OKBridge 1/2 System - Chapter Five

CHAPTER 5- MISCELLANEOUS

Cappelletti

Also known as Hamilton, Cappelletti is a defensive convention for use after an opponent has opened 1NT. The structure is:

X : Penalty
2C : Any one-suited hand
2D : Both majors
2H : Hearts and a minor
2S : Spades and a minor
2NT: Both minors

Cappelletti may be used in both direct and balancing seat.

The 2C bid asks partner to bid 2D. The overcaller passes 2D if his suit is diamonds or corrects to the proper suit. Responder may ignore the 2D relay and pass 2C with a strong club suit, or he may bid two of a major with a good 5-card suit. He may also bid 2NT with 11-13 points and a balanced hand.

The 2D bid usually shows at least 5-4 in the majors (usually 5-5) and requests partner to bid his better major. With poor major-suit support, partner is allowed to pass 2D with a good diamond suit or 3C with a good club suit. A 2NT response shows either a minor-suit hand asking partner to bid 3C or 3D, or a limit raise in one of the majors. In the latter case, advancer plans on rebidding 3H/3S after partner has bid a minor. As a result, an immediate response of 3H/3S to 2D is preemptive, in accordance with the LAW.

The 2H and 2S bids are nonforcing. Here too an immediate raise by partner is preemptive. When partner bids 2NT, he is either asking for the minor or showing a limit raise. For instance,

Opener
K Q T 5 2
4 3
A J T 7 2
2
Bidding
1NT : 2S!

P : 2NT!

P : 3D
P : P
Responder
5 3
K 9 8
K 8 6 3
J T 9 8

Opener
K Q T 5 2
4 3
A J T 7 2
4
Bidding
1NT : 2S!

P : 2NT!

P : 3D
P : 3S!
P - 4S
Responder
A 9 8 7
K 9 8
8 5
A 5 3 2

Roman Key Card Blackwood

The location of the king of trumps is a very important card when a pair is looking for a slam. Based on this principle, the Roman Key Card convention modifies the responses to 4NT Blackwood by counting the king of trumps as an ace. Thus there are five "aces" for responder to show, which he does in this scheme:

5C: 0 or 3 key cards
5D: 1 or 4 key cards
5H: 2 or 5 key cards without the queen of trumps
5S: 2 or 5 key cards with the queen of trumps

If a major suit is trumps and responder bids 5C, the cheapest step bid by the RKC bidder asks for the queen of trumps. Responder denies the queen of trumps by bidding five of the major. With the queen he jumps to six of the major. For instance:

1H : 4NT(1)
5C(2) : 5D (3)
6H(4)

Roman Key Card Blackwood
0 or 3 key cards
Do you have the queen of hearts?
Yes
If spades is trumps and responder bids 5D, the cheapest step bid by the RKC bidder again asks for the queen of trumps:

1S : 4NT(1)
5D(2) : 5H (3)
5S(4)

Roman Key Card Blackwood
1 or 4 key cards
Do you have the queen of spades?
No
A partnership should decide what the 5NT rebid by the RKC bidder shows. Most experts use it to ask for the cheapest king. With the club king, for example, responder would bid 6C:

Opener
A 9 8 7
K J T 5 3
Q 3
K 3
Bidding
1H : 4NT
5C : 5NT
6C : 7NT
Responder
K Q J T
A Q 9 8 2
A J
A Q 4

Many experts also reverse the 5C and 5D responses to 4NT, because they are more interested in looking for slam after partner shows 1/4 key cards instead of 0/3. This variant is known as 1430 RKC.

New Minor Forcing

New Minor Forcing comes up when responder bids a new minor after opener has rebid 1NT. For example,

1C : 1S
1N : 2D!

2D is artificial, showing 11+ points and asking opener to further describe his hand. Responder is interested in game, normally has a five-card major suit and wants to know if opener has support.

Opener's responses, in order of priority, are:

Two of the other major : shows a 4-card suit
Two of responder's major : shows 3-card support, 12 to 13- points
Three of responder's major : shows 3-card support, 13+ to 14+ points
2NT : shows a stopper in the unbid suit, 12 to 13- points
3NT : shows a stopper in the unbid suit, 13+ to 14+ points
Raise of the new minor : Natural, denies the ability to make any other bid
Rebid of opener's suit : Denies the ability to make any other bid

To show a genuine two-suiter, responder can rebid the new minor on the third round.

New Minor Forcing is OFF in competition.

