Tuesday, August 06, 2002 4:19 AM
 
Hand Evaluation   - Invisible Q bids

 

PITBULLS:

 

    The defenses shown here ( Invisible Q bids )  are pretty standard against unusual 2NT , both types of Michaels & Gambling 3NT. It leaves the door open for a non forcing 4th suit bid which can be tactically advantageous. The 4th suit as non forcing is a “weak two” type of hand designed to “get in there”. The Q bids are deemed to be invisible as you are Q bidding their suit before it is bid !!

 

           2♦

1 ♦               3♣ ( non forcing )

 

 

            2NT

1♠                     3♥ ( non forcing )

 

 

            2♠

1♠                 2NT (  forcing minor )

 

           2♥

1♥                 3♣/♦  ( non forcing )

 

 

The (other) Michaels over a major opener is a matter of partnership agreement. Following the logic of invisible Q bids , a bid of their implied major is a limit raise or better for our major. This leaves 2NT as an invisible Q bid also. This 2NT bid is reverse Lebensohl as a natural 2NT bid should be described with a double. This forces 3♣ which is a forcing bid or converted to 3♦ ( forcing ) . This means a direct bid of a minor is non forcing.

 

 

INVISIBLE CUE BIDS

 

Defense to Two-Suited Overcalls & Gambling 3NT

 

Invisible Cue Bids allow responder to describe more hands after RHO intervenes with a two-suited overcall, such as Unusual 2NT or Michaels. Responder's bid of RHO's suit is similar to a cue bid, even though RHO's suit has not actually been bid yet -- hence it is called an invisible cue bid. The cheaper invisible cue bid is called Lo IQ in the table below; the other invisible cue bid is called Hi IQ.
 

 BID

 MEANING

 Example after 
 Unusual 2NT* 

1♥ - (2NT) - ?

 Example after 
 Michaels Cue** 

 1♦ - (2♦) - ?

Example after

Michaels Cue

 

1♥ - ( 2♥ ) = ?

 Lo Q Bid

 limit raise or better

 3♣

 2♥

2♠

 Hi Q Bid

 10+ and 5+ cards in fourth suit

 3♦***

 2♠****

2NT relay

 Jump Q Bid

 game forcing splinter

 4♣/4♦

 3♥/3♠

3♠/4♥

 Raise

 6-9 pts

 3♥

 3♦

3♥/♠

 New suit

 6-9 and 5+ cards in suit

 3♠

 3♣

3♣/3♦

NOTES:
* Two lower unbid, in this case Clubs and Hearts.
** Majors
*** Shows SPADES
**** Shows CLUBS 
 
Defense  against Gambling 3NT

 

A "penalty" double is useful not so much because you hope to obtain a penalty from 3NT, but to enable you to distinguish between strong, fairly balanced hands and strong unbalanced hands, in order to help advancer to judge what to do when the other side bids four of their minor. Invisible Q bids come into play after their gambling 3NT also.

I play double as balanced, 4♣ as a three-suiter with shortage in some minor, and 4♦ as both majors.  After a 4♣ overcall, 4♦ asks for the longer major, and 4NT (either immediately or preceded by 4♦ asks for opener's minor. 


As an alternative , one might play double as either balanced or three-suited, and strong enough defensively to expect to defeat either 3NT or four of a minor.  Now if responder removes the double, a pass by advancer is forcing, inviting the doubler to bid with the three-suiter and to double with the balanced hand. This scheme would make both 4♣ and 4♦ available to show two-suiters.  One could define new meanings to the 4♣ & 4♦ bid and play something like:

4♣ = ♥+♣ or ♥+♦ or ♠+♣
     (4♦ relay; now 4♥ shows ♥+min, 4♠ shows ♠+♣)


4♦ = ♠+♥ or ♠+♦
     (advancer gives preference between the majors;
      converting 4♥ to 4♠ shows ♠+♦)