Articles and Books
INDEX
ARTICLES
Article # 201 Game Invitational Jump Shifts
25 pages: $5.00
Article # 202 No Trump Structure
12 pages: $4.00
Coming Soon
Major suit Structure
Minor suit Structure
Two Way NMF
Modified DONT
Transfers Over 2NT Rebid
Two – suited Hands
Big Hand Bidding
BOOKS
BK 120 Bridge Without A Partner
Price: $13.00
BK 121 Winners, Losers, and Cover Cards
Price: $10.00
BK 122 Keys To Winning Defense
Price: $9.00
BK 123 Let's Bid a Slam
Price: $8.00
BK 124 Basic Approach to Two Over One
Price: $9.00 For Intermediate and Advanced Players
SPECIAL LIMITED OFFER
Any four books available for one paypal payment of #25.00!
ART. 201 Game Invitational Jump Shifts
25 pages Cost: $5.00
The jump shift can be employed for various purposes. One is to show BIG hands. This has been discarded by most of the tourney community. The second is to show WEAK hands, not good enough to respond; usually fewer than 6 HCP. This is a popular treatment. I, however find that I can bid strong hands strong, and weak hands,weak. The problem hands are GAME INVITATIONAL hands...
What are the requirements for the game invitational jump shift (GIJS)? It should show a 6-7 card suit with approximately 6 to 7 losers, or about 9-11 HCP if you are evaluating that way.
“O” “R”
1C 2D/2H/2S are ALL GIJS
1D 2H/2S/3C are all GIJS
1H 2S is a GIJS
If you are playing some form of “Bergen,” or “graded major raises,” then 3C and 3D describe those hands. If you are NOT playing 3C and 3D as some form of major raises, then you can use these as “game invitational.”
1H/1S or
3C/3D = GIJS if not a systemic major raise (for those of you who play some form of “Bergen” raises)...
Let's look at some hands.
1.“O” ♠J4 ♥A872 ♦KJ96 ♣K96 “R” ♠KQ10865 ♥953 ♦3 ♣AJ4
1♦ 2♠ (6 ¾ losers)
PASS – minimum with at most 3 cover cards. You need at least 3 ½ cover cards and partial fit to invite game. Note that the chances of taking 10 tricks on this hand are slim, and non-existent with a heart lead. The three-level is in jeopardy. Playing “normal” methods you would end in three spades AT LEAST!
ART. 202
BK # 120 Bridge Without A Partner
125 Pages Cost: $13.00
This classic novel is about a bridge professional, Friday, and his enigmatic student, Zelda. Friday inherits her from another full time player, and although warned about her lack of ability, he none-the-less chooses to accept the challenge of helping her to become a life master.
Marvel at her inventiveness, and try to follow her twisted logic, but most of all, enjoy all of their wacky adventures.
EXCERPT
Chapter One – Introducing Zelda
My name is Friday. I'm a bridge pro. I work here.
It was a warm spring morning and Zelda and I were on our way to a sectional tournament in Cincinnati. I had played professionally for quite a few years, and had had my share of clients who could not follow suit, but on this day, and in the days to come, I was in for a special treat. I had heard about Zelda's prowess at the table, as she was referred to me by a friend, another professional much more famous than myself. But in my wildest imagination I could never have dreamed what nightmarish talents Zelda actually possessed. I used to place partners into three categories; the good, the bad and the ugly. This, however, was a person so basically unaware, she would forever remain “UNCLASSIFIED.” This was a person so devoid of thought, the black holes in space bowed with envy. For me the journey had just begun. I was about to enter a new space and time, one outside the realm of normal reality. I was about to enter the Zelda Zone.
BK 121 Winners, Losers, and Cover Cards
150 Pages Cost: $10.00
EXCERPT
What is losing trick count? It is a way of evaluating the trick taking ability of your hand, assuming that you and your partner have at least an eight-card trump fit and will be playing the final contract in the fitting suit. Basically it says wherever there is an ace, king, or queen in a three-card suit or longer, that space is a non-loser. So, a suit of A962 is a two-loser suit; one loser for the absence of the king, and one loser for the absence of the queen. All cards which come after the first three are considered non-losers. A suit containing only two cards is given loser status based on whether it contains an ace or king only. Therefore, A7 or K7 is a one-loser suit, but Q7 would be a two-loser suit. Notice that the queen is given NO VALUE as a winner, even though it may prove to be worthwhile.
In order to bid accurately one must have expectations of what various bids may contain with regards to trick-taking ability and cover cards. Cover cards are specific honors, or distributions, which cover losers. If I hold three small cards in a suit and you as my partner hold the ace of that suit, that ace will cover one of my losers. Additionally, if I hold three small cards in a suit and you as my partner hold a singleton, assuming you have enough trump, you will cover two of the losers in that suit via ruffs.
So, how many losers, and cover cards do various hands contain? Let’s start out by looking at opening bids. You hold…
♠ A K 6 ♥ J 9 7 4 ♦ A 6 3 ♣ J 9 5.
