Brozel

Brozel Defense over their opening 1NT by Mike Savage Brozel is a convention created to show one and two-suited hands at the two-level, usually played only after the opponents have opened a strong 1NT. This approach gives up the penalty double of a strong 1NT, which – if properly used, seldom comes up anyway and […]

Inverted Minors

Inverted Minors A standard version presented by Mike Savage When partner opens one of a minor and you have a good fit for that minor, no second suit and have at least game going values, it is often difficult, sometimes impossible to accurately describe your hand. Inverted Minors solves that problem. Instead of using three […]

Two-way New Minor Forcing

Two-way New Minor Forcing Mignocchi/Savage Version One-of-a-Minor – pass – One-of-a-Major – pass – 1NT; pass – Two-of-the-Other-Minor is usually used as New Minor Forcing. This bid is used to find out Opener’s major suit length, the exact strength of his hand and sometimes to set up further forcing bids by Responder. New Minor Forcing […]

1NT Forcing

A One Round Force after Your Partner Opens One of a Major Presented by Mike Savage Originally a 1NT bid by responder over any suit showed 6-9/10 HCP and was not forcing. As players began to require a five-card suit to open one of a major, they noticed that they were sometimes playing 1NT when […]

How to invite Slam in Openers Minor

Presented by   Mike Savage The other day I held something like: S: A  H: K10x  D: xxxx  C: AQJxx, partner opened the bidding 1C and the next hand bid 4S! What should I bid? 5C will never get us to a slam if one exists as I have too many controls for partner to bid […]

Balancing Cappelletti/Hamilton

Balancing Cappellitti/Hamilton by Mike Savage Here is a simple tweak to increase the efficacy of Cappelletti/Hamilton in the pass-out seat – use Double to show the one-suited hand and 2C to show both minors. When you are in the balancing seat, after passing originally or even as a non-passed hand, you almost never will want […]

2/1 Basic Principles

2/1 Basic Principles by Mike Savage In most cases it utilizes the same bidding structure as Standard American except when the bidding goes one of a suit-pass-and a non-jump 2-level response (1D-p-2C, 1H-p-2C or 2D, 1S-p-2C, 2D or 2H)  #1 After partner opens the bidding 1D, 1H or 1S, a bid of 2C/2D or 2H […]

Balancing Michaels

Balancing Michaels Bare/Savage Version by Mike Savage A standard Michaels cue-bid occurs immediately after your RHO has opened one of a suit. You might have a pre-emptive hand (the norm) or you might have a much better hand. But what about a Michaels cue-bid in the balancing (pass-out) seat? You surely wouldn’t use it with […]

Rebids and Responses

Rebids and Responses after 2C followed by a negative 2H bid by responder By Mike Savage & Nick Martino A lot of partnerships play that a 2D response to a strong 2C is waiting but positive. If so, with a very weak hand, responder will bid 2H which some play shows no ace or king […]

Method to Handle Weak Minor

A Simple Method to Handle Weak Minor 1-suited Hands and Weak or Strong Minor 2-suited Hands After Your Partner Opens 1NT By Mike Savage If you want a simple but effective method, after a 1NT opener by partner, to find your best minor suit contract with a weak hand with either both minors or just […]