After our tours with the US Army ('67-'70) my brother and I returned to Michigan State University and learned the game of bridge. Within a year or so we developed our own system: Balls Convention - "either you got 'em or you don't"
These conventions are great thank you for going through them in such an efficient way specially the cuebid which I will add second round control I have been following you daily and my bridge has gone to a much higher level ,🙏😘Talina
Nice video. My advice to beginners is to start with the following 5 conventions: - Stayman / Jacoby transfers - 4th suit - Cuebids - Negative doubles - RKC.
I like to use Jacoby two notrumps over partner's major suit opener. It fixes the trump suit, tells partner that you have four of the major suit, is a game force (12+HCP) and slam invitational. The two notrump is follower by either a cue bid sequence or a 4 NT Gerber call. A good and sturdy bid.
I like your choices a lot. The first three Stayman/Transfers, Checkback and fit-raises come up a lot and the last two - Roman Keycard Blackwood and cues come up less, but when they do, they win you those big points at teams events when you bid good slams and stay out of bad ones. I also like Lebensohl, it solves insoluble issues when you get competition over our 1NT opening. Lebensohl 2NT to warn of weakness can also be used after we reverse, after we double their weak 2, and after they find a fit and drop out at the 2 level then we decide to compete with a double. It's a really versatile convention. The other one is fourth suit forcing - so many good hands where you are unsure of the final destination and just want one (or more!) bid(s) from partner before committing. WIthout FSF, you have to guess.
Would you consider playing cue bid after Bergen raises? If so, would you swap the meaning of 3cl and 3d, to make 3cl the stronger answer of the two? (In order to allow a very cheap cuebid for diamond, or diamond/heart in case of spade fit.) Or is there a specific reason for playing shortage-reveal game-invitations after Bergen raises? (Thanks for the great summary and explanation, btw!)
I don`t care for the idea of two way checkback. It just adds a complication to the bidding. Partner`s 1NT shows 2 or 3 spades, limits it and he has a balanced hand. This is enough to know where to go. Pass, invite, bid a heart suit or force game in NT or a suit.
I pretty much agree that these 5 are crucial conventions. You explain them well. Where would I get a full system card, because it seems you have nailed the bidding part of the game, even though you are a bit slovenly with the play and a bit cautious in the bidding ?
Hi there Mr Holland, Firstly I would like to say how helpful your programme is to me and for that Thankyou, However as I'm such a novice at bridge I found myself wondering if these 5 conventions apply to 5 card majors and/or Acol ? Please excuse such a random question but I only play 5card Majors at the moment and don't wish to waste unnecessary time if you use Acol system only. Many Thanks. Naomi Read.
* 2-way Checkback is problematic when you were raised on the simpler New Minor Forcing. There are a lot of ways to screw this up. I've had to abandon this because partners couldn't handle all of the wrinkles. * Bergen Raises are cute but unnecessary. I prefer to withhold my distribution from the defense and use a game-try system to tease out the in-between hands. * I wished you talked about cue bidding before RKCB. Cue bidding is about slam-finding. RKCB is about slam-avoiding.
1. Stayman and transfers; Improve it by making 2NT a club transfer, and then use 3 bids to show a 6 card with 2 out of 3 top honors. The idea is then to get to 3N with the magical 9 tricks hands say an opening hand of Axx, Axx, Axxx, Kxx while preventing going down a lot in 3N if opening hand has a small doubleton in the suit. Apart from that, stayman is effective as it is easy. But for higher level play there are better alternatives where the opening hand doesn't always provide extra information to the opps about the closed hand but provides it about the hand that is likely ending up as dummy instead. 2. Two way checkback, yes agreed. The partnership however needs to define and memorize a lot of sequences following 2C/2D for 5M, 5/4M 6/3M, 6/4M, and combinations like 5M/5m... Using it in combination with Walsh is great as you have a mechanism to sign off in 2D consealing the stonger, more unknown hand during play. 3. Bergen raise, I hate it. What seems to happen often is you prevent unmakeble games, and make no overtrick where the other table gambled game and made it as the opps did have less information. Apart from that you are introducing artifical bids that opps sometimes double to find the killing lead or the good safe. The GF part of Bergen works fine. I prefer a standard structure with 10-14 splinters and 2NT INV + support (that includes 15+ splinters) and 3NT with balanced 15-17 support. 4. RCKB yes of course. It should include agreement that if you follow up with Q or K's asking partner is allowed to bid 7 with extra tricks as all keycards are present. Don't ask for Q or Ks to investigate 6NT instead of the suit. I experimented with kickback RKCB too which if the partnership works is great! 5. Yes of course. As you mentioned last step before RCKB, and for that reason this is #4, RCKB is #5. I would suggest to include agreement that once a cue has been skipped partners next cue promisses the cue in the skipped suit, not in the suit bid. So, 1H-3H;4C-4D promisses a spade cue, not a diamond cue. OH can then bid 4H without a D cue allowing the partnership to stop at a lower level or allowing repsonder to continue having both a spade and diamond cue.
