Systems are off for 3NT opening bids, rebids over 2♣, and overcalls.

Since the immediate objective is to support with support, 1♠ must be skipped in favor of heart support without game-forcing values.

1NT typically shows 6–12 points and is used in a number of circumstances:

It also denies four spades after a 1♥ opening.

Responder needs more trumps to raise (four to raise 1♦; five to raise 1♣). Since four card majors should be bid up-the-line, a raise denies a four card major. Once a minor is raised, the bidding must end in that suit or NT. Raises are inverted so a raise to two is strong (limit raise or better) and a raise to 3 is weak (preemptive). When vulnerable, a jump raise should be sound (8-9 dummy points) but when non-vulnerable it is much more wide-ranging.

1♦

NT responses show a balanced hand with no four-card major.

These bids are not forcing, but opener is expected to bid again with a suitably strong and/or unbalanced hand.

Opener’s rebids are natural and standard. Unless the hand qualifies for a Strong Rebid, make one of the following bids.

Opener responds naturally to clarify the hand.

Once any major suit is raised from 1 to 2 (declaring suit agreement), a new suit is a game try. It suggests a suit JTx or better that would benefit from fitting honors (Qxx or better). One may bid game, sign off, or make another game try.

When this treatment is used, other bids change their meanings:

After an opening at the 1-level and nearly any response by partner, a jump rebid shows at least 16 total points and a good six card suit. The suit should be strong enough to play opposite a small singleton. Responses:

After a 1/1 or 1NT/1 bid, a jump shift shows 19+ total points and an unbalanced hand. Usually it shows 5+ cards in the first suit and 4+ in the second suit, although it can also show 6-3-3-1 or 4-4-4-1 distribution if the second suit is a minor. It is forcing to game.

Responses:

Opener’s jump to 2NT shows a stronger-than-1NT opening (18-19 HCP). Responder’s rebids are mostly natural.

After a 1-level bid and any response by partner:

After a 1/1 bid, a reverse shows a good 15+ HCP, an unbalanced hand, and at least five cards in the first suit. (HCP strength can be lowered in cases of extreme distribution.) It is forcing and game-forcing unless Responder bids one step higher. In that case Opener will retreat to the first suit unless the distribution is particularly freaky.

All other bids by Responder are natural and forcing to game. A rebid of the first suit shows a decent 5+ cards.

The following bids are self-splinters, showing a maximum (usually 17+ HCP), shortness, and game-forcing / slam interest:

Responder is expected to bid a first round control if possible.

In competition, splinters are off except for jumps in the opponent’s suit.

Note: This is the treatment recommended by Richard Pavlicek as described in this quiz[http://www.rpbridge.net/cgi-bin/quiz.pl?5h4100].

The 2♣ opening automatically creates a forcing auction. All bids are natural and positive, all doubles are for penalty, and all passes are forcing.

Once suit agreement has been reached, 4NT is used to ask for keycards - the 4 aces and the king of trump. It can also be used to ask for "Queen or Extra Length" (queen: queen of trump, extra length: enough trump to promise 10 total).

4NT KC Asking:

After a 5♣ or 5♦ response, the Blackwood initiator may ask for QOEL by bidding the next step:

4♣ is Gerber over any 1NT OR 2NT by partner, including a rebid of 1NT OR 2NT. Responses show the number of aces, by steps, just as over a Blackwood 4NT. 5♣ is used to ask for kings.

Ace Asking:

1NT — 4♣

If the player using Gerber makes any bid other than 5♣, that is to play (including 4NT).

King Asking:

1NT — 4♣ — any — 5♣

A voluntary bid of 5NT is forcing and asks partner to try to pick the best slam available. There are no hard-and-fast rules here, but possibilities include:

The asker may continue to bid up the line if completely displeased with the response.

When suit agreement has not been reached, a bid of 4NT is quantitative (slam invitational). There are a number of ways to accept the invitation.

4NT quantitative:

A voluntary bid of 5 of a suit is invitational to slam. It is used in two circumstances:

Once agreement in a major suit has been reached, a bid of 3NT is a slam try that asks responder to cue bid first-round controls. A voluntary cue bid at the 4-level that skips 3NT is also a slam try. The two bids say nothing specific about hand strength but are more tactical in nature. For example, the player that will be declarer may choose to bid 3NT so as to not reveal any unnecessary information about the closed hand.

A double is for takeout over a partscore bid (4♦ or lower). In the direct position over a 1-level bid, it shows support for the unbid suits and enough strength to warrant getting into the auction (usually 10+ points with shortness in opener’s suit OR 18+ points and any distribution). In the balancing position it can be 2-3 points lighter.

