Bidding Lebensohl after competition over 1N

Lebensohl is one of the most useful conventions in bridge -- without it, it's hard to convey the nature of your hand to partner after the opponents have interfered over partner's 1N opening.

The downside of Lebensohl is that you do have to remember some things about it. It's good to go over it several times and to practice.

The Basics

Here are some of the basics of Lebensohl. Assume that partner has opened 1N, and that your RHO has overcalled with some suit.

Any direct bid that you make at the three level is game forcing.
Any direct bid that you make at the two level is to play -- partner should pass.
If you bid 2N, partner must bid 3C. That is the "Lebensohl" bid. You have many actions over this bid, but the basics are this:
- You may pass the 3C bid -- that is how you make a "shut-out" bid in clubs.
- If you bid a suit at the three level, then it is either shut-out, or invitational, and you determine which by whether you had a two-level bid of that suit available. If it were possible for you to bid that suit directly at the two level as a shut-out, then bidding a Lebensohl 2N, then following partner's 3C bid with a suit bid is invitational. If you could not have bid that suit at the two level, then bidding a Lebensohl 2N, then following partner's 3C bid with a suit bid is shut-out.
- Read that last bullet over a few times. It makes sense, but people sometimes have a hard time understanding it.
- There are a few more standard wrinkles, which I'll go over later. It will likely help to reinforce with some standard bids first.

Example 1: You hold S:xxx, H:Kxxxx, D:x, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D. This is a perfect 2H call -- it is a drop-dead bid, and partner will pass.

Example 2: You hold S:xxx, H:Kxxxx, D:x, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. Time to pass -- you don't have enough to force the hand to the three level.

Example 3: You hold S:x, H:Kxxxxx, D:xx, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. The extra heart is enough. Bid 2N. Partner will bid 3C, and you now bid 3H. Since you could not bid 2H to begin with, this is a drop-dead bid. Partner will pass.

Example 4: You hold S:x, H:Kxxxx, D:Kxx, C:QJxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D. Your hand is invitational, and you can show it by bidding 2N, then 3H over partner's 3C bid. Note that this is different from Example 3 above because in this example, you can use 2H as a drop dead bid. Thus, going through the Lebensohl sequence shows an invitational hand.

Example 5: You hold S:x, H:KQxxx, D:Kxx, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D. Now your hand is game forcing, so you bid 3H directly. Partner can raise or bid 3N, or perhaps something else. Regardless, your bid is forcing.

Example 6: You hold S:x, H:xx, D:xxx, C:Qxxxxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D. Your hand is a disaster, but 3C is the best place to be, so you bid 2N, and pass partner's required 3C bid.

Example 7: You hold S:x, H:Kx, D:xxx, C:KQJxxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D. Sure, that's only nine points, but it's a good nine points. Bid 3C directly, which is forcing.

Example 8: You hold S:Axx, H:AKx, D:xxx, C:xxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2H. They're red. You're white. Happy day, it's whacking time. Double -- it's a penalty bid in Lebensohl.

Example 9: You hold S:Axxxx, H:xx, D:AJx, C:xxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2H. This looks like an invitational hand, and since you have 2S as a shut-out bid, you can use Lebensohl to show the invitational hand: Bid 2N, and then 3S

Example 10: You hold S:xx, H:Axxxx, D:AJx, C:xxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. Note that this is the same hand as the last one, however the majors are reversed. Moreover, you no longer have a two-level bid available. So you cannot invite -- you have to choose between passing, making a shut-out bid (using Lebensohl), and making a game-forcing direct call of 3H. I would bid 3H -- that's a nice hand, and at least knowing that righty has spades and points should help you declare.

Example 11: You hold S:xx, H:Axxxx, D:AJx, C:xxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2D, alerted as showing diamonds and a higher suit. You should still play Lebensohl in this situation, and now you have an invitational heart bid available -- bid 2N, then 3H over partner's 3C bid.

The Two Special Cases: Notrump and Stayman

Now that you know the basics, there are two special cases with Lebensohl that are similar to each other, but not to the above bids. First is driving the hand to notrump. Suppose partner opens 1N and righty interferes. You have a good nine count or better, and no suit worth showing (no five card major or six card minor). Since you play Lebensohl, there are two ways to bid 3N -- you can bid it directly, or you can bid 2N, then bid 3N over partner's 3C bid.

