Benefiting with majors outranking minors

Here is another of Anne Maverick’s senryu mentioning a bidding convention: Opener bids one / With five-five in the majors / Use Michaels Cue-Bid.

In the old days, if an opponent opened one of a suit and you overcalled two of that suit, you told everyone that you had game in your own hand. That cropped up about once a decade. Then a bridge player from Miami with unimaginative parents had an imaginative idea. Michael Michaels proposed that if an opponent opens one of a minor and you overcall two of that minor, you show at least 5-5 in the majors. Or, if he opens one of a major, overcalling two of that major shows at least 5-5 in the other major and either minor.

There is no specific range for a Michaels. First, you find the right strain; then you worry about the correct level.

In today’s deal, against four spades, West leads the heart ace: nine, eight, four. He continues with the heart king: 10, two, five. What should he do next?

Some deals are much easier to defend with one particular opposing hand face up on the table. Here, if South were the dummy, it would be much harder for West.

Now, though, he can see that his side’s only chance to defeat the contract is to collect two trump tricks, which requires a trump promotion. South surely has the spade ace for his jump to game.

West leads a low heart at trick three and hopes partner ruffs with the spade queen, a so-called uppercut. Then, when South overruffs, West gains two trump tricks.