ALBARRAN
This treatment and/or convention is used only after a 2
opening by the responder. The origin is unknown.
Fundamentally, the Albarran convention is Ace Showing, providing information to the 2 Club bidder before he/she has a chance to define and describe his/her holding. The responses are listed below:
- 2
Shows no Ace and maximum values of 7 high card
points - 2
Promises only the Ace of
Hearts - 2
Promises only the Ace of
Spades - 2NT Promises no Aces but 8 high card points plus
- 3 Promises only the Ace of
Clubs
- 3 Promises only the Ace of
Diamonds
- 3 Promises the equivalent of AKQxxx, a 6-card
suit
- 3 Promises the equivalent of AKQxxx, a 6-card
suit
- 3NT Promises 2 Aces
- 4 Promises the equivalent of AKQxxx, a 6-card suit
- 4 Promises the equivalent of AKQxxx, a 6-card suit
- 4NT Promises 3 Aces
There are certain bidding responses, which could lead to difficulties in the ensuing auction, such as in the bidding auction.
2 (AQ9 KQJ KQ9 KQJ9) - 4NT (promising 3 Aces) with 54 A52 A764 A843
The planned rebid of North is to show a balanced holding of 23-24 high card points. After a response of 4NT by the partner, should North settle with a rebid of 6NT or 7NT or even a Pass? The question is whether the ensuing auction can ascertain whether South has any additional values to guarantee slam. In the above example, it is clear that the partnership has possibly 2 losers, one in Spades if the King is offside and one in Diamonds assuming the Diamonds do not split. The lead of a Spade will certainly make it easy during the play for North to take 12 tricks, but the lead of any other suit forces North to consider carefully his play and/or finesse possibilities for the Spade suit, but the question remains whether the partnership can, still during the auction, ascertain whether South has the additional values needed for either a small or grand slam.
In the case that the opponents interfere immediately after a 2 Club opening, then Pass by the responder describes a minimum holding with no Aces, a Double promises moderate to good values in the suit of the opponent but promises no Aces, and if the overcall has not interfered in the normal structure of the convention, then all bids remain the same as if there had been no overcall.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.