Many of you probably use the “Bergen” Rule of 20 when considering opening. This is reasonable, but it does not cover enough situations, and even Marty would tell you that HE does not adhere to this rule completely. This hand contains 13 HCP with seven cards in the two longest suits, giving you 20 “rule points,” so you would open 1♣. How many losers does this hand contain? One spade, three hearts, two diamonds and three clubs = NINE losers. It is a good 9 loser hand since we have not given either jack any value, and we know jacks are worth more than nothing. However, because it is 4-3-3-3, the worth of the hand goes down because there is only one trick source, the heart suit, and that suit is weak. This is a very weak, MINIMUM opener.
BK 122 Keys To Winning Defense
121 Pages Cost: $10.00
Chapter I. Opening Leads
Phase One – Planning Your Lead
A. General Strategy
Opening leads are often the most crucial and difficult aspect of the defense. The final result of the hand often hinges on which card you get your finger on to initiate play.
Is the opening lead a science? Not exactly. Is it random? Hardly!
It is a calculated percentage action based on disciplined parameters applied to knowledge gained from the auction, combined with that of your card holding.
Most of you probably use basic rules when determining your opening lead.
1. Try and lead touching honors when available.
2. Try to lead partner's suit.
3. Don't under-lead aces versus a suit contract.
4. Lead fourth from longest and strongest.
For the most part this is a good start. However, all too often your leads are made by rote, with little thought as to WHY you have led what you did, or WHAT you were trying to accomplish.
I use primarily TWO principles when I am on opening lead.
1. VISUALIZE THE HAND
2. ATTACK WEAKNESS
BK 123 “Let's Bid A Slam”
102 Pages $9.00
Introduction to Slam Bidding
Game bidding for the most part is not particularly scientific. Usually if you have enough trumps and enough values you either make some sort of game try which will be accepted or denied, or you “blast” into game, hoping for some working cards. This is what is called “quantitative bash.” Partner opens 1NT and you hold ♠Q2 ♥J96 ♦AQ985 ♣J96. There is no bid that asks partner, “Do you have both black suits stopped,” in case he holds two small spades, or two small clubs. You bid 3NT and hope for the best.
Slam bidding, however, merges science with art. You must be creative enough to IMAGINE the possibilities, and you must have the MEHODS and PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE to know how to EXPLORE those possibilities.
Many years ago when I was just a young pup, I was playing rubber bridge at a penny a point, a lot of money in those days. At unfavorable I sat fourth chair and picked up
♠AKQ106 ♥ AKQJ5 ♦AK ♣K
What a monster! This was a true one loser hand! My intentions were to open 2C, rebid 2S over the expected 2D waiting bid from partner, and then jump to 6H, giving up on the grand, a practical bidding sequence. My plans were foiled, however, when my RHO “psyched” a 1C opener. Now my only questions was WHICH MAJOR SUIT DO I WANT TO PLAY SLAM, and how do I convey this to partner? I bid 2♣, Michaels, intending to jump to slam in whichever major my partner preferred, but once again a monkey wrench was thrown into the mix. My LHO doubled and my partner quickly snapped “Two Diamonds” indicating he preferred diamonds. After a pass, I repeated, “Three CLUBS! Partner, please take a preference in a MAJOR!” After a pass he reiterated, “Three DIAMONDS.” Pass again on my right. What was I to do? I play a simple rule, “Third cue-bid is to play.” and shuddered to think what might happen if I bid 4C, so I jumped to 6H, where I got doubled by LHO. After two passes I sent it back with a “REDOUBLE!” My partner slammed his cards down and said he was not paying for this hand. I said, “Okay, but then you don't share in the profits if I make it.” He agreed, as did our two opponents. After I scored it up (partner was 3-3-6-1 with no points, but everything behaved) my partner exclaimed,” Well done! We sure cleaned up!” He was partially right.
Most slams are not that obvious, nor are they that easy to bid. Except when your side holds more than 33 HCP, you will generally need a TRUMP FIT along with fitting side cards to produce good chances for twelve or more tricks. Because of this, there is a hierarchy of priorities involved when investigating for a slam.
1. Establish a game force
2. Establish a trump fit if there is one
3. Cue-bid inferentially and contextually
4. RKC to conclusion
BK 124 Basic Approach to 2/1
For Intermediate and Advanced Players
69 Pages $9.00
In this modern day of gadgets and gizmos, bridge players are constantly bombarded with wild and complex conventions. Although some of these have merit, most are unwieldy and unnecessary. Successful bidding is based on covering the most frequently occurring hands in the simplest and most effective way.
Introduction
Once going past the basic approach of a 2/1 structure, there are many different understandings, treatments, and conventions that can be employed. The key in any system is to be able to cover the most frequently occurring hand types in the best way with methods that are easily understood by those who are playing that system. If the system is too complex for the user, confusion will reign supreme, and if too simple, guess work will prevail.
One must not merely know what any initial action might mean, but must know what the ensuing, or FOLLOW-UP bids mean as well. All too often I am asked questions on bidding problems, and when I query about the meaning of a “follow-up” bid, I receive a blank stare as though this were the “final Jeopardy” clue. Good bidding structures must be coherent as well as comprehensive.
Most of the problems in bidding arise from either poor judgement due to poor evaluation, or confusion due to lack of preparation. This treatise is primarily geared to giving you methods that PREPARE you for a plethora of situations, allowing you to reach a good contract the majority of the time.
