Negative Free Bids

[CSGibson]

So my precision partner and I have decided to give negative free bids a ride in several contexts, and we did research online, only to find that its really hard to find a consensus about how the bid should be played.

 

In general, what do you use as your cut-off? Are all free-bids in competition less than invitation strength, or just less than game-forcing strength?

 

 

Is it dependant on level? How do you use jump-shift responses after an overcall (like, let's say, 2♣(precision)-(2H)-3S?

 

What is a minimum freebid? What is a maximum for your partnership?

[straube]

I'd stay away from NFBs in your strong club auction. We borrowed Adam's idea of using a couple of transfers at the 2-level, but you need the ability to force. If you use NFBs you'll find that you overload your double.

 

We use NFBs after limited openings but only to be able to show a major at the 2-level. If we have transfers available (they overcall 2C for example), we prefer those.

 

Our NFBs aren't the traditional sort that you might find in a book by Bergen. They are invitational hands with a 5-cd suit or constructive hands with a 6-cd suit. If you try to use hands that are weaker, then you extend the range too far.

 

How many clubs does your 2C opening promise? If 6, then I'd recommend double as GI+ forcing natural descriptions up through 3C (you have to at least bid to 3C). Then you have 2N as Lebensohl to work with.

If you want a penalty double, you have to pass and hope partner can double back in.

 

We play 2C (3H) 3S as a FSJ.

 

I thought it was interesting that Benlessard came up with the same meanings for double and 2N.

[akhare]

Chris,

 

I would also recommend taking a look at Revision Club's treatment of NFBs. Their approach is NFBs at the 2-level over the 1♦ / 1♥ / 1♠, but forcing over 2♣.

 

http://www.bridgewithdan.com/systems/revision_club_4th_ed.zip

 

I am assuming that you aren't interested in NFBs in the context of interference of 1♣ (transfers work better).

[Codo]

So to answer you question what "we" do:

 

I play them from quite okay to close to forcing. They could be invitational.

Mqaybe my weakest hand for 2 ♥ all white over 1 ♦ ( 1 ♠) would xxx,KQJxxx,xx,xx, my strongest some 11 counts. Maybe there will had been bad 12 counts too, but I cannot remember one.

 

And no, you surely do NOT overload the double. We play jumps in new suits over their bid as GF and a real good suit, so playable more or less opposite a singleton. X and a new suit shows always at least two places to play- f.e a 5 card suit and 3 card support for partners minor, or a stop for NT etc.

[CSGibson]

My interest in NFB is strictly for after some of our limited opening auctions where we do not have systemic approaches for dealing with interference. AKA, where we play xfer advances or big club interference systems, then those approaches supercede our potential NFB agreements.

 

Again, I am looking for basic structural advice, of the sort that I initially asked for in the OP; I am not up for refinements at this point, just an idea of building block-level work.

[CSGibson]

Thanks. I just found this thread:

 

http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/57251-negative-free-bids/page__hl__%2Bnegative+%2Bfree+%2Bbids

 

And I think I like some of the treatments described.

[straube]

Thanks. I just found this thread:

 

http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/57251-negative-free-bids/page__hl__%2Bnegative+%2Bfree+%2Bbids

 

And I think I like some of the treatments described.

 

Who forgot to delete that thread? Now he knows all our secrets.