 Jerry (Jerome) Tilles & Christoph F. Eick SPECIAL DOUBLES Neg. & Resp. thru 3 Maxi X Support x, xx 2ResSuit DIR NT OVERCALLS 15-18 HCP (12-15 bal.) Systems on. 2NT:=2-lo-Unbid(not 13-15) 2NT bal. (19-20),Wolff;cue=St Jerry (Jerome) Tilles & Christoph F. Eick 15-17 1NT; 5 CARD MAJORS; 2 over 1 game force except when suit rebid Strong Forcing Openings = 2, 4, 4 SIMPLE O’CALLS 1 level 5-15 HCP (usually) 2 level 9-17 HCP Very light style 1’lvl New suit NFConst (8+-12); Cue =1RF; Jcue3=MixedR JSS & JR = Preemptive (<7) Defense Vs. NOTRUMP   or  other   2NT=  and  X(strong)  penalty X(weak)  15+ HCP NT systems on over X NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS 1 NT: 15-17 3NT: gambling no outside A/K 2NT: 20-21(PupStay(cont: 4m slam try in m; 4NT neg.), Jacoby, 3S= MSS, Texas)) 5-card majors common when opening 1NT/2NT After 1NT: 2 = NF Stayman (cont: 2/2= Invit., 3m=forc., 4C=Ger., 4D=RCKB, 2M-3oM=slam try in M, 4NT=quant.) Jacoby-Transfers [New suit GF, JSS = Splinter, 4M mild Slam-Try] Texas (also in comp thr. 3C) 2 asks better m (2NT(better D)/3C; cont: 3m to play; 3M=Spl, with 5-5+ in m; 3NT=5-4m two small doubletons in M’s) 1NT-3/ 3 = invitational; 1NT-2NT= invitational 1NT-3/3 = slam invitational Over opp. X and 2: systems on, XX2 (2m signoff) In comp: Lebensohl (FADS), Dir. X:=Penalty, Bal. X:=Takeout; JUMP OVERCALLS Preemptive directly (also 1m-3m & 1NT-3M) Balancing (12-15 HCP) 1M-3M asks for stopper OVER OPP’S DOUBLE New Suit @ 1-level = Forcing New Suit 2-level= NF 7-9HCP XX = implies no fit, 10+ HCP 2NT= LR+ JSS=preemptive OPENING PREEMPTS LIGHT MAJORS 5+ Card Suit in 1st & 2nd Sometimes 4-card suit 3rd&4th RESPONSES Double Raise = preemptive (3+-6) Jacoby 2NT by UPH Bergen Raises UPH(3C/D=7-9/9-11) DJSS= Splinter; 11-14 HCP 1NT forcing by UNP; DirCue=LR+ 2NT (PH) = invit. with 4+ Rev. Drury (promises fit(3+)) 1H-1S=5+, 1M-2M=3tr. 7-10 HCP JSS=preemptive if not conv. 3NT=16-17 HCP balanced MINORS 3+ Card Suit RESPONSES Raises: 2m(LR+), 3m(3+-6) I.c.: Dir.Cue = LR+, 3m=pre., 2m=single raise 1C-1NT = 8-10 HCP 2NT = 11-12; 3NT = 13-15 1m-1X-1NT-3X|m|Y=Slam Try 1C-1M:= might have longer D JSS= preemptive VS. PREEMPTS Takeout Double thru 4 Over 2M: Lebensohl ov. X (0-7, 3X sh. 7-11), 3M asks stopper;. 2NT(15+-18; cue=Stay; 3C3D) DIRECT CUEBID Michaels (not 13-15) over majors and minors SLAM CONVENTIONS Gerber over last NT (0/4,1, 2, 3); RKCB for agreed or last bid suit (0/3, 1/4, 2, 2+Q) & Q ask (no, yes + 0K, ..., yes + 3K); Jump to 5NT: pick a slam JSS@5Level = Exclusion KCB if fit; DOPI, ROPI 2 = Strong &Art. Responses: 2 = waiting (CS3L_2ndNEG) 2/2 = 5-card suit 2/3 top; 3m = 6 card suit 2/3 top. In comp.: X/XX = 0 contr.; pass=1-2 contr.; other 3+ contr. DEFENSIVE CARD PLAY Opening Leads Vs. Suits = 4th Best Mark Card Lead : xxx xxx(non raised suit) AKx KQx KQJx QJx JTx KQT9 T9x KJTx KT9x QT9x xxxxx xx xxxx Opening Leads Vs. NT = 4th Best Mark Card Lead: xxx AKJx AQJx AJT9 AT9x KQJx KQT9 KJT9 KT9x QJTx QT9x JT9x T9xx xx xxxx xxxxx Lead of A asks count and unblock vs. NT Standard signals and discards After trick 1 = 4th best leads, high spot asks shift. Unusual leads ask for unusual plays!  2= INT (Flannery 11-15 HCP; 5H&4S&no void) Responses: 2NT artificial inquiry, 3C weak, 3M asks stop. corr. minor 2 WEAK (5-10 HCP & usually 6 card suit except 2 in 3rd seat NV, 10-13 HCP in 4th seat) Responses: 2NT Ogust, RONF. OTHER CONVENTIONAL CALLS NMF (inv+; opener bids above 2NT if max); HSGTiM; 4SARTGF; Wolff signoff after 1X-1Y-2NT & 2X-2NT(weak or SLT in C); UN/UN (Lo Cue =LR+,HiCue=GF4th); Bal. XX SOS3NT;. PJSSiC; Vs. 1C strong: 1NT/2C/2D=CRASH; always 5-5+(Suit=PC; 2NT3C) Vs. 2C strong: 2NT/3C/3D= CRASH; always 5-5+(Suit=PC; 3NT4C) Over opps’ 1X-p-1Y: 2X/Y natural, 1NT(5-5+ not 13-15),2NT(5-5; 13-15) Lebensohl(weak) over reverses; 1X-1Y-2R-2Y=1R-force; 2suited-bid-X-XXnext bid (very long suit; breaks pass and correct)

