/ trump queen Additional responses are possible to show a side void (don't bid these if there's any doubt about the trump suit): 5NT = 0 or 2 controls plus a void 6 of a suit below trump = 1 or 3 controls plus void in bid suit 6 of trump = 1 or 3 controls plus void in a higher suit Over normal (i.e. not void-showing) bids, RKC bidder has options: * Bidding trump at any level is a sign-off. * Any bid at the 6 or 7 level is to play. * Bidding 5NT implies partnership holds all 5 controls and asks partner to bid cheapest available king. Responder bids 6 of trump w/ no king or w/ no king below trump. * Over a 5C or 5D response, make the cheapest bid to ask for trump queen (this bid is not available if cheapest bid is trump.) Again, this bid promises all 5 controls. Responder bids cheapest king or 6 of trump when holding the queen and bids 5 of trump to deny. Cue-bidding: A artificial bid in a suit in which partner cannot want to play, shows first round control of that suit, starts a cue-bidding sequence, in which first round controls (and later second round controls, if first round has already been shown) are bid. Either partner should place the final contract as soon as they know what it should be. Bidding trump at first opportunity in a cue-bidding sequence is weak and basically an attempt to place final contract. COMPETETIVE BIDDING: Michaels: direct cue-bid of opps suit, shows both majors (5/5) over a minor suit. Shows other major and a minor (2NT asks for minor) over a major. Use Mathe (see below) over artificial openings (e.g. strong 1C). Unusual 2NT: shows two lowest unbid suits (over artificial minor suit openings, count the artificially bid suit as having been bid, so that any distro can be described in conjunction with Mathe) Take-out and negative doubles though 3S (free bid after doubling = strong) Doubles are always for penalty if we've agreed on a suit Support (re)doubles: used by opener when responder has bid a new suit at the 1 level (i.e. could be a 4 card suit) and opp doubles or bids a new suit, (re)double shows 3 card support, while a raise shows 4+ card support. Cue-bidding opps suit (when not Michaels) = strong Cappeletti over opps NT openings: double = penalty 2C = 1 suited hand, partner must bid 2D unless he has 6+ clubs 2D = both majors 2H = hearts and a minor (2NT asks for minor) 2S = spades and a minor 2NT = both minors Compete over artificial opening bids (e.g. strong 1C) with Mathe: Double = both majors 1NT = both minors BIDS OVER INTERFERENCE: DOPI: If opponents interfere over Blackwood, then: Double = 0 controls Pass = 1 control First available bid = 2 controls Next available bid = 3 controls Etc. Responses after opponents interfere over partner's 1/2 NT opening: If opponents double, all systems are on. If opponents bid 2C, double = stayman If opponents bid another suit: cuebid = game-forcing stayman double = takeout Texas transfer are always on, unless opps pre-empt so high that it wouldn't require a jump. All other responses are natural.