The Bermuda Regional is now just a week away and I’ll continue preparation for the big event by discussing conventions, which are bids built into a bidding system that impart very specific information to partner.

Bridge players love conventions – the only thing they like more than conventions are finesses! I’m also a fan of conventions as they make bidding a lot easier when the right hand comes up – the danger, however, is when partnerships overload themselves with conventions and then often lose their way in the bidding.

So, if you have the ability to learn and remember a bunch of them you should go ahead, but if your head gets too cluttered with them you need to perhaps get rid of a few.

So the list below is my suggestion of the conventions a beginner or intermediate pair “must have” and then a list of “possibles” that more advanced players should add on, based on what you think you can cope with.

I have provided some descriptions, but you can Google each of them to get the full treatment.

And remember, this is the way I see things – other teachers/experts may vary a few items on the list, particularly in the “should have” portion.

Conventions

Must have at any level

Stayman – learn how to use it – after an opening bid of 1NT a response of two clubs promises at least one four-card major and asks opener if they have one – don’t bid Stayman to gain comfort in a major suit where you have shortage, as partner will not know that!

Roman Key Card Blackwood, which asks for five key cards (four Aces and the trump King) – decide whether 1430 or 0314 – Queen showing – if you have supported with five small, show the Queen of trumps.

What does 5NT mean after response to 4NT? Asking for number of Kings – 5NT confirms that the side have all five key cards.

Fourth suit game force – usually asks for a stopper in that suit – forcing to game or four level in the minors

Negative doubles – a double over an opponent’s overcall shows the other suits – double of a major suit overcall nearly always shows the other major.

Should have for experienced intermediate/advanced

Bergen raises – various responses when partner opens one of a major – really useful.

Long suit game tries – very useful as it also allows a pre-emptive raise. After 1H (1S) – 2H (2S) by partner – a new suit by opener asks partner to bid game if they have help (honours or shortage) in that suit. So after one major-two major, a bid of three major by opener is pre-emptive and designed to block the opponents from entering the bidding – it is not invitational.

Gambling 3NT – an opening bid of 3NT shows a solid seven-card minor – no other high cards outside. Responder passes or bids four clubs and opener can correct.

Unusual no trump – RHO opens a suit – a jump by you to 2NT shows length in the minors or two lower unbid suits.

Michaels (use with care)

RHO opens 1H (1S) – 2H (2S) shows the other major and a minor RHO Opens 1C (1D) – 2C (2D) shows the majors. Often gives away too much information – vulnerability is a big factor.

Jacoby 2NT – over major opening shows four-card support 13 plus HCP – opener jumps to four major with a minimum – bids 3NT with a middling hand – bids three of the major with a 16-19 hand – bids another suit at three level with singleton or void – new suit at four level shows a good second suit and probably 5-4-2-2.

Flannery – opening bid of 2D shows 4/5 in spades/hearts opening hand, which is a shape that is very hard to bid – subsequent bidding – responder asks with 2NT, opener bids 3D with 4-5-3-1, bids three clubs with 4-5-1-3. Bids 3H with 4-5-2-2 minimum and bids 3S with 4-5-2-2 maximum. Bids 3NT 4-5–2-2 honours in both doubletons. After Flannery a bid of 2H/2S by responder – to play.

Unassuming cue bid – doesn’t really promise anything – asks partner for a stopper in the suit bid by opponents or further hand description.

Lebensohl after interference over 1NT – there are many levels to this so go to Google – play the simple version – if there is one!

Splinter bids – you open one major and partner jumps to the four level in another suit (or bids 3S over 1H) – shows at least four-card trump support, 12 plus HCP and a singleton in the jumped suit – play it only with singleton. Rule of 28 – if you think you have 28 points outside the splinter suit (or 24 points outside if you have the Ace of the splinter suit) you should be in slam.

Maybe?

Forcing Stayman – my favourite system and, for me, way superior to transfers, but I’m swimming against the tide on this one. I could, and may one day, write a small pamphlet on why I prefer this system as opposed to using transfers.

Support doubles – useful if used well, sometimes leads to confusion. Most common sequence – you open 1D – partner bids 1H- RHO bids 1S – DBL by you shows a balanced hand with three-card heart support – with four-card support you would simply bid 2H.

Most important, of course, is that you and your partner agree which of the above you are playing and which you are not – quite often you will realise that the bidding has gone off the rails and years ago I introduced a new convention, the Ezekiel Bailout – any jump to four clubs says, “Partner, I have no idea what is going on, your next bid is going to be the final contract!” I was tickled when both the late Eddie Kantar and regular Bermuda visitor and expert Zeke Jabbour both mentioned it during a bridge lecture!

Now to this week’s hand (see Figure 1), which is a beauty and combines two of my favourite mantras: “When things look good search for what can go wrong” and, “Give the opponents what belongs to them and force them to help you.”

This was another deal from a team game. The auction shown is from the second table. At the other table, South made a negative double of three diamonds and raised North’s three spades response to game. Both declarers received a diamond lead (the King at one and the ten at the other). The first three tricks were the same – the Ace of diamonds won the first trick and trumps were drawn with the Ace and King.

At the first table, declarer opted for a simple game and continued with Ace-King of hearts. When it turned out that West had four hearts, declarer ruffed dummy’s diamond and got off play by leading a club from hand.

East won the trick with the Jack of clubs and continued with the Ace of clubs followed by the Queen. West overtook this with the King of clubs and exited with the Jack of hearts. Declarer had to lose a heart trick and so finished one down.

At the other table, the declarer ruffed dummy’s diamond after drawing trumps with the King and Ace. Next, declarer played a heart to dummy’s Ace. Now, instead of cashing another heart winner, this declarer played a club and the position then is shown in Figure 2.

East won the Jack of clubs then played the Ace of clubs followed by the Queen. West overtook the latter with the King and was end played. If West exited with the Jack or ten of hearts then declarer would run it to his Queen and the claim the contract on the proven finesse against West’s remaining honour-small.

West saw that he could not succeed by playing a minor suit, thereby conceding a ruff-and-discard. So, West tried the seven of hearts and dummy’s eight held the trick. Making four!

Time and time again you will have the opportunity to allow, and sometimes force, the defenders to help you, but only if you are patient. Less experienced players will rarely play a suit where the have losers, but doing so is often the key to success – try it!

• David Ezekiel can be reached at davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, January 10

North/South

1. Stephanie Kyme/Diana Diel

2. Tony Saunders/Patricia Siddle

3. Jane Smith/Margaret Way

East/West

1= Stephan Cosham/Rachael Gosling

1= Gertrude Barker/Sharon Shanahan

3. Geoff Bell/Molly Taussig

Monday, January 13

North/South

1= Tony Saunders/Margaret Way

1= Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

3= Allyson Eddie/Aida Bostelmann

3= Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

East/West

1. Elysa Burland/Molly Taussig

2. Charles Hall/Stephanie Kyme

3. Lorna Anderson/Heather Woolf

Tuesday, January 14

1. Malcolm Moseley/Mark Stevens

2. Veronica Boyce/Carol Eastham

3. Julia Tadman/Joshimor Hussey

Wednesday, January 15

North/South

1. Charles Hall/Margaret Way

2. Gertrude Barker/Jane Smith

East/West

1. Rachael Gosling/Elizabeth McKee

2. Tracy Nash/Desmond Nash

Thursday, January 16

1. Miodrag Novakovic/Margaret Way

2. Sancia Garrison/Delton Outerbridge

3. Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton