OliverC's Precision Parlour        Guest User

Defence to 1NT - Modified Brozel

Brozel uses 2-level bids that are identical to those of Pinpoint Astro, but also includes a double that shows a single-suited hand with a 6+-card suit somewhere and 3-level bids that show relatively strong 3-suited hands. Brozel is preferred to other conventional defences against 1NT simply because of its flexibility and its ability to deal with a wide range of hands. The modification to Brozel for this system relates to the 3-suited hands where instead of bidding the singleton suit as specified in standard Brozel, we bid the suit below the singleton. In Teams events there is a further optional modification you can use against a weak 1NT Opening somewhere in the 10-14 range, which is that the Double is mainly for penalties nd shows either a strong balanced hand or a strongish single-suited hand.

Regardless of the strength of the No Trump opened, the decision as to whether to pass or bid when the Brozel Double is used will often depend on vulnerability as well as the strength and distribution of responder's hand. The full scheme for Brozel is as follows:

Over the bids that show the 2-suited and 3-suited hands, continuations are almost entirely natural and non-forcing. The only exception is that where a 3-suited hand has been shown a bid in the suit of the shortage is Beta on the Strong scale (because the 3-suited hands are always 14+ in strength and usually 16+. If you are not using Asking Bids you can play a bid in the short suit as being Blackwood, but otherwise unless a bid is obviously invitational (eg: (1NT)-3♣-(No)-5♠), then any bid in one of the suits that the Brozel bidder has promised is strictly "to play".

Defence to Pre-empts - FILM-X

FILM-X stands for Fishbein & Lower Minor-Double. FILM-X is used only over 3-level or higher pre-empts and allows for greater scope and definition. The original Fishbein convention used the next-suit up over a pre-empt as a takeout of the Pre-empt, whilst the Lower Minor used the lowest available Minor as a takeout, leaving Major suits free as natural overcalls. FILM-X combines these two methods. The scheme of actions over a pre-empt is relatively simple:

• Double by 2nd-in-hand is always 100% for penalties, but by 4th-in-hand (ie: sitting underneath the pre-empter) is for takeout.
• 3NT is always "to play".
• Next Suit up by 2nd-in-hand is a takeout of the pre-empt suit, but if the next suit up is a Major then it guarantees a 4-card or longer holding in that suit. By 4th-in-hand, it's just a natural overcall (because Double is for takeout). Thus ...
  • (3♣)-3♦ is just a takeout of Clubs but without saying anything specific about their holding in Diamonds or the Majors
  • (3♦)-3♥ is a takeout of Diamonds but in the process it guarantees at least 4-card Hearts.
  • (3♦)-Pass-(Pass)-3♥ is just an overcall in Hearts.
  • (3♥)-3♠ is a takeout of Hearts but in the process it guarantees at least 4-card Spades.
  • (3♦)-3♠ is simply an overcall in Spades. with 5+-card length.
• Lower Minor by 2nd-in-hand is also a takeout of the pre-empt suit, used when the next suit up over the pre-empt is a Major, and they have less than a 4-card holding in that Major. By 4th-in-hand it's just an overcall, as above. Thus
  • (3♠)-4♦ is just an overcall in Diamonds
  • (3♠)-4♣ is a takeout of Spades (next suit up) and doesn't say anything about the bidder's specific holding in the other three suits
  • (3♥)-4♣ is a takeout of Hearts denying possession of 4-card or longer Spades (Otherwise they would have bid 3♠)
  • (3♦)-4♣ is a takeout of Diamonds denying 4-card Hearts
• Cue-Bid of the pre-empt suit is a very strong takeout, always 3-suited and always with a singleton or void in their suit (usually 4441 or 4450).
• At the 4-level the scheme is as above, except that over a 4♠ pre-empt, or over 4♥ when 2nd-in-hand does not have 4-card Spades, 4NT is for Takeout rather than the Lower Minor.