What abt Texas transfers wich complements transfers and hands like JT87- AQ9762-J8-8 are played from the opener and not from the responder (as you suggest) Which is the reason why trasnsfers were invented (and not the only one) !!!
Apart the first one I stick to KISS any of those would confuse my partner , all others are very mixed up and al; over the place. I am not a bad bridge player but stick to Standard American even though I learn Acol a long time ago.
I think either the 12+ PC, or even 13+ PC if you tend to open with 11 counts these days OR basically any hand that you think game contract is a must and you do not want your partner to pass the invite at some point - those may include some good distributional hands with generally well located values or long side suits like AKDxx(x) that can provide a huge source of tricks
Negative doubles easily number one. I once asked a pro and that was his answer. Roman key is the most screwed up and shouldn’t be used in casual partnerships.
That means you are advancing the auction too quickly a lot of the time and should be trying to use cue bidding more, and set up a forcing auction in a different way.
My gut feeling is that Bergen Raises are an overall loser playing 2/1. Its cost is just too much and makes your natural minor auctions too difficult when you have to cover a range of 5-11 HCPs. I do play them in my non-2/1 partnerships though. I would put in the Unassuming Cuebid instead. I also love playing Last Train (To Clarksville) alongside cuebidding (and yes, 1st/2nd all the way). It would allow the North hand at 32:08 to bid 4D to show the spade control (or else sign off). Last train is the bid just below game basically saying "I can't rule slam out yet, but there is some reason I can't commit further". South with no diamond control would just bid 4H and you play it there.
I think playing any sort of raise structure is the main important thing. I think any raise structure is much more important than just the unassuming cue bid. I do think that is a great convention though. Last train is also good. Sort of goes with cue bidding but I didn't want to go into too much detail.
IMHO, consistently identifying a 9 card fit immediately is so important to know where you're at in the auction. With some partners, we play 3 clubs as strictly constructive, so 8-9 HCP. 2M may be a 6-7 HCP with 4 cards, which always contests to 3M in competition using the LAW.
My thoughts exactly....I love jacoby 2N! But his point is at least have a raise structure in place....Bergen raises or jacoby 2N or something else.....all comes down to partnership style and agreement
Ironically, the only suit where it is likely to matter on the illustrated hand,, Diamonds, you would be better off playing from the weaker_ hand. Transfers are fine, but your example hand is funny.
In your final hand I would bid 4D with the North hand. It means Spade control, but NO control in Diamonds. Why? N knows S doesn’t have Spade control. WITHOUT spade control he bids 4 Hearts, knowing they both don’t have control in Spades. If N has BOTH Diamond and Spade control he can bid 4NT. So 4D can’t mean anything else but Spade control only. I think this convention is known as “the last train”.
Last train is another convention. It is a good convention I like - I've made a separate video on it but if you aren't playing last train than it doesn't mean that.
Cue bids are one of the worst actually (unless you cheat a bit with tempo). No human being has enough brainpower to properly utilize them. Just take a look at the accidents even at the highest level. Even in your example you went too high and you helped the opponents to lead diamonds which they could have missed otherwise.
If partner opens 1C, you are giving up the opportunity to play in partner's minor in order to tell partner whether or not you are game-forcing when you could just show it by bidding game or not bidding game on your next turn. New Minor Forcing loses almost nothing here.