You differentiate between the two by whether you have a stopper in the opponent's suit. If you do not, you bid 3N directly. This is known as "fast denies," which is a part of the convention card that you can check. Partner will know that you have a good hand, but no stopper, and can pull the 3N bid if he/she feels like it. If you do have a stopper in the opponent's suit, then you bid 2N, and then 3N over partner's 3C bid. That's the "slow" bidding sequence, which shows a stopper in the opponent's suit.

Similar to the above is when you have a good 9 count or better, no five-card suit, but a four-card major (that is not the opponent's suit). You'd like to push toward 3N, but you also would like to explore a 4-4 major suit fit so you can be in four of that major. Since the opponents have bid, you cannot bid 2C for Stayman. Instead, you use the opponent's suit to bid Stayman. Suppose righty has overcalled 2H. You can bid 3H to show a game forcing hand with four spades. However, what if partner does not have four spades? Then what? Well again, Lebensohl with "fast denies" can help you.

If you have a good 9 count with four of a major, you bid the opponent's suit directly if you do not have a stopper in their suit. If you do have a stopper, then you bid 2N, and then bid three of the opponent's suit after partner's 3C bid. That shows "Stayman with a stopper," and partner can act accordingly.

That's it for Lebensohl. I'll give you some examples of "fast denies" and Stayman bids:

Example 12: You hold S:xxx, H:KQxx, D:Kx, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. Bid 3S. It's game forcing, shows four hearts, and denies a spade stopper. Partner will place the contract.

Example 13: You hold S:Kxx, H:KQxx, D:xx, C:Qxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. Bid 2N, then 3S over partner's 3C bid. That's Stayman with a stopper. I know, it's not the best stopper, but partner should be prepared for such a beast. I would not call Qxx a stopper.

Example 13: You hold S:xxx, H:KQx, D:xxx, C:KQxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. You have 10 points, and a flat hand, so you should push to 3N -- bid it directly to deny a spade stopper. Partner will know what to do.

Example 14: You hold S:Axx, H:KQx, D:xxx, C:Jxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. You now have an excellent spade stopper. Show it by bidding 2N, then 3N over partner's 3C bid.

Example 15: You hold S:Ax, H:Kxxx, D:xxx, Cxxxx.

Partner opens 1N and righty overcalls 2S. You have 7 points and four hearts -- pass, or if you're feeling frisky, double it. Your hand does not have enough points or assets to move toward game.

Bidding Practice

Practice Hand #1

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2S.

Practice Hand #2

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2C (natural).

Practice Hand #3

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2D.

Practice Hand #4

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2H.

Practice Hand #5

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2D, alerted as showing diamonds and a major suit.

Practice Hand #6

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2H.

Practice Hand #7

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2C, alerted as showing a long suit, requiring lefty to bid 2D.

Practice Hand #8

Partner opens 1N, and righty bids 2C, alerted as showing a long suit, requiring lefty to bid 2D.

Practice Hand #9

Partner opens 1N, and righty overcalls 2S.

Practice Hand #10

Partner opens 1N, and righty overcalls 2S.

Answers

I'll give you the actual hands that I generated.

Practice Hand #1

With 11 points, you need to force to game -- bid 3D directly. Partner has to bid, and will bid 3N with her ample spade stoppers.

(You are south):

         S AQJ5         
         H 643          
         D Q62          
         C KQJ          
S K87           S T9432        
H Q852          H KJT9         
D J9            D T8           
C 9874          C A2           
         S 6            
         H A7           
         D AK7543       
         C T653

Practice Hand #2

Yes, your diamonds are nice, but you need to fish for the 4-4 heart fit. Bid 3C, Stayman. If partner bids 3H, raise it to four. If partner bids 3S or 3N, I would pull to 4D (or even 5D). As it turns out, partner will bid 3H, and you raise to the cold 4H (your trumps are high enough that you will not lose a diamond ruff).

(you are north)

         S K84          
         H KJT9         
         D QT9543       
         C              
S T52           S A9763        
H 84            H 653          
D AK            D 876          
C KJT752        C 83           

         S QJ           
         H AQ72         
         D J2           
         C AQ964

Practice Hand #3

This one's easy -- bid 2H. Partner will pass. This may not turn out well if partner only has two hearts, but since the points are balanced (or they have the balance), you should not sell out to 2D. Here, 2H is probably down one. They are making three in diamonds.

