PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS

Welcome to the Partnership Agreements page of the SOMBA website. You will find here help for you and your partner deciding what system to play and what conventions to include in your system.  The language of a bridge auction is very restrictive.  There are only 38 terms available, starting with 1 Club and working up to 7NT, interspersed here and there with Double, Redouble and Pass.  Within that restrictive language each partner is striving to describe his or her hand, leading to an appropriate contract, while their opponents are trying to do the same.  It’s important to get meanings across with the most efficient use of the language available.  Each term has a certain meaning only within the context of the state of the auction and the system each partnership in the auction is using.  It is vital that each player understands the system the partnership has adopted along with the conventions they are using and the sequences within those convention.  Players must be prepared to make appropriate announcements and alerts and must be able to provide a full and complete explanation when requested.  We members of SOMBA do not want to be involved in “Convention Disruption” by failing to announce, alert and properly explain our bids.  It is our hope that the Partnership Agreements page of the SOMBA website will assist you in doing so.

This site is a work in progress and will grow.  There are frequently various ways to play different conventions.  What you see posted here is not necessarily the only way to play a convention.  From time to time we will add variations to the conventions we have posted. You can help by giving us feedback on what you see posted here and also what you would like to see posted here.  Just click on the Contact Us button to let us know what you think.  We welcome the submission of your favorite conventions. 

How We Handle a Two-Suited Overcall by an Opponent (Posted January 12, 2011)

Your partner has opened the bidding.  As responder you are all set to make a brilliant responsive bid once your right hand opponent has put down the pass card.  But Righty does not pass.  Righty makes an overcall showing a two-suited hand.  Are you prepared for this?  Indeed you are!  You have come prepared for this possibility.  You don’t agonize, you don’t hesitate and you don’t grimace.  You just make your bid.  The convention described here should be a part of your repertoire. 

To read and print the material on How We Handle a Two Suited Overcall by an Opponent please Click here for the document.