Sorry!! But, Stayman, Transfers and RKCB are no more "Conventions". These are Standard! Checkback is good! Bergen is OK but not a must, I prefer Mini-Splinters; Cue-Bidding with x or King and Void or Ace is not good either! Forget Cue-Bidding (they cause more Problems than they solve).
All of those are conventions. Nearly everyone plays them but some people do other things. Cue bidding is amazing if you learn how to do it, I have to disagree with you on that one. For Bergen I mentioned it as choose a raise structure. I think there are lots of good ones out there. I like mini splinters as well. What would you suggest for good conventions?
@@BridgeWithPete Hello.. Nice that you have answered! You know, Bridge is a very very deep matter! First of all it is very important to evaluate the Hand! The Milton counting (4-3-2-1) is not referring to the thrue value of the Figures. I rather use a sophisticated approach who is similar to the "Kaplan-Rubens Hand-Evaluator" .. I count A = 4,5; K = 3,1; Q = 1,7 and J = 0,7. One Ten is +/- zero; without a ten deduct 0,3, with a second ten add 0,3, etc..Than add points to Lenghts, to figures in long suits, deduct points for stiff figures, for 4333, for Aces and Kings that are alone (appox. 25% of face value) and so on. With Fit, you can add more points (when the lenght is ruffing add not so much distr. points as when short-side ruffs!). The most important point is the location of shortness! Therefore Cuebidding with A or Void (and with King or Single) seems to me not desirable. Especially with Major-Fits I prefer to locate the shortness as soon as possible, to see if Partner has lost points or not! You surely know that, if I have no points in Partners Void, that we play in a 30 Point-Deck and probably we will make Slam with 26-27 HP! Therefore for me Splinters and Mini-Splinters are very important conventions! I prefer to bid Slams on weight.. After a opening of a Major, it is very important to show the Fit immediately! No detours are made. You give to much information to the opponents, and when disturbed you are fishing in troubled waters! After "shortage" the most important Convention is Void-RKCB! Of course, Checkback, 3rd and 4th suit forcing are very important. And it is better to play 4th suit as gameforce! I play bridge since almost 50 years! I have played most of the known systems. But the more important we (I and some of my partners) have developped our own systems with meaningfull conventions! I played many years a variation between Precision and Blue-Club and Relays! We have quit that, because of aggressive bidding-methods against 1 Club (16+).. We play today, if allowed, against a one Club Opening "Timbuktu"! It shows 0-13 Points, and the colour above or a 2-Suiter below! It is very effective! The 2 Club Opening is 7 to 11 Points wit 52 or 53 in Majors and 2+ Clubs! This is also very effective! We don't play Semiforcings. 2,5 years we have played without a Gameforcing Openng! It worked very well! Today, only for security reasons we have a GF in a Multi-2D-Opening! And the most important Convention is Good/Bad 2NT! You can use it in all the positions, where you need for example the 3H-Bid twice! (1D-1S-X-2S / ? Now here 2NT is Good/Bad; 3H is competitive and 3H via 2NT-3C is inv.) So, you now have an Idea what I mean! One last remarque! Our Slam bidding goes like this (besides we have 5 different methods to show Splinters if necessary: 13-15; 16-17; 18-19; 20-21; 22+)(No interaction): 1H/1S - 2S/2NT (Game Force with Fit); Partner shows his Strenght in steps (eg. 2NT/3C=13-14; 3C/3D=15-16; 3D/3H=17-18, etc.). Than the Relay asks for shortness (1. step= no shortness, than Club, Dia. H/S-shortn. in 3 steps); and than RKCB or V-RKCB.. Of course this is a very simplified Version. There are a multitude of variations to find eventually other Fits! The merit of all this is 1)you always show the Maj.-Fit at once 2) if not in Slam-Area you close the Bidding with 4 H/4S and you have given not much information to Opp's! One more Situation I will never understand is (I have discussed that with Worl-Class Players, but they don't have aggreed!): 1C/1D - P - 1H/1S - 1NT (natural 15-18) ???!!! You know for me, what this 1NT Bid means: "Dear Opponents, I want to be doubled"!! Of course, in this position you should play X= 4Maj + 5 other Min.and 1NT = 5Maj. and 4+ other Min. (and you can be very weak if 5-5 or 5-6)(Quick in, quick out!).. So.. That was it! I hope you could follow all this and maybe you can use some of the Ideas! Maybe I plan to write a small book about all these Ideas! So long.. F.
