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Equal Level Conversion

by Tony Medley,

In today’s standard bridge play, if a person doubles an opponent’s bid at his first call and then bids his own suit, it promises 17+ HCP. However, look at this hand:

North

                        ♠ 73

                        ♥ 952

                        ♦ AK7653

                        ♣ A6



 

West                                        East

♠ K1085                                 ♠ AQ94

♥ A3                                      ♥ 84

♦ 10                                       ♦ QJ98

♣ QJ10984                              ♣ K72


 

                        South

                        ♠ J62

                        ♥ KQJ1076

                        ♦ 42

                        ♣ 53


 

West          North         East           South

                  1D            P              2H

?


 

I was playing West with an advanced player who insists on standard bridge bidding, so I overcalled 3C. My partner pulled opponents’ 4H bid to 5C and we were down one when 4S is cold.


 

This is where Equal Level Conversion comes in. If we played that, then I could double South’s 2H bid, asking for a four-card major (here it would obviously be spades) and if my partner passed, I could bid my club suit, showing a good club suit but not promising 17+ HCP. The point is to find a major suit fit when you hold a longer minor with a four-card major, but a hand that does not have extra values.


 

In this situation, after my double, my partner could bid her spade suit, and we would find our game. Without Equal Level Conversion, we cannot find our spade fit because if my partner passed, and I bid my club suit, she would think that I had a big hand, which I didn’t. Equal Level Conversion is a terrific system to play to fit this situation, which arises often.


 

 

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