On a related note to the "steppingstone Bid" is "Price of Information" Series.
Partner passes, and RHO opens a strong 1NT. White on red, you overcall 2C because you are playing Cappelletti and have a one-suited hand. This call is alerted as such. LHO doubles, passed to you.
So, you bid 2D, alerted by partner as showing a one-suited hand. The opponents ask if that means diamonds, but partner says, "nope -- could be any suit."
The idea is that you play a series of calls above 2CX as all one-suiters without specificity as to which suit. If the opponents really want to know, then they must double you and find out with a final pass, but then you end up declaring.
This maneuver, properly alerted, cannot be deemed a psychic. Rather, it is "steppingstone-ish" in that the opponents cannot leave you in your contract undoubled and therefore must take action. However, you are obviously creating a tactical problem for them.
Moreover, this sequence also is "steppingstone-ish" in that it compounds definitions.
If one way to 2S is 2C-X-P-P-2D-X-P-P-2H-X-P-P-2S, then 2C-X-P-P-2S shows something different, as does 2C-X-P-P-2H-X-P-P-2S. If this situation presents itself, this may call for some discussion.
Of course, there is a defense to the "POI Series." LHO stops doubling and lets RHO start the doubling. But, this defense is only partial. Sure -- it eliminates the box of being forced to defend our contract doubled. But, it still forfeits definition somewhat for the opponents and it still gains us bidding space to fine-tune whatever we might want to fine-tune.
2 comments:
Could the opponents exploit this (when they think they don't have game) by just passing and shooting for +150?
Well, of course they could. That's the gamble always involved.
On the other hand, one could counter that by having Advancer redouble to show defensive values, such that a pass makes that go-for-150 gamble a bad idea.
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