@@ft7339 I think Pete was going for some basic/intermediate introduction of the most popular/mainstream conventions that can incredibly boost your bidding game. There are still people playing all-natural "systems" with no Stayman or transfers, and they miss out on lots of opportunities to make more precise decisions on when to pass, invite or force games with various hands. Without those, you are usually just guessing... So, yeah, your imput is great and all, but there is not one ideal way of playing bridge, otherwise everybody would already do it - and that's the beauty of it. Also, on a higher level, you have to adjust your strategy to the opponents you'd be facing, so it's not like you can use the same tools all the time. There is also the constant evolution how people play, be it artiticial, natural, more/less aggressive - the game has changed a lot over the last decades, and you actually said it yourself. Anyhow, these are already very advanced concepts and it's not the purpose of those videos. I think you are just not his target audience with these ones, just saying.
@@patryklewandowski2099 Thanks for your answer and comments. Yes, you are right, I am not really the the right person here and for commenting the video.. Maybe I just wanted to open my hearth to some interested Bridge players. I play Bridge since almost 60 years and I am also a Bridge teacher since 30 years.. And believe me, when I see some players, who after 15 years of Bridge-Life answering only 2 Clubs, over a Information-Double from partner and a pass of the 3rd Hand, with 11-12 Points, my hearth is bleading.. In Bridge you need straightforward methodes, who can easily be memorized. I like sentences who are representative for a multitude of situations. For example like "with fit and after fit we bid shortage" (in Majors of course).. Or in a duplicate tournament: "if you let Opp's play in their 8 cards major fit, you're almost lost. If you see the slightest opportunity to bid, than do it".. Therefore is the sequence 1H-(P)-2H-(P) / 3H never an invitation and shows a minimum hand with 6 hearths! In Spades similarly but not so often necessary. Another problem is the teaching to rebid a 4 card major with a NT-Hand.. This has more negative effects than positive ones! Another very bad method for me is the 2NT rebidding (for example in SAYC) with 12-14 after for example 1S - 2C / 2NT (?) If you ask me, there are two main problemes with learning Bridge. The first is, that people have to begin with easy bidding tools in the first two years but later try gradually to improve their methods. I know players that play the same beginner methods after 25 Bridge-Years.. The second more frightfull problem is that Bridge is a too complex game and is not suitable for everyone.. But on the other side, in Bridge "the goal is the way", so everyone could start this best possible adventure or hobby and try to do his best! People forgot to go back to a Bridge-School every 4-5 years of play! 👍😀
After our tours with the US Army ('67-'70) my brother and I returned to Michigan State University and learned the game of bridge. Within a year or so we developed our own system: Balls Convention - "either you got 'em or you don't"
These conventions are great thank you for going through them in such an efficient way specially the cuebid which I will add second round control I have been following you daily and my bridge has gone to a much higher level ,🙏😘Talina
Most enjoyable and well illustrated .
Plz help me up!
0:22 Stayman and transfers
6:16 Checkback
13:36 Bergen Raises
20:56 Roman Keycard Blackwood
28:10 Cue Bidding
Stick to conventions you feel comfortable with your partner, you have to discuss and than you play, but keep it simple.
Thanks Peter for your insight
Nice video.
My advice to beginners is to start with the following 5 conventions:
- Stayman / Jacoby transfers
- 4th suit
- Cuebids
- Negative doubles
- RKC.
Very helpful indeed! Thanks for sharing your expertise, Peter.
I like to use Jacoby two notrumps over partner's major suit opener. It fixes the trump suit, tells partner that you have four of the major suit, is a game force (12+HCP) and slam invitational. The two notrump is follower by either a cue bid sequence or a 4 NT Gerber call. A good and sturdy bid.
Just subscribed - good sound quality and the diagrams are large enough to read on a small screen .
Would you have a cheat sheet for the 5 best bridge conventions? Thanks
the road to hell is paved with good conventions.
I like your choices a lot. The first three Stayman/Transfers, Checkback and fit-raises come up a lot and the last two - Roman Keycard Blackwood and cues come up less, but when they do, they win you those big points at teams events when you bid good slams and stay out of bad ones. I also like Lebensohl, it solves insoluble issues when you get competition over our 1NT opening. Lebensohl 2NT to warn of weakness can also be used after we reverse, after we double their weak 2, and after they find a fit and drop out at the 2 level then we decide to compete with a double. It's a really versatile convention. The other one is fourth suit forcing - so many good hands where you are unsure of the final destination and just want one (or more!) bid(s) from partner before committing. WIthout FSF, you have to guess.
In all Pete I enjoy yr lessons
Would you consider playing cue bid after Bergen raises? If so, would you swap the meaning of 3cl and 3d, to make 3cl the stronger answer of the two? (In order to allow a very cheap cuebid for diamond, or diamond/heart in case of spade fit.) Or is there a specific reason for playing shortage-reveal game-invitations after Bergen raises? (Thanks for the great summary and explanation, btw!)
If there is still a chance to stop below game (ie 3M) then I like the bids below 3M to be game trys not cue bids for slam.
I don`t care for the idea of two way checkback. It just adds a complication to the bidding. Partner`s 1NT shows 2 or 3 spades, limits it and he has a balanced hand. This is enough to know where to go. Pass, invite, bid a heart suit or force game in NT or a suit.
I pretty much agree that these 5 are crucial conventions. You explain them well. Where would I get a full system card, because it seems you have nailed the bidding part of the game, even though you are a bit slovenly with the play and a bit cautious in the bidding ?
Hi there Mr Holland, Firstly I would like to say how helpful your programme is to me and for that Thankyou, However as I'm such a novice at bridge I found myself wondering if these 5 conventions apply to 5 card majors and/or Acol ? Please excuse such a random question but I only play 5card Majors at the moment and don't wish to waste unnecessary time if you use Acol system only. Many Thanks. Naomi Read.
Hi Naomi - these are aimed at 5 card Majors so perfectly suited for you but are also appropriate for people playing Acol as well.
was great and clear but prefer bidding 4spades for keycards after heart agreement
* 2-way Checkback is problematic when you were raised on the simpler New Minor Forcing. There are a lot of ways to screw this up. I've had to abandon this because partners couldn't handle all of the wrinkles.
* Bergen Raises are cute but unnecessary. I prefer to withhold my distribution from the defense and use a game-try system to tease out the in-between hands.
* I wished you talked about cue bidding before RKCB. Cue bidding is about slam-finding. RKCB is about slam-avoiding.
Presumably Bergen raises are only played if opening a major guarantees at least a five card suit?
Thanks
Eager for my partners to watch this informative convention lessons. THANKS hope to see you at a tournament?
1. Stayman and transfers; Improve it by making 2NT a club transfer, and then use 3 bids to show a 6 card with 2 out of 3 top honors. The idea is then to get to 3N with the magical 9 tricks hands say an opening hand of Axx, Axx, Axxx, Kxx while preventing going down a lot in 3N if opening hand has a small doubleton in the suit. Apart from that, stayman is effective as it is easy. But for higher level play there are better alternatives where the opening hand doesn't always provide extra information to the opps about the closed hand but provides it about the hand that is likely ending up as dummy instead.
2. Two way checkback, yes agreed. The partnership however needs to define and memorize a lot of sequences following 2C/2D for 5M, 5/4M 6/3M, 6/4M, and combinations like 5M/5m... Using it in combination with Walsh is great as you have a mechanism to sign off in 2D consealing the stonger, more unknown hand during play.
3. Bergen raise, I hate it. What seems to happen often is you prevent unmakeble games, and make no overtrick where the other table gambled game and made it as the opps did have less information. Apart from that you are introducing artifical bids that opps sometimes double to find the killing lead or the good safe. The GF part of Bergen works fine. I prefer a standard structure with 10-14 splinters and 2NT INV + support (that includes 15+ splinters) and 3NT with balanced 15-17 support.
4. RCKB yes of course. It should include agreement that if you follow up with Q or K's asking partner is allowed to bid 7 with extra tricks as all keycards are present. Don't ask for Q or Ks to investigate 6NT instead of the suit. I experimented with kickback RKCB too which if the partnership works is great!