Advancer is expected to bid after a takeout double. The Rule of 9 (#cards + #honors + bid level >= 9) is a reasonable guideline to determine when to convert the double to penalty. With insufficient strength and no compelling suit, a 1NT bid is permissible. If you have two places to play, look for a way to show both suits if you have 6+ HCP:

A below-game jump response to a takeout double is invitational (9-12 declarer points). To force for one round, responder cuebids opener’s suit. This is forcing to game by an unpassed hand.

Any subsequent bid by doubler shows significant extras and is strongly invitational to game. If advancer has jumped, then a new suit or NT bid by doubler is forcing to game.

Suit overcalls show 7–16+ points nonvulnerable and 9-16+ points vulnerable (double and bid the long suit with a stronger hand). In general an overcall shows 5+ cards but it may show a strong 4 (AKJx) at the one level.

With appropriate strength and a stopper in the opponent’s suit, you may make a NT overcall. All systems are on - effectively the opening bid is ignored.

A cuebid overcall when the opponents have bid only one suit is a Michaels cuebid, showing a 5–5 two-suiter (or more distributional).

The strength is either weak or very strong/distributional. With an normal opening hand it is better to bid the higher suit then rebid the lower suit if needed. When vulnerable, it is best to avoid very weak hands. (This also makes it easier for advancer to decide to bid game.) When non-vulnerable, the low-end range is much wider.

Meckwell features multiple ways to show single-suited or 5-4 hands.

After double, advancer is expected to relay to 2♣ but may break the relay with a 6-card suit. Responses to 2♣:

After 2♣ or 2♦, Advancer may pass or bid 2♥. Overcaller may pass or correct to 2♠.

Landy is a simple defense to 1NT. If another system is present, then use that system vs. strong NT (any system including 15HCP or higher in its range) and use this one only against weak NT.

It only has one artificial bid:

After 2♣, advancer generally bids the better major.

Against any strong opening (usually 2♣ or 1♣), the defense against a strong 1NT is used. A double of 2♣ is the equivalent of a direct 2♣ bid in the NT system.

The negative double is used through 4♦ promising four cards (at least) in an unbid major. Bidding a major in competition shows a five-card or longer suit and strength suitable to the level. With insufficient high-card strength for a free bid, double may also be used with a five-card or longer suit.

If both majors are bid, then a double shows both minors.

When the opponents overcall a minor over a minor at the two-level or higher, a double shows at least one four-card major and at least two places to play.

If opener bids the a major you cannot support, rebid opener’s first suit or NT to imply the other major.

Unless overruled elsewhere, after opener bids a suit and responder bids another suit:

Eschewing the support double shows 4-card support.

Support Doubles are on through 2♥. At a higher level, doubles in competition are card-showing.

In a competitive sequence, new suits by an unpassed hand are forcing. (To make a constructive, non-forcing bid, consider a Negative Double.) New suits by a passed hand are constructive but non-forcing.

Jump shifts are weak, showing a similar hand to a preempt.

Cuebidding right-hand opponent’s suit shows a limit raise or better:

Note: If playing inverted minors ON in competition, then that treatment supercedes this one.

When using this treatment, a jump raise is weak / competitive.

Note: if you pass a suit bid and bid it later, it is natural, not a cue bid:

Unless otherwise noted elsewhere, any bid or double by an opponent cancels a convention intended for non-competitive sequences.

After partner opens in a suit and a conventional bid by the opponents shows one known suit, a cue bid shows a good raise, a double shows a good hand without support, and other bids are weak. For example:

1♠ — (2♠:Michaels)

If the conventional bid shows two known suits, there are two cue bids available and the second shows the fourth suit. For example:

1♣ — (2NT:Unusual)

If RHO makes a takeout double, bid as naturally as possible.

1♦ — (Double)

1♥ — (Double)

In a competitive auction below game where no other double applies, a double is card-showing. Partner is requested to do something intelligent, such as:

Under normal circumstances, a bid of an intervening suit is a game-try. In the following cases, no suit game-try is available:

In these cases, the Maximal Double is used to show a game try.

A double is unequivocally for penalty in the following cases:

A redouble can have one of three meanings:

To play if:

A good hand if:

SOS, requesting a different suit if:

at the three level or lower:

First discard is attitude for that suit. (See "Signals" below.)

When signaling, defender must first determine what information is most useful. Signals are made in this priority:

Leads are: