Blackout convention

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Blackout is a bridge convention for responding to a reverse bid after a one-over-one beginning, whereby the responder can show whether or not he has better than a minimum response. Responder makes the cheapest bid from either the fourth suit or 2NT to show a hand that has no game interest. All other bids show reasonable hands, generally in the eight point range and are game-forcing. The objective of Blackout is to allow the constructive game-going hands to keep the bidding level low and give more room for the strong auctions that may lead to slams. The convention is also known as Wolff Over Reverses. [1]

Contract bridge card game

Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions of people play bridge worldwide in clubs, tournaments, online and with friends at home, making it one of the world's most popular card games, particularly among seniors. The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the governing body for international competitive bridge, with numerous other bodies governing bridge at the regional level.

A reverse, in the card game contract bridge, is a bidding sequence designed to show additional strength without the need to make a jump bid; specifically two suits are bid in the reverse order to that expected by the basic bidding system. Precise methods and definitions vary with country, bidding system and partnership agreements.

In contract bridge, various bidding systems have been devised to enable partners to describe their hands to each other so that they may reach the optimum contract. Key to this process is that players evaluate and re-evaluate the trick-taking potential of their hands as the auction proceeds and additional information about partner's hand and the opponent's hands becomes available.

Contents

Responder then rebids as follows:

Examples

Auction A
NorthSouth
1♣1♠
2♦?
South's Rebid Options
BidMeaning
2♥artificial: exactly 4-cards ♠-suit, and minimum hand for 1♠
2♠5+ ♠-suit, forcing one-round, but does not promise any extra strength
2NTartificial: exactly 4-cards ♠-suit and is game-forcing, but hand not suitable for any higher bid
3♣game-forcing with 3+ ♣-support. At least mild slam-try
3♦game-forcing with 4+ ♦-support. At least mild slam-try
3♠game-forcing with 6+ ♠-suit
3NTnatural with stopper in 4th suit
Auction B
NorthSouth
1♦1♠
2♥?
South's Rebid Options
BidMeaning
2♠5+ ♠-suit, forcing one-round, but does not promise any extra strength
2NTartificial: exactly 4-cards ♠-suit, and minimum hand for 1♠
3♣artificial: exactly 4-cards ♠-suit and is game-forcing, but hand not suitable for any higher bid
3♦game-forcing with 3+ ♦-support. At least mild slam-try
3♥game-forcing with 4+ ♥-support. At least mild slam-try
3♠game-forcing with 6+ ♠-suit
3NTnatural with stopper in 4th suit

Variation

An alternate scheme: [2]

  1. After a reverse, the cheaper of fourth suit and 2NT is forcing, showing a relatively weak hand. Opener bids the next bid upwards unless he has game values.
  2. If a rebid of responder's suit would be cheaper than fourth suit then it is non-forcing.
  3. Other bids are natural and game forcing.
  4. Responder's 3NT rebid after bidding the cheaper of fourth suit and 2NT is a mild non-forcing slam try in opener's first suit.

Deficiencies

The scenario wherein Blackout would be invoked occurs rarely and so the foregoing conventional meanings attached to various responder bids are likely to be forgotten.

The following is a critique of Blackout: [3]

There are a number of conventional treatments and Blackout is the best known. In its simplest form, when responder’s second bid is the cheaper of 2NT or the fourth suit it is “Blackout” advising partner that the bidder is minimum, all other continuations are game forcing. There are several variations on this theme, reverse Blackout for example. These are my criticisms.... So much more commonly will the partnership be at the limit of its resources, simple bids like a return to opener’s first suit or a repeat of responder’s are better played as natural and non-forcing. The opener has begun to describe his hand, in fact he has, generally, placed nine or more of his cards in two suits. A strong responder should be able, through 2NT, to allow opener to continue to describe, to find the perfect fit whenever it exists, search out the best game or make a slam investigation. Using 2NT as the prime means of continuing with strong hands is simple, and it frees up other bids, even in the fourth suit, as natural and limited. Mis-fit hands can be diagnosed quickly and the level kept low. To use a new suit bid for no other purpose than to announce a bad hand is self-evidently wasteful. Having at your disposal, means of getting out cheaply and accurately, permits opener to reverse, and thereby not conceal his actual shape, on any hand above the minimum re-bid range.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Manley, Brent, Editor; Horton, Mark, Co-Editor; Greenberg-Yarbro, Tracey, Co-Editor; Rigal, Barry, Co-Editor (2011). The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (7th ed.). Horn Lake, MS: American Contract Bridge League. p. 270. ISBN   978-0-939460-99-1.
  2. ↑ Newsgroups discussion
  3. ↑ George Cuppaidge article in the Queensland Bridge Association Bulletin, September–October 2009.
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