Hodor Optional Additions

Optional Additions

In order to create a complete system, more needs to be added. For instance a defense against the multi, how to play when partner opens a preemptive 3 et cetera. You can of course keep on playing these like you used to, but here is how my partner Jeroen Wieland and I play these.

Answers to 2NT
Because the Hodor 2NT never contains a 5-card suit, we play simple Stayman here. We play this also after 1-1-2NT (22-23) :

3: Stayman
- 3: no major. Next 3 is 45 and 3 is 45. Opener cues with a fit. Next 4 asks for the minors:
  - 4: 3343
  - 4: 3334
  - 4: (23)44
- 3: 4-card . Next 34 is a cue.
3: transfer to . Opener super-accepts with a fit:
- 3: 2. Because there is no fit, any new suit by responder is natural, but 4 is a retransfer.
- 34: 4-card fit, cue
- 3NT: 3-card fit. Because there is a fit, any new suit by responder is a cue (but 4 is a retransfer)
3: transfer to . Opener super-accepts with a fit.
3: transfer to 3NT. Opener always bids 3NT and next:
- 4: SI , 6+-kaart (4SA & 5 to play)
- 4: SI , 6-kaart (4SA & 5 to play)
- 4: SI , 5-kaart (4SA & 5 to play)
- 4: SI , 5-kaart (4SA & 5 to play)
3NT: to play
4: 55 ST. Next 4 confirms -fit, 4 cue for the . 4NT and 5 to play
4: Texas, transfer to
4: Texas, transfer to
4: 55 weak. Next 4NT and 5 to play
4NT: quantative raise

When the opponents double our stayman or transfer
We have two goals now: on the one hand finding out whether we have a stopper, and sometimes let the doubler lead. So:

1NT-2-[DBL]:
- pass: denies a stopper
  - RDBL: Stayman again. Opener responds as if he had a stopper
- RDBL: wants to play 2

2NT-3-[DBL]: like above

1NT-2-[DBL]:
- pass: denies a stopper
  - RDBL: retransfer, opener responds as if he had a stopper
  - something else: responder continues as if opener had responded 2 to leave the option open to become declarer in a -contract.
- 2: opener has a stopper; continuations like before.

RDBL: wants to play 2

2NT-3-[DBL]: like above

(Transfer-)Lebensohl
In competition, especially after we open 1NT, we play Transfer Lebensohl, for instance 1SA-2:

2: to play
2NT-3
- pass/3: to play
- 3: cue, 4 with a stopper
- 3: 6 + 4
- 3SA: to play, with a stopper
3: transfer to , invitational or better
3: transfer to , invitational or better
3: cue, 4 without stopper
3: transfer to , GF
3NT: no stopper, no . Next 4 is to play

After 1NT-[2x] we play that DBL is negative unless 2x promises two known suits (both of which are not x): in this case it means he wants to double at least one of them. In the other cases a second double is also negative:

1NT-[2/3x-natural]-DBL: negative, next double negative, next penalty. 2NT is scrambling
1NT-[2/3x-conv]-DBL: points, next double negative, next double penalty. 2NT is natural
1NT-[2/3x-natural]-pass-[pass]-DBL: negative, next double negative, next double penalty

After 1SA-[2x]-p-[p] the NT-opener has to double with a small doubleton or singleton.

In competition 2NT may also be (regular) Lebensohl when partner forces us to bid by doubling, for instance:

1x-[1y]-pass-[2y]; DBL-[pass]-2NT: minimum without fit

1NT-[DBL, conv]: we ignore this, so system on

1NT-[DBL, natural, penalty]: RDBL transfer to , 2 transfer to et cetera. After 1SA-[DBL, penalty]-pass-[pass]-RDBL: asks partner to bid his lowest 4-card suit

Answers to partner's preemptive
Should the opponents bid something after partner bids for instance 3, than any double is for penalty.

3NT4 is always to play and 4NT is always RKB for opener's suit

a new suit at the the 3-level is natural and forcing (except 3-3)

a new suit at the 4-level or higher is a cue, for instance 4-5

3-3: asks for a 3-card major (only after 3):

3: 3-card
3: 3-card
3NT: no 3-card
4: both 3 and 3

3-3: 6+, because with a 5-card suit responder would have bid 3

raising a minor to the 4-level is a slam try:

3-4: ST, does not deny a -cue
3-4: ST, denies a -cue

RKCB
After 4NT RKB:

5: 1 or 4. Next 5 asks for the queen: step 1: no; step 2: yes, no king; step 3: yes, 1 king et cetera
5: 0 or 3. Next 5 (if not trump) asks for the queen like above
5: 2, no queen. Next 5 (if not trump) asks for the queen
5: 2, queen, no kings
5SA: 2, queen, 1 king
6: 2, queen, 2 king

After RKB for a bid of 5 is a transfer to 5NT to play that. This overrules the above in case of a conflict.

After RKB a bid of 5NT is a grand slam try: all keycards are in. Responder bids 6 or 7 of the suit. If responder bids something else he doubts and asks for an extra feature -- 3rd round control for instance -- in that suit.

When 4NT is passed by because the opponents bid or by our cue bidding, 5NT becomes RKB. In case of a major with the regular answers, in case of a minor 6 is an even number of keycards and 6 and odd number.

