The Retropoet

Also, see the PROPOSED negative doubles for responder after a 1NT opening.

Flannery 2 Diamond Opening (Optional, play with partner B). Also see Swenson's System notes.

A 2 Diamond opening that promises 11 to 15 HCP with 5 hearts, 4 spades, and any distribution in the other suits.

Opening 2 Hearts or 2 Spades are weak two-bids

The ranges vary. Either 6 to 10 HCP (Optional, play with partner B), using Ogust 2NT ask (Optional, play with partner B), or 6 to 12 HCP, adhering more closely to a 'book' opening, and containing 1 to 1 and a half quick tricks, and using the standard 2NT enquiry .

Fourth Suit Forcing

We play it as a one round force, but it is almost always game-going.

New Minor Forcing

Closely related to fourth suit forcing, but with different rebids by the partner of the forcer. Also only a one round force. Does not promise a rebid.

Good Bad 2 NT

When they interfere at the 2 level, we give up the natural 2NT call.

Structured Reverses

A reverse is a one round force with special meanings for responder's rebids.

Opening Preempts

Are light. In a minor suit, may only be 6 cards.

Special Agreements

Agreed to by Seifert

Agreed to by Swenson

Negative Doubles

Played through 3S, there are some differences in treatment between partnerships.

Support Doubles

Used to distinguish between 3 card support and four card support.

Action Doubles

A flexible bid to keep the auction open.

The Structured Overcalls Double

The link is to a page that describes the entire system of structured overcalls, which one partnership intends to use with Picture Bidding. Briefly, a double announces a hand of 15+ points with at least two cards in opener's suit.

Weak Jump Shifts In Competition (Optional, play with partner B)

The book says it shows 4 to 7 points, according to vulnerablility, concentrated in a six card suit.

Negative Free Bids (Optional, play with partner B)

A free bid at the two level in competition implies less than opening count and is not forcing.

Over Opponents' Takeout Double

New Suit is forcing at the one level, non forcing at the two-level. A jump shift is weak. A redouble implies no fit. A double raise is preemptive. A jump to 2NT is an invitational raise, and must be alerted.

They Overcall Our 1NT Opening (Natural) (Proposed treatment)

Martel/Stansby have developed a method combining Lebensohl with negative doubles. This method was intended for use after a strong NT, but is easily adaptable to other types of 1NT opening. When NOT using the optional method listed on the link, we bid thusly: BEHIND the overcaller, a double is for penalty, while IN FRONT OF the overcaller, a double is for take-out.

Defense Against Unusual NoTrump (DAUNT)

When they bid an unusual notrump over our major suit opening bid, we have a set of agreements.

Opponents Bid And Raise, Bid In Direct Seat (OBAR BIDS)

A fancy way of saying we balance in the sandwich position.

Defensive Bidding when Opponents' Preempt

Doubles of preempts are for takeout. Advances of a double of a weak two bid incorporate Lebensohl.

The 1 notrump overcall

We play that the range of the 1 notrump overcall is 15 to 18 HCP. In theory, a 1NT o/c of 1C should have 18 or 19 pts., while an o/c of 1S can have as little as 15. Note that if both opponents have bid, the 1NT overcall is known as sandwich overcall, which has an entirely different meaning. The same systems for responding to an opening 1NT are used by advancer. This means that a cue-bid is not treated as such, but as whatever that bid would have meant responding to 1NT.

The simple overcall (Lawrence)

The conservative approach is used.

The jump overcall

These vary from partnership to partnership, and perhaps, from week to week. Our card should be consulted. Partner B plays a special set of Two suited overcalls.

Interfering Bids over Their 1NT Opening

Both partnerships have been using Disturb Opponents' NoTrump (DONT), with differing frequencies. Our card should be consulted.

Instant Destruction And Chaos (IDAC)

A scheme of interfering bids when they open with a strong two club bid. The purpose is to locate a possible sacrifice while using up their bidding room.

Direct Cuebids

All Direct Cuebids show two-suited hands. See the page on 2 suited overcalls. They are, in theory, either weak or strong hands.

Slam Conventions

We play Gerber only over notrump bids directly, and Roman Keycard Blackwood, 1430 variation.

The Unusual 1NT Overcall

What does it mean, how does advancer respond?

Balancing after 1 of a suit - pass - pass.

We modify standard methods as oulined by Mike Lawrence in The Complete Book of Balancing. Also thanks to Eric Kokish in his articles in the Bridge Bulletin for ideas.

Opening Leads from a Sequence

Details what card to lead from a sequence of honors, and what a card lead might mean versus notrump or a suit contract.

Opening Leads in Partner's Bid Suit

What card to lead on opening lead on defense when partner has bid a suit or signified a specific single suit via a negative double or other convention.

Signals and Discards .

How to encourage, whether to encourage. Following suit. First Discard.

A Switch In Time .

When partner asks for a switch to a specific suit, you can lead so as to tell them how many you have and whether or not you hold a significant honor.

Foster Returns When Defending Notrump Contracts

Leading the Jack denies a near card. Other leads promise one higher or two lower.

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Picture Bidding

The Retropoet's alter ego, poimer has a fantasy convention card. The Retropoet believes a perfect match may be adding the conservative style of Picture Bidding to the "my turn to bid" style of Structured Overcalls, developed by messrs. Spaulding, Twencham, Laycock, Hodges, Fout, and Scaramuzzi. Roberto Scaramuzzi is the system administrator of the website that carries the description of the system, and his name happened to be on the printout copy the Retropoet made in 1997, so this partnership has been calling the system Scaramuz. In fact, all rights are retained by Mr. Fout. But we do not want to call our overcall agreements "foutcalls", or "TheSystem", so we stick with the romantic and technical sounding "Scaramuz". These links lead to a brief description, closely following the ACBL convention card, with some exposition, and further links, too.

• Notrump Opening Bids
• Major Suit Openings, Minor Suit Openings and Responses
• Opening Two-Bids, Other Conventional Calls, Special Doubles
• Notrump Overcalls, Defense to Notrump Openings
• Simple Overcall and Advances
• Jump Overcall, Opening Preempts, Defense to Opening Preempts
• Over Opp's Takeout Double, The Cuebid, and Slam Conventions
• Special Carding Please Ask (opening leads and later leads).
• Defensive Carding (please ask)
• Details; Opening Lead from a Sequence (NOT in partner's bid suit)

Problem Hands (Picture Bidding)

The Retropoet has set up a separate page to link to Problem Hands. All problem hands will be illustrated as if both pairs were playing Picture Bidding with TheStructure overcall system. As often as possible, new hands will be added, but probably not more often than once a week. Problem Hands Master Page. The Retropoet encourages you to bookmark the Problem Hands Master Page. At this time, the partners of the retropoet that play 2/1 are more active than the partner that plays Picture Bidding, so current updates of these problems will temporarily cease.

• Two Over One System Notes
• Retropoet Central Station
• Land of the Link Lizards
• Sign Guestbook of Retropoet
• Internet Bridge Archive
• A Description of "Scaramuz" (our term) Overcalls, aka TheSystem
• A Separate Description of The Structure. Do you detect any differences? I linked to the text version there, because the html version has an embarrassing number of broken image links.
• Rod Roark's bidding theories. Rod is one of the designers of okbridge, and a bidding theorist. My favorites are his Major Suit Raises, and Inverted Baron.