5. Yes of course. As you mentioned last step before RCKB, and for that reason this is #4, RCKB is #5. I would suggest to include agreement that once a cue has been skipped partners next cue promisses the cue in the skipped suit, not in the suit bid. So, 1H-3H;4C-4D promisses a spade cue, not a diamond cue. OH can then bid 4H without a D cue allowing the partnership to stop at a lower level or allowing repsonder to continue having both a spade and diamond cue.
Pete, playing RKC Blackwood, do you prefer the follow-up bid of 5NT to ask for specific lowest king, or number of kings?
Specific king
Thanks, Pete, for your prompt reply.
List is dubious but at least those conventions have some use. The most valuable convention, by far, is "Keller".
What abt Texas transfers wich complements transfers and hands like JT87- AQ9762-J8-8 are played from the opener and not from the responder (as you suggest) Which is the reason why trasnsfers were invented (and not the only one) !!!
yes also good but what would you take out?
Apart the first one I stick to KISS any of those would confuse my partner , all others are very
mixed up and al; over the place. I am not a bad bridge player but stick to Standard American even though I learn Acol a long time ago.
Hi
any convention you use, make sure your partner understand and use it too!
Great advice
For Bergen, you said 2NT is game forcing with 4 card support - does this mean >12 pts is needed?
I think either the 12+ PC, or even 13+ PC if you tend to open with 11 counts these days OR basically any hand that you think game contract is a must and you do not want your partner to pass the invite at some point - those may include some good distributional hands with generally well located values or long side suits like AKDxx(x) that can provide a huge source of tricks
Negative Double always tops in US. Your opinion? And Reverse Bergen more popular than Bergen.
I am a big favourite of transfer Walsh too. I agree I like reversed Bergen raises.
Negative doubles easily number one. I once asked a pro and that was his answer. Roman key is the most screwed up and shouldn’t be used in casual partnerships.
are minor transfers worth adopting?
In RKC, I always find myself not 100% certain whether my partner is holding 0 or 3, especially when I'm holding 2.
That means you are advancing the auction too quickly a lot of the time and should be trying to use cue bidding more, and set up a forcing auction in a different way.
Hey thanks for your reply. I will take note of it. I'm still a novice and just start learning to use cue-bid. Your video helps a lot.
If you're uncertain if your partner has 3 or 0, then you should sign off at the 5 level. Your partner should then continue if he has 3.
My gut feeling is that Bergen Raises are an overall loser playing 2/1. Its cost is just too much and makes your natural minor auctions too difficult when you have to cover a range of 5-11 HCPs. I do play them in my non-2/1 partnerships though. I would put in the Unassuming Cuebid instead.
I also love playing Last Train (To Clarksville) alongside cuebidding (and yes, 1st/2nd all the way). It would allow the North hand at 32:08 to bid 4D to show the spade control (or else sign off). Last train is the bid just below game basically saying "I can't rule slam out yet, but there is some reason I can't commit further". South with no diamond control would just bid 4H and you play it there.
I think playing any sort of raise structure is the main important thing. I think any raise structure is much more important than just the unassuming cue bid. I do think that is a great convention though. Last train is also good. Sort of goes with cue bidding but I didn't want to go into too much detail.
IMHO, consistently identifying a 9 card fit immediately is so important to know where you're at in the auction. With some partners, we play 3 clubs as strictly constructive, so 8-9 HCP. 2M may be a 6-7 HCP with 4 cards, which always contests to 3M in competition using the LAW.
The expert community has rejected all versions of Bergen.
I don't like Bergen raises. I need my weak jump shifts. But I like jacoby 2nt.
main point was having a raise structure.
My thoughts exactly....I love jacoby 2N! But his point is at least have a raise structure in place....Bergen raises or jacoby 2N or something else.....all comes down to partnership style and agreement
Is it the same when there is an intervening bid
Most conventions are off when there are intervening bids unless agreed in specific situations.
Thank you for rectifying my doubts
Lavinthal discards
takeout doubles are a pretty good convention
I consider takeout doubles & reverses as just normal bridge - not really a convention. But yes takeout doubles would make it to the top of the list.
I love passed out take out doubles......lets blow up their contract! :D Very rare though
Ironically, the only suit where it is likely to matter on the illustrated hand,, Diamonds, you would be better off playing from the weaker_ hand.
