[mike777]

Recommended basic beginning points in teaching Lebensohl to a couple of club players who have no idea how it works or what it is?

Looking for first lessons stuff in how to handle weak two openings by opponents and how to handle interference when we open a strong NT.

Thank you in advance.

[DavidKok]

Larry Cohen has a solid page on it. The version there is a classical one, using 'slow shows, fast denies'. I think this is a fine source on the basics.

One point that caused me some confusion is that there are regional differences even in the basic Lebensohl regarding whether 1NT-(2♥)-3♣ is forcing or is NF invitational, and whether the same applies to e.g. (2♥)-X-(P)-3♣. Other than that I think Larry's article covers things well. He also has pages on upgraded variants (such as Transfer Lebensohl), but I would not recommend that initially.

[Shugart23]

Also Oliver clarkes pigpen has lots on Lebensohl; he uses it extensively in all sorts of situations

[smerriman]

I probably wouldn't teach them together as while they have the same name, they're really two different conventions, and aren't bid the same way (see recent thread where someone thought 3♣ was forced after a weak 2).

[mw64ahw]

I think about lebensohl related approaches in the same way I bid over 1N i.e. I identify the strength of responder's hand in terms of competitive, game invitational and game forcing and then allocate bids accordingly to the variant you prefer.

Now layering on top as David mentions I'd introduce 'slow (via 2N) shows, fast denies' in relation to stoppers in the opponents suit.

If you play transfers over 1N then continuing the approach with 3-level transfer bids seems the most intuitive and flexible to me for GI+ hands.

If you get this far then you can include a few other tweaks that can improve utility.

In principle the same approach works over a X of a weak2.

[jillybean]

I learnt leb with patient partners and Ron Anderson's "The Lebensohl Convention Complete"
Fantastic book which is missing from my bookshelf, I wonder who I lent it to.

[mw64ahw]

This may be of use and references Rob Anderson's book, but X as penalty, takeout or negative is one to discuss.

https://acrobat.adob...51-9ce049e8c366

[smerriman]

I think the reason lebensohl is often seen as a complex convention is because sometimes when it is taught, it can look like you have to remember a huge number of different cases - sometimes 2NT is used on weak hands, sometimes invitational, sometimes strong, differing based on what the opponents bid and what you have.

But if you focus on the principles for 1NT openers, rather than the specific bids, then it becomes much simpler.

- The first is that 2 level bids are weak and 3 level bids are strong.. this should be true whether you play an artificial 2NT or not, though people used to stolen bids may need to unlearn something first.

- The second is that a cuebid asks for a 4 card major, which is something you very commonly want to do.

Only then do you need to introduce the fact that 2NT asks partner to bid 3C, which leads to:

- You now have two ways to cuebid, and two ways to bid 3NT. Slow shows a stopper, fast denies a stopper.

And then the final point - if you want to bid a weak suit but can't at the 2 level, you can bid 2NT then your suit. If you can bid at the 2 level, then 2NT then that suit is invitational.

The last point is usually considered the most confusing. However, when you're the one bidding 2NT, it's pretty straightforward, since you'll know whether the 2 level option was available or not. So the only thing you have to remember when it's partner bidding 2NT then a suit is - did they have a way to show a weak hand? If so, they can't be weak.

To me, those principles makes lebensohl very easy to remember.

[thepossum]

I do like those two very brief and concsise summaries of Lebensohl. I think I can almost remember them
I used to be intimidated by it

I am going to try it from memory - here goes etc - I am with the Cohen version if anyone asks

....

[jillybean]

thepossum, on 2025-April-22, 23:53, said:

I do like those two very brief and concsise summaries of Lebensohl. I think I can almost remember them
I used to be intimidated by it

I am going to try it from memory - here goes etc - I am with the Cohen version if anyone asks

....

keep your fingers crossed that partner has read the same book

[jdiana]

Has anyone read Randy Baron's booklet on lebensohl? https://baronbarclay...ons-1-lebensohl

I like the idea of 12 pages vs 107 pages for Rob Anderson's book.

(Randy Baron also has a corresponding set of practice hands on BridgeBee - https://bridgebee.ap...-by-randy-baron )

[DavidKok]

For what little it's worth: I bought and read Ron Andersen's book on Lebensohl a few years back. I found it shallow and misleading. In my eyes it failed to engage with possible downsides of the convention, did not discuss alternatives or regional variants in sufficient detail and contained far too many cherry-picked examples where it just so happened to solve a problem. The whole book felt like a sales pitch to me. The most important part of the book was the description of the method itself, which is easily accessible online in more concise form.

[jillybean]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-23, 08:06, said:

For what little it's worth: I bought and read Ron Andersen's book on Lebensohl a few years back. I found it shallow and misleading. In my eyes it failed to engage with possible downsides of the convention, did not discuss alternatives or regional variants in sufficient detail and contained far too many cherry-picked examples where it just so happened to solve a problem. The whole book felt like a sales pitch to me. The most important part of the book was the description of the method itself, which is easily accessible online in more concise form.

Perhaps that's why it is missing from my bookshelf.
From a newbie's perspective, I found the description of the method to be very helpful and it removed a lot of the mystique. Newbies are often warned to stay away from leb.
I'm sure a more concise description is freely available online.

[shugart24]

mike777, on 2025-April-22, 13:17, said:

Recommended basic beginning points in teaching Lebensohl to a couple of club players who have no idea how it works or what it is?

Looking for first lessons stuff in how to handle weak two openings by opponents and how to handle interference when we open a strong NT.

Thank you in advance.

Oliver Clarke uses transfer lebensohl over weak two bids if either partner doubles. Assuming the doubler has, what, 13-15 HCP and 3+ card support in the unnamed suits, partner is well positioned to know if game is at hand, or an invite is worth looking for, or where to consider bailing out.

[mycroft]

For a book written when Lebensohl was as obscure and new as, say, XYZ was 10 years ago when I was trying to get a "canonical" version of it to learn, and without the benefit of Da Interwebz to "go look it up" and find several summaries, Anderson's book was great. Frankly, it's still a great introduction to the *concept* of Puppet bidding, in a form that is immediately useful to anybody who chooses to pick it up.

For people who haven't yet internalized the concept of puppets doubling sequences - and you can tell how many of them there are by how many "so it shows clubs?" responses you get when 2NT is Alerted (*) - Anderson's book is great.

Sure, it doesn't point out (many of the) downsides of the convention. Sure, it cherrypicks hands that work very well with it (and to be fair, there are a *lot* of those!) So do 80% of books, probably 90% of those that are introducing "this cool new toy". Of *course* it's a sales pitch - now how many books on your shelf or mine are the same?

Sure, it didn't go into detail on alternatives and regional variants - that didn't exist for 10 years after it was written. Funny, that? Also funny is how, after you *really understand* the basics, seeing how the alternatives or regional variants would work is pretty simple.

Sure, it's 85 pages of explanations and examples that can easily be summarized in one web page - well, if you understand it already, or are comfortable understanding long sequence chains and branch diagrams from other work. I mean, "How to play Winning Bridge" is 300 pages, and the KSU summary is easier, tighter