Fourth Suit Forcing (to game)

When responder is an unpassed hand and rebids the fourth suit in an uncontested auction, his bid is artificial, shows 12+ points, and is game-forcing. For example,

1D : 1S
2C : 2H!

2H is artificial and a game-force. Opener's rebids, in order of priority, are:

2 of responder's major : 3-card support
Any rebid of opener's suits : Natural, waiting
Raise of the fourth suit : Tends to show 4-card support, waiting
2NT : Natural, with a stopper in the fourth suit

FSF does NOT apply in the following situations:

1C : 1D
1H : 1S

While 1S is forcing, it is not a game-force.

When responder's first bid is at the two-level, a fourth-suit rebid is not artificial, since a game-forcing situation has already been created. For example:

1S : 2C
2D : 2H

C) When responder jump rebids the fourth suit. For example:

1H : 1S
2C : 3D

The jump rebid shows invitational values and at least 5-5 . With a game-going two-suiter, responder could just do this:

1H : 1S
2C : 2D!
2x : 3D

D) In competition.

Lebensohl Over Pre-empts

2x - X - P - 2NT!

2NT is artificial, showing a weak hand and a desire to sign off at the three-level. The takeout doubler must relay to 3C, which partner can pass (showing a weak hand with clubs) or bid 3D/3H/3S (all signoffs). As a result, if responder bids a new suit rather than go through 2NT Lebensohl, he is making an immediate game invitation.

Example :

2H - X - P - ?

T 3
T 9 4
A J T 3 2
9 7 6
Bid 2NT, and correct to 3D when partner bids 3C.

A Q
T 9 4
A J T 3 2
9 8 6
Bid 3D, showing a good hand.

Advancer can make a mild game try by doing the following:

2H - X - P - 2NT!
P -3C!- P - 3S

Since advancer could have bid 2S immediately to show a bad hand, and 3S to show a good hand, going through Lebensohl and then bidding 3S shows a decent hand, about 6-9 points. It does not promise extra spade length. Partner can bid game with a good hand of his own.

Inverted Minors

Originally an integral part of the Kaplan-Sheinwold system, Inverted Minors exchanges the meanings of the simple and double raises of 1C/1D. For simplicity, the examples and situations described herein will be based on an opening bid of 1C.

After 1C, a simple raise to 2C is a one-round force, promising at least ten points and 4+ clubs. A jump raise to 3C is preemptive, showing 5-8 points and at least five clubs (although excellent four-card support is permissible). Both raises DENY a four-card major.

Opener
A T 2
J 9 8
A K 3
Q T 9 8
Bidding
1C : 2C!
Responder
K 9 3
T 3 2
Q 3
A J 6 5 4

Opener
A T 2
J 9 8
A K 3
Q T 9 8
Bidding
1C : 3C!
Responder
T
T 3 2
Q 9 3 2
K J 6 5 4

Opener's rebids after partner has bid 2C are:

2D : 14+ points with a four-card diamond suit, forcing
2H : 14+ points with a four-card heart suit, forcing
2S : 14+ points with a four-card spade suit, forcing
2NT: Shows 12-14 with a balanced hand with adequate stoppers
3C : A catchall bid denying the ability to make any other bid.
3NT: 18-19 points with a balanced hand

Responder's rebids to 2D/2H/2S are:

2NT : 10-12 with a balanced hand
3C : A minimum unbalanced hand
3NT : 13-15 with a balanced hand
A raise of opener's second suit: 3+ trumps, invitational
A new suit : Showing or asking for a stopper, depending on agreement

Some pairs play Inverted Minors in both uncontested and competitive auctions. On the OKbridge 2/1 card, Inverted Minors are off ONLY over a takeout double.

Recommended titles :

Lawrence, Mike. Workbook on the 2/1 System.

Pavlicek, Richard and Root, Bill. Modern Bridge Conventions.

Recommended websites :

Shelagh Paulsson's 2/1 notes.
http://www.sns-access.com/~macaw/table.html

Anna Marsh and Wayne Flourney's description of SAYC and OKbridge conventions. http://www.dircon.co.uk/am-graphics/sayc.htm

CHAPTER 2..................................MAJOR-SUIT CONVENTIONS
CHAPTER 3..................................1NT CONVENTIONS
CHAPTER 4..................................DOUBLES
CHAPTER 5..................................MISCELLANEOUS
CONTENT..................................CONTENT OF OKBRIDGE 1/2 SYSTEM