Transfers are fine, but your example hand is funny.
In your final hand I would bid 4D with the North hand. It means Spade control, but NO control in Diamonds.
Why? N knows S doesn’t have Spade control. WITHOUT spade control he bids 4 Hearts, knowing they both don’t have control in Spades.
If N has BOTH Diamond and Spade control he can bid 4NT.
So 4D can’t mean anything else but Spade control only. I think this convention is known as “the last train”.
Last train is another convention. It is a good convention I like - I've made a separate video on it but if you aren't playing last train than it doesn't mean that.
KISS I stick to non confusion convention, no Roman Keycard, no Bergen Raisen
What is the difference between XYZ and 2 way checkback?
Usual Pete clarity but an awful lot to take in and include with your partner.
Pppppp
Cue bids are one of the worst actually (unless you cheat a bit with tempo). No human being has enough brainpower to properly utilize them. Just take a look at the accidents even at the highest level. Even in your example you went too high and you helped the opponents to lead diamonds which they could have missed otherwise.
I strongly disagree
If partner opens 1C, you are giving up the opportunity to play in partner's minor in order to tell partner whether or not you are game-forcing when you could just show it by bidding game or not bidding game on your next turn. New Minor Forcing loses almost nothing here.
You're only giving up the opportunity to play 2C. You can play in 2D or 3C.
Sorry!! But, Stayman, Transfers and RKCB are no more "Conventions". These are Standard! Checkback is good! Bergen is OK but not a must, I prefer Mini-Splinters; Cue-Bidding with x or King and Void or Ace is not good either! Forget Cue-Bidding (they cause more Problems than they solve).
All of those are conventions. Nearly everyone plays them but some people do other things. Cue bidding is amazing if you learn how to do it, I have to disagree with you on that one. For Bergen I mentioned it as choose a raise structure. I think there are lots of good ones out there. I like mini splinters as well. What would you suggest for good conventions?
@@BridgeWithPete Hello.. Nice that you have answered! You know, Bridge is a very very deep matter! First of all it is very important to evaluate the Hand! The Milton counting (4-3-2-1) is not referring to the thrue value of the Figures. I rather use a sophisticated approach who is similar to the "Kaplan-Rubens Hand-Evaluator" .. I count A = 4,5; K = 3,1; Q = 1,7 and J = 0,7. One Ten is +/- zero; without a ten deduct 0,3, with a second ten add 0,3, etc..Than add points to Lenghts, to figures in long suits, deduct points for stiff figures, for 4333, for Aces and Kings that are alone (appox. 25% of face value) and so on. With Fit, you can add more points (when the lenght is ruffing add not so much distr. points as when short-side ruffs!).
The most important point is the location of shortness! Therefore Cuebidding with A or Void (and with King or Single) seems to me not desirable. Especially with Major-Fits I prefer to locate the shortness as soon as possible, to see if Partner has lost points or not! You surely know that, if I have no points in Partners Void, that we play in a 30 Point-Deck and probably we will make Slam with 26-27 HP!
Therefore for me Splinters and Mini-Splinters are very important conventions! I prefer to bid Slams on weight..
After a opening of a Major, it is very important to show the Fit immediately! No detours are made. You give to much information to the opponents, and when disturbed you are fishing in troubled waters!
After "shortage" the most important Convention is Void-RKCB!
Of course, Checkback, 3rd and 4th suit forcing are very important. And it is better to play 4th suit as gameforce!
I play bridge since almost 50 years! I have played most of the known systems. But the more important we (I and some of my partners) have developped our own systems with meaningfull conventions! I played many years a variation between Precision and Blue-Club and Relays! We have quit that, because of aggressive bidding-methods against 1 Club (16+)..
We play today, if allowed, against a one Club Opening "Timbuktu"! It shows 0-13 Points, and the colour above or a 2-Suiter below! It is very effective! The 2 Club Opening is 7 to 11 Points wit 52 or 53 in Majors and 2+ Clubs! This is also very effective! We don't play Semiforcings. 2,5 years we have played without a Gameforcing Openng! It worked very well! Today, only for security reasons we have a GF in a Multi-2D-Opening!