(you are north)

         S T52          
         H KT842        
         D 65           
         C T75          

S QJ9           S 643          
H 953           H AQ           
D KQJ743        D T2           
C K             C QJ6432       

         S AK87         
         H J76          
         D A98          
         C A98

Practice Hand #4

You'd like to bid, but you don't have anything good to show. Pass. Yes, three clubs will give you a decent score, but it's too risky to try to find it.

         S 942          
         H 2            
         D KQT96        
         C K985         

S AQ3           S TJ875         
H KQT96         H A4          
D 5432          D 87           
C 9             C J643         

         S K6           
         H J8753        
         D AJ           
         C AQT2

Practice Hand #5

Lebensohl holds over two-suited bids as well.

You want to bid Stayman here, but the question is, do you show a stopper? You do not have a diamond stopper, but you do have a stopper for whatever major righty has. The answer is you show stoppers in the opponents' known suit. So you should bid 3D directly as a Stayman bid without a diamond stopper. Frankly, that bid implies having stoppers in the majors, so if partner has diamonds stopped and no four card major, he/she should be safe bidding 3N. In this instance, partner will bid 3H and you will happily raise to four. Making four or five.

         S KQ52 
         H K982
         D 86 
         C Q75
S AT93          S 764
H J5            H 643
D KQT75         D J3
C 98            C KT432

         S J8       
         H AQT7       
         D A942
         C AJ6

Practice Hand #6

What you do may well hinge on the vulnerability. White on red, I would double. Red on white, I would bid 2N, then 3N over partner's 3C bid. That shows values for 3N with a heart stopper. Red on Red, I'd probably double. I think we can set 2H, and I'm not sure if we can make 3N. Hence my bidding on the vulnerability.

2H is certainly down (2 spades, 2 hearts, one diamond, one club). You may get it two if you can avoid letting him park a club on a diamond or spade. 3N should make as well.

         S T74
         H AT75
         D A43
         C J42

S 82            S QJ653
H KJ8932        H 4  
D Q9            D K8765
C KT5           C 63

         S AK9       
         H Q6       
         D JT2
         C AQ987

Practice Hand #7

Bid 4S -- you know partner has two spades, and you know where you want the contract to go, so put it there. One of the nice things about this is that lefty does not know what to lead. Unfortunately, this one is going down on a heart lead. It should make on other leads, since you will park your heart loser on a club, which allows you to lose that spade finesse and still make 4S.

(If you and your partner play "Texas Transfers", discuss this hand and auction. You'll note that 4S is ice cold when south plays it.)

         S AKJ943
         H 42
         D JT73 
         C Q

S T65           S Q8 
H AQ963         H T8
D A9            D 6542
C 642           C 98753

         S 72
         H KJ75    
         D KQ8
         C AKJT

Practice Hand #8

This is an invitational hand with hearts. So, bid 2N, then 3H over partner's 3C bid. Again, the nice thing about this bid is that the opponent's do not get to discover their suit.

With her 4333 minimum, partner will pass, and it will be challenging deal.

         S QJ9 
         H A9862
         D 2 
         C Q732

S AT3           S 876  
H K             H T354         
D KQ9874        D T53 
C K65           C JT8

         S K452
         H QJ7     
         D AJ6
         C A94

Practice Hand #9

This one is textbook. Bid 2N, then 3D over partner's 3C bid. Since you could not bid 2D directly, this bid is to play, and partner will pass. 2D will go down, but 2S is probably making three (diamond lead, partner should shift to the ace of spades and out a spade. Otherwise, they will make four).

         S 84
         H 74  
         D KJ87642
         C 82

S KT9753        S 62
H KQ2           H AJT5 
D 93            D T 
C AQ            C J97653 

         S AQJ                 
         H 9863       
         D AQ5       
         C KT4

Practice Hand #10

Again textbook. Bid 3D directly, showing a game-forcing hand with diamonds. Partner will likely bid 3N, and you should trust her. It's your best contract by far:

         S 8 
         H KQJ 
         D KJ87642
         C Q2

S KT9753        S 62
H A4            H T752 
D 953           D T 
C A8            C J97653 

         S AQJ4                
         H 9863       
         D AQ        
         C KT4