Please note the differences between actions by 2nd-in-hand and by 4th-in-hand. As you can see the responses are relatively simple and have two advantages over the normal takeout double method: Firstly you retain a penalty Double. If using takeout doubles this is a significant loss if the person sitting immediately over the pre-empt has a penalty double, as they are forced to pass and hope for a re-opening double from partner. Secondly, when the next suit up is a Major and responder has a weak hand with no good fit for the other suits, responder has a better idea of whether it's safe to pass the next-suit-up bid with a 3-card holding or whether to seek their fortune in the other Major or a Minor instead.

Defence to Transfer Pre-empts - Clarke

This is a convention I pioneered and licensed back in the 1980's when transfer pre-empts at the 3-level seemed to be the fashion of the day. (South African Texas at the 4-level has always been popular). Today transfer pre-empts are used mainly at the 4-level but sometimes at the 3-level and very occasionally you will come across a pair using Transfer Weak-2's. In this defence conventional actions are those by 2nd-in-hand whilst 4th-in-hand (who is bidding after the transfer has been completed) bids exactly as over a normal pre-empt (Note FILM-X is not used in this situation, since 4th-in-hand is sitting underneath the pre-empter.

• By 2nd-in-Hand
  • Double shows a 3-suited takeout (Transfer Lebensohl available if at the 2-level)
  • Pass then Double is strictly for penalties
  • Bid of Pre-empt Suit shows the other 2 suits. eg: (3♣(♦ pre-empt))-3♦ would show the Majors.
  • Bid in a new suit shows that suit and the Transfer Suit. eg: (3♣(♦ pre-empt))-3♠ shows Spades and Clubs
  • Pass then Bid is natural and single-suited.
• By 4th-in-Hand
  • Double is for Takeout (but may be passed for penalties).
  • Anything else is natural.

As you can see the logic behind this scheme is fairly straightforward in that 2nd-in-hand is guaranteed another chance to bid since LHO will always bid something if 2nd-in-hand passes. 4th-in-hand, however, is sitting under the actual pre-empter and so is better-suited to making a takeout double or bidding a suit naturally.

Defence to Multi-2♦ - Dixon

Dixon, like my defence to transfer pre-empts, differentiates between immediate and delayed action by second-in-hand and can do this because the Multicoloured 2 Diamond Opening often acts like a transfers and is forcing on responder to make some kind of bid. Dixon, however, gives different strengths to the immediate and delayed doubles by 2nd-in-Hand. The full scheme is as follows:-

• By 2nd-in-Hand
  • Immediate Double is for takeout with 11-15 points. Continuations use Transfer Lebensohl as over Weak-2's
  • Delayed Double is for takeout with 16+. Continuations use Transfer Lebensohl as over Weak-2's
  • 2♥/2♠ is a weak takeout double of the other Major
  • 2NT is natural with 16+ but is usually based on a running Minor
  • 3-level suit bids show a jump-rebiddable suit.
• By 4th-in-Hand
  • Double shows 11-15 points
  • Other Bids are as for 2nd-in-Hand above.

  Over the take-out doubles then if the bidding is still at the 2-level Transfer Lebensohl is available as over a Weak-2 Opening.

Defence to Strong Club - CRO/Panama

In defending against a Strong Club opening, the main emphasis is on disrupting the opponents' sequence as much as possible on the basis that they probably have the balance of the points. In this context the key tactic is to deny them bidding space by pre-empting as far as possible if you have the right hand for it. Sometimes, though, you either want to simply make a lead-directing overcall or you have have a distributional and/or strong hand that genuinely wants to compete (and just because opponents have opened a Strong Club does not mean that game cannot be made your way). With single-suited hands you can make a simple overcall if intermediate or better and simply want to indicate the best lead to partner, or if you have a strong single-suiter that genuinely wants to compete.

In many instances, however, the best tactice with a decent hand is to pass and then come in if the bidding appears about to die at a low level. Good Precision Pairs have methods of combatting interference over their 1♣ sequences (indeed this system contains a number of measures for doing just that). These measures usually include not just mechanisms for conserving and/or reclaiming bidding space lost because of your interference, but also methods for escaping from the bidding sequence they are engaged in and doubling your bid for penalties.

CRO/Panama is a pairing of two different conventions to allow distributional 2-suiters and 3-suiters to be shown. These can be relatively weak and obstructive, but can also be of at least intermediate strength and genuinely seeking to compete for the contract:

CRO [Colour Rank Odd]

CRO uses Double, 1NT and 2NT to indicate 2-suited hands

• Double shows 2 suits of the same Colour (Red/Black)
• 1NT shows 2 suits of the same Rank (Major/Minor)
• 2NT shows 2 Odd
suits (Round/Sharp)

Panama

Panama is great fun to play and can cause considerable confusion at the table (not elast if either member of your partnership forgets the agreement. Panama deals with jump overcalls, which are either:

• Single-suited in the suit bid (ie: a weak jump overcall), or
• 3-suited with the other 3 suits (ie: you have bid your singleton/void)

Responder always assumes the WJO. If this is doubled and the Panama bidder redoubles, then this shows the 3-suited hand.

Note: It must be stressed that in many instances it is better to keep quiet over their Strong CLub Opening unless either you have either a decent chance of competing for the contract or you have a hand able to pre-empt to a fairly high level. Cheap interference rarely disrupts a good Precision Pair much and can actually benefit them. It is almost impossible for any pair to have a scientific sequence if the bidding goes 1♣-(4♠)-???, for example.

Defence to 2-suited Overcalls - Bergin

Bergin is used when our side has made a natural opening in a suit (ie: in Hearts, Spades or Clubs, but not over a 1 Diamond Opening, which does not promise a Diamond suit) and opponents have come in with some kind of 2-suited overcall (eg: Michaels, Unusual 2NT, Ghestem etc etc):

• If the Overcall has specified 2 suits:
  • Double shows values, mainly for defence, and denies a fit for Opener's suit
  • Cheapest Cue-bid shows a limit or forcing raise in Opener's suit
  • Other Cue-bid shows either an invitational raise in Opener's suit or, more commonly, a forcing bid in the 4th suit
  • Bid in 4th Suit is merely competitive
  • Direct Raises of Opener's suit are merely competitive
• If the overcall has only specified one suit, then the scheme is as above, except that the cue-bid of the known suit is the limit or forcing raise of Opener's suit.

Lebensohl

Where the 2-suited Overcall is made below the level of 2NT (eg: Michaels over a Major suit opening), then Lebensohl 2NT is available, so the following continuations arise:

• Fast Raises are competitive or pre-emptive
• Slow Raises are invitational
• Fast Bids of the 4th Suit are merely competitive
• Slow Bids of the 4th Suit are invitational
• Cue-bids of opponents' known suit(s) are as above, referring to either Opener's suit (cheapest) or the 4th suit (other), and are used to set up forcing sequences (fast) or invitational sequences (slow). Opener has to take into account, however, the availability of other means of showing an invitational hand and whether or not the cue-bid suit (ie "their" suit) is higher or lower-ranking than the suit to which the cue-bid refers (Opener's suit or the 4th suit). For example:

  1♥-2♥ (Spades & Diamonds)	-3♥ is competitive in Hearts -2NT-3♣-3♥ is mildly invitational in Hearts -2♠ is strongly invitational in Hearts -2NT-3♣-3♠ is forcing in Hearts -4♥ is pre-emptive -3♣ is merely competitive in Clubs -2NT-3♣-3♦ is invitational in Clubs -3♦ is forcing in Clubs
  1♠-2♠ (Hearts & a Minor)	-3♠ is competitive in Spades -2NT-3♣-3♠ is mildly invitational in Spades -2NT-3♣-3♥ is strongly invitational in Spades -3♥ is forcing in Spades -3♣ is forcing in Clubs -3♦ is forcing in Diamonds -2NT-3♣-Pass is merely competitive in Clubs; -2NT-3♣-3♦ is merely competitive in Diamonds -4♠ is pre-emptive
  1♥-2NT (Minors)	-3♣ is a forcing raise in Hearts -3♦ is forcing in Spades -3♥ is competitive in Hearts -3♠ is competitive in Spades -4♥ is pre-emptive -Double shows values, mainly for defence. May have 4-card Spades.