Competing over weak NT..Clarify your methods!

Ahhh yes it wasn't too many masterpoints ago when I and my then-regular partner would sit at the table against opponents with weak nt methods and were almost guaranteed a zero. The solution to that was to practice those methods on our own. 12-14 nt promptly put on our card. We got our undeserved tops in limited fields but wo! be the partnership, got a significant amount of zeros when smacked with flight A competition.

The moral of this story is: Get your defense ready over weak NT.

1) What artificial methods you use over weak nt is immaterial. I highly recommend you preserve the X for penalty, however with whatever methods you use. If, by opening a weak nt in front of you, opps take away your 1S bid on AKJT,Kxx,Qxxx,xx then at least allow them the chance to go for a telephone number if it's right. In most of my partnerships, all X's force to our 2S level or X them off for penalty.

A fairly popular method is to play all X's after a direct X of a weak nt are take out until one pass has been passed for penalty, i.e. (1N) X starts forcing sequences. When a X has been passed for penalty all subsequent X's are penalty should the opponents try further runouts to other suits.

Example: (1N) X (2H) X the second X is TO of hearts
Example: (1N) X (2H) P (the pass is forcing here and denies a TOX of hearts)
Example: (1N) X (2D) X, (P) P (2H) X pass is penalty since partner already wanted to X diamonds by passing your TOX.

This allows safe passes when it's right and forces auctions at the appropriate times. It takes a little bit of work (and some zeros) before this is adequately executed, but I find the work worth it.

2) Weak nt are considered "preemptive" which means you don't preempt over a preempt. Jumps (at least at the three level) are strong. (1N) 3D is a hand akin to a 1D 1M, 3D auction.

3) The idea of interference over strong NT is to confuse the issue and land in a safe part score. Constructive bidding methods are still needed over weak nt to find your own games. Compete with a slightly better than opening hand. If your hand is highly distributional but weak, you may have a chance to come in later.

4) Constructive sequences are still needed by unpassed hands over their artificial advances. Therefor 1N 2C (X) should be "like hand or strong hand" not lead direct for clubs. In case their advance is game forcing i.e. 1N 2D (gf Stayman) revert back to lead directing X's.

This will give you a healthy start as to getting those tops the experts get against weak nt. Bridge is hard work, and sharpening up your defense against weak nt is no exception to that process. Results-wise the work is worth-it in my book.

Ask if you have further questions