After asking for the queen or when it is skipped, a bid in a non-trump suit is natural and non-forcing when that suit has been bid naturally before. If not, it asks for 3rd round control: the queen or a doubleton. If partner splintered that suit, it asks for a void.

DOPI ROPI (below the trump suit: X: 0/3, pass: 1/4, 5x: 2 but no queen, 5x+1: 2 plus the queen

DEPO REPO (above the trump suit): X 0/2/4, pas: 1/3/5

THEY OPEN

Michaels
When bidding a 55 two-suiter we consider the opponent's suit -- even a precision 1 -- for reasons of simplicity to be natural. So we cannot bid that suit natural in the first round. The bid is constructive.

[1]-2 and [1]-2: 55. In case you have a 55 with just one major, bid 1 of that major

[1]-2 and [1]-2: 5 of the other major, and 5 of a minor

2NT: what minor?
3: natural, so not pass or correct!

[1]-2NT: 5-5 in the two lowest of the three remaining suits -- we again consider the opened suit as natural

Transfers in Competition
When partner follows without a jump -- both in 2nd and in 4th position -- and RHO bids, we play transfers in competition exactly the same as when partner opens and RHO follows:

transfers up to the first raise of partner's suit
including a transfer to NT, but NT is always natural
the suit below partner's suit is always a constructive raise, no matter how high it is bid
above 3NT no transfers to new suits, 4 to play, 4NT provided within the transfer-zone constructive raise partner's suit

[1]-1-[2]:

DBL: transfer to (5+)
2/3/4: fit, constructive raise
2/3/4: to play
2: natural, 5+
2SA: natural
3: cue, asks; next or new suit is GF

[1]-1-[2]:

DBL/3/4: fit, constructive raise (to ask for a -stopper: first DBL, and next bid 3)
2/3/4: to play
2: echt, 5+
2SA: echt

[1]-1-[3]:

DBL: transfer to (5+)
3: fit, constructive raise
3/4: to play
3SA: natural
4: cue for the
4: constructive raise
4: to play

[1]-2-[2]:

DBL: transfer to
2: transfer to SA; next bidding is the constructive raise
2SA: natural
3: to play
3: to play (first transfer to SA and next 3 is GF)

[1]-2-[4]:

DBL:penalty
4: to play
4NT: constructive raise
5: to play

- If RHO does not bid, we do not play transfers (neither do we when we opened ourselves). The cue is the constructieve raise.

- If RHO bids NT then DBL is penalty and no transfers, same as when we opened ourselves. The cue is the constructive raise.

- If RHO doubles, then RDBL indicates good HCP, at least 10+, same as when we opened ourselves. No transfers.

- Also applies after for instance [1]-pass-[1]-2-[2]: dbl is now a transfer to NT or good raise.

Defense against a weak opening
When an opponent's opening bid is artificial, we play that double is 13-15 HCP with no specific distribution. Should opponent's bid promise a specific suit, bidding that suit is a takeout double. Following 2NT is 16-18, system on.

After a multi 2:

DBL: 13-15 any distribution, or 19+. With a real takeout hand you wait a round, unless you are strong enough for a second double, for instance AHVx x Axxx Axxx. After [2]-DBL-[2]:
- DBL: 4, 6+ HCP (with partner first passes, and doubles after a correction to )
- 2: 5+, 6-9 HCP
- After [2]-DBL-[2]: DBL: 10+
23: natural, opening
2NT: 16-18, system on
3: intermediate, 6+
3NT: to play, usually trick taking hand

Defense against 1NT
We use the same defence, both in 2nd and in 4th position, against a strong and weak NT alike:

DBL: penalty
2: either or and
2: either or and
2: either or and
2: either or and
2NT: either and or and

If the bid gets doubled then:

pass: partner has the doubled suit
RDBL: partner has a suit of his own. Bidder has to bid the next suit

If the bid does not get doubled:

if partner bids any of the three suits, regardless at what level, it is pass or correct. It will always remain pass or correct, even after a second bidding round by the opponents, as long as bidder did not reveal what suit(s) he has
if partner bids the 4th suit, it is forcing, invitational or better: bidder reveals what suit(s) he has.
if partner bids 2NT it is natural, and inviting to 3NT.

After a weak NT (minimum 13 HCP or less) bidder should have opening values, and partner bids his pass or correct as high as possible, in order not to miss game.

If bidder has two non-adjacent suits, he should think twice before bidding 2NT: if it is a 4-4, he may better double. And if it is a 4-5, he may better just bid the 5-card suit. By staying low it may be easier to find the correct contract.

Partner doubles for takeout
A takeout double promises 10+ (in case of a 4441), a 3-4-card suit in the unbid major(s) and a 2+-card suit in the unbid minor(s). The responses:

a jump to any level is a 5+card suit with a weak, distributional hand
the cuebid is 10+ and forcing up to 2NT or when we found a fit. Meaning we can just bid 4-card suits up the line, doubler does not need to cue or to jump with a strong hand
as a result, a bid at the 1-level can still be pretty strong. For example:
- [1]-DBL-[P]-2-2(F)-2(F)-2NT: NF
- [1]-DBL-[P]-2-2(F)-2NT: NF
- [1]-DBL-[P]-2-2(F)-3: NF
- [1]-DBL-[P]-1-2: some extra values, a king more than minimum, for instance: HVxx ABxx Hxxx x