And the most important Convention is Good/Bad 2NT! You can use it in all the positions, where you need for example the 3H-Bid twice! (1D-1S-X-2S / ? Now here 2NT is Good/Bad; 3H is competitive and 3H via 2NT-3C is inv.)
So, you now have an Idea what I mean! One last remarque! Our Slam bidding goes like this (besides we have 5 different methods to show Splinters if necessary: 13-15; 16-17; 18-19; 20-21; 22+)(No interaction):
1H/1S - 2S/2NT (Game Force with Fit); Partner shows his Strenght in steps (eg. 2NT/3C=13-14; 3C/3D=15-16; 3D/3H=17-18, etc.). Than the Relay asks for shortness (1. step= no shortness, than Club, Dia. H/S-shortn. in 3 steps); and than RKCB or V-RKCB.. Of course this is a very simplified Version. There are a multitude of variations to find eventually other Fits! The merit of all this is 1)you always show the Maj.-Fit at once 2) if not in Slam-Area you close the Bidding with 4 H/4S and you have given not much information to Opp's!
One more Situation I will never understand is (I have discussed that with Worl-Class Players, but they don't have aggreed!):
1C/1D - P - 1H/1S - 1NT (natural 15-18) ???!!! You know for me, what this 1NT Bid means: "Dear Opponents, I want to be doubled"!! Of course, in this position you should play X= 4Maj + 5 other Min.and 1NT = 5Maj. and 4+ other Min. (and you can be very weak if 5-5 or 5-6)(Quick in, quick out!)..
So.. That was it! I hope you could follow all this and maybe you can use some of the Ideas! Maybe I plan to write a small book about all these Ideas! So long.. F.
@@ft7339 impressive
@@ft7339 I think Pete was going for some basic/intermediate introduction of the most popular/mainstream conventions that can incredibly boost your bidding game. There are still people playing all-natural "systems" with no Stayman or transfers, and they miss out on lots of opportunities to make more precise decisions on when to pass, invite or force games with various hands. Without those, you are usually just guessing...
So, yeah, your imput is great and all, but there is not one ideal way of playing bridge, otherwise everybody would already do it - and that's the beauty of it. Also, on a higher level, you have to adjust your strategy to the opponents you'd be facing, so it's not like you can use the same tools all the time. There is also the constant evolution how people play, be it artiticial, natural, more/less aggressive - the game has changed a lot over the last decades, and you actually said it yourself. Anyhow, these are already very advanced concepts and it's not the purpose of those videos. I think you are just not his target audience with these ones, just saying.
@@patryklewandowski2099
Thanks for your answer and comments. Yes, you are right, I am not really the the right person here and for commenting the video.. Maybe I just wanted to open my hearth to some interested Bridge players.
I play Bridge since almost 60 years and I am also a Bridge teacher since 30 years.. And believe me, when I see some players, who after 15 years of Bridge-Life answering only 2 Clubs, over a Information-Double from partner and a pass of the 3rd Hand, with 11-12 Points, my hearth is bleading.. In Bridge you need straightforward methodes, who can easily be memorized. I like sentences who are representative for a multitude of situations. For example like "with fit and after fit we bid shortage" (in Majors of course)..
Or in a duplicate tournament: "if you let Opp's play in their 8 cards major fit, you're almost lost. If you see the slightest opportunity to bid, than do it".. Therefore is the sequence 1H-(P)-2H-(P) / 3H never an invitation and shows a minimum hand with 6 hearths! In Spades similarly but not so often necessary. Another problem is the teaching to rebid a 4 card major with a NT-Hand.. This has more negative effects than positive ones! Another very bad method for me is the 2NT rebidding (for example in SAYC) with 12-14 after for example 1S - 2C / 2NT (?)
If you ask me, there are two main problemes with learning Bridge. The first is, that people have to begin with easy bidding tools in the first two years but later try gradually to improve their methods. I know players that play the same beginner methods after 25 Bridge-Years.. The second more frightfull problem is that Bridge is a too complex game and is not suitable for everyone.. But on the other side, in Bridge "the goal is the way", so everyone could start this best possible adventure or hobby and try to do his best! People forgot to go back to a Bridge-School every 4-5 years of play! 👍😀