The McCabe convention applies when your partner opens a Weak 2 bid, and your right-hand-opponent doubles for takeout. Playing McCabe, the bid of a new suit is a raise of the Weak 2 bid asking for a lead of the suit you bid.
|
Convention |
Context |
Problem Solved |
Description |
|
McCabe |
Your partner opens a Weak 2 bid and your right-hand-opponent doubles for takeout. |
You want to raise your partner's Weak 2 bid, but want a lead of a different suit. |
A bid of a new suit is a raise of your partner's weak 2 bid, asking for a lead of the suit you bid. |
The McCabe convention applies when your partner opens a Weak 2 bid and your right-hand-opponent doubles for takeout.
| South | West | North | East |
| 2♠ | X | ? |
For example on the auction to the right, if North has a hand like ♠964 ♥75 ♦AQJ973 ♣75, North wouldn't be eager for South to lead a spade. North would like to compete to 3♠ and request a diamond lead. Playing the McCabe convention, North's 3♦ bid says exactly that: I want to compete to 3♠ and I would like a diamond lead.
If North wanted to invite a spade game, North would respond 2NT which would be a Feature asking bid or an Ogust asking bid as agreed by the partnership.
If North had a long suit of their own and wanted to runout to their suit, North would redouble. This asks South to bid 2NT. Now North can bid their suit to play. North might have a hand like ♠4 ♥75 ♦93 ♣KQJ97542. The runout auction would be as shown below.
| South | West | North | East |
| 2♠ | X | 2NT* | Pass |
| 2NT* | Pass | 3♣ |
Here is a summary of responder's bid playing McCabe on the auction below:
| South | West | North | East |
| 2♠ | X | ? |
| Responder's Bid | Meaning | Example Hand |
| XX | Ask the Weak 2 bidder to bid 2NT. Responder wants to runout to their own long suit. | ♠4 ♥75 ♦93 ♣KQJ97542. |
| 2NT | An artificial game try. Typically, a Feature asking bid or an Ogust asking bid as agreed by the partnership. | ♠K94 ♥A5 ♦J983 ♣KQJ2. |
| 3♣ | A spade raise asking for a club lead. | ♠964 ♥85 ♦J983 ♣KQJ2 |
| 3♦ | A spade raise asking for a diamond lead. | ♠964 ♥75 ♦AQJ973 ♣75 |
| 3♥ | A spade raise asking for a heart lead. | ♠964 ♥AK52 ♦J983 ♣62 |
| 3♠ | Wants to compete in spades. Doesn't want to request a specific lead. Tends to suggest a spade lead | ♠K94 ♥75 ♦J983 ♣KJ42. |