After 1H/1S After 1H-1S(5+), opener always raises if he has 3 card support; 1NT shows 11-14 HCP with one or two spades; 2C/2D usually promises 15+ HCP (responder should not pass holding 7 or more HCP). 1S-2S always shows 7-10 HCP with 3 spades; holding 5-6 HCP and 3 spades bid 1NT first and then give a preference to 2S (e.g. 1S-1NT-2C-2S shows 3 spades with 5-6 HCP or 2 spades with 5-10 HCP). Passed Hand bidding: 1M-2D/1M-2NT(clubs) shows near opening strength 10+ HCP or 9 HCP with a good 6-card suit). After 1M-2C, 2D is artificial asking responder to describe her hand; 1M-2C-2M and 1S-2C-2H deny full opening strength. Opener’s continuations above 2M are slam tries; e.g. 1S-2C-3C asks for help in C, 1S-2C-4D is a Splinter, and 1S-2C-2NT is a balanced slam try; 1M-2C-4M is to play (no slam interest!).

After NT Overcalls DIR NT OVERCALLS 15-18 HCP (12-15 bal.) Systems on. 2NT:=2-lo-Unbid(not 13-15) Balancing 2NT (19-20 HCP); Wolff Signoff; cue=Stay. Remarks: After a 2NT overcall (15+-18) of a weak two bid, we bid as follows; let us assume it goes 2H-2NT: 3C is a puppet to 3D (Wolff Signoff; usually a weak hand or a slam try in C); e.g. 2H-2NT-3C-3D-3S is to play whereas 2H-2NT-3C-3D-3H is an artificial slam try in C. 3D is natural and forcing 3H (cuebid) is Stayman promising 4 spades 3S is natural and forcing promising 5+ spades 4S is to play Remark: We use the same system after 1X-p-p-2NT(19-20)

After 1NT Opening 1NT-2S= asks for the better minor; it either shows a signoff holding one or both minors, or a really good hand at least 5-5 in the minors; opener responds 2NT with better D, and 3C otherwise. Responder’s continuation include: Pass/3C/3D: to play 3H/3S= 0-1 cards in the suit bid; game-forcing 5-5+ in minors 3NT = 2-2-(4-5); J-x or worse in the majors

Other Understandings If we open and they overcall, a jump cue bid in the overcalled suit is still a Splinter, but a jump suit shift in an unbid suit is natural and preemptive; for example, 1S-2H(overcall)-4H or 1C-1H-3H is a game-forcing raise with 0-1H and 4+ support and 11+ HCP, whereas 1S-2H-4C(new suit) is preemptive with a lot of clubs. In general, in competition all jumps into unbid suits are preemptive through 4D and weak with 3+-6 HCP. 1C-X-1H is constructive and forcing for one round, promising 7+ HCP with at least a good 4-card heart suit. 1C-X-2D is constructive, but not forcing promising 7-9 HCP p-p-1S-p-1NT is not forcing and promises 6+-10- HCP