Modified Cappelletti

• Double: Penalty/Values. A good 14 or more or 6/7 tricks
• 2 Shows a single-suited holding in Diamonds OR a two-suited holding in an unspecified Major suit and an unspecified Minor suit. After a pass by the partner of the No Trump bidder, the advancer can bid 2. Then the over-caller will either pass or raise with a single-suiter in Diamonds if holding stronger values OR bid the Major suit if the holding is a two-suiter. If the overcaller shows the two-suited holding after the 2 bid, then the advancer can bid 2NT to return to the actual Minor suit (Clubs or Diamonds), or pass if the Major suit is preferred.
• 2 Shows both Majors, at least 5-5 if vulnerable and at least 5-4 in non-vulnerable. Strong hands with 4441 or 4450 can also be bid through 2 if they are not suited for a penalty double
• 2 Shows a single-suited holding in Hearts.
• 2 Shows a single-suited holding in Spades.
• 2NT Shows both Minor Suits.
• 3 A natural bid showing length in Clubs.

Mel’s Rule for bidding:

Sometimes it is hard to tell if it is right to bid or not using Cappelletti. Mel’s rule of 8 is here to help. Like with any rule, judgment is still important. If the total number of cards in our 2 longest suits minus the total number of losers in your hand is 2 or greater then bid. Need at least 8 points in the 2 suits.

• Losing tricks: Count losers only in the first 3 cards of each suit (the 4th., 5th., etc. cards in a suit are winners).
• With 3 or more cards in a suit the Ace, K, Q are winners, anything lower are losers.
• With 2 cards in a suit, Ace or King are winners, anything lower is a loser.
• With 1 card in a suit, Ace is a winner.
• There are never more than 3 losers in a suit

Example 1: K53, AQ874, K72, 93

Example 2: KJ654, KJ653, 86, 5

Hand 1 = 8 cards in 2 longest suits but 7 losers ( 8-7 = 1 ) = pass

Hand 2 = 10 cards in 2 longest suits and 7 losers (10-7 = 3) =bid

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Bidding after a Double

Most importantly, we have to ask the opponents, whether their pass is forcing or a not, considering, that many players play pass to ask for a redouble which gives them more bidding space when escaping.

If pass is forcing, we don't have to escape from 1NT immediately with weak hands, because opener has to redouble, and we have time to escape later. Therefore new suits in level 2 are non forcing constructive hands, 2NT is GF Stayman and new suits in level 3 are GF and natural.

If pass is natural and passable we have to be careful. The best solution is to act accordingly to these guidelines:

• Pass hoping to defeat 1NT.
• Pass with very weak but balanced hands, hoping that either partner alone can defeat the contract or that any 2-level contract we would play would be way more expensive than the 1NT doubled making. If we take 6 tricks in 1NT they score 180, if they take 7 against us on the two-level it's 300 or 500 for them.
• Bid on the two level with weak unbalanced hands.
• Bid 2NT or on the 3-level with strong unbalanced hands. 2NT is Stayman, new suits on the 3rd level are natural and game forcing.

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Bidding after partner bids 2

• Pass with a weak hand and long clubs
• Bid 2
• Bid 2NT with an invitational hand (11 HCP) or more asking partner to describe his hand.

Overcallers rebids to 2 are:

• Pass with diamonds.
• Raise diamonds with a better than expected hand.
• Bid a Major which now shows that Major and a minor. Now the major can be passed or:
  • 3 is pass or correct to 3
  • 2NT asks for description of major/minor hand

Overcallers rebids to 2NT are:

• 3 shows a 5 card Major + 4(5)clubs, weak hand
• 3 shows a 5 card Major + 4(5)diamonds, weak hand
• 3 shows 5 card major and 5 clubs, strong hand
• 3 shows 5 card major and 5 diamonds, strong hand

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Bidding after partner bids 2

• Pass with long diamonds and no major tolerance
• Choose your better major if weak
• Bid 2NT with an invitational hand (11 HCP) or more

Overcallers rebids to 2NT are:

• 3 shows 5 + 4 responder bids the preferred major.
• 3 shows 5 + 4 responder bids the preferred major.
• 3 shows 5 + 5 weak
• 3 shows 5 + 5 strong, GF
• 3NT shows 4 + 4 + 4-5 in a minor suit, strong hand (15+), we could not double with unbalanced hand

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Bidding after partner bids 2/2

• Bid 2NT with an invitational hand.
• Double if the opponents bid to show invitational hand
• Bid your own long suit with no tolerance for partner's suit.

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Bidding after partner bids 2NT

• Choose your better minor. Overcaller will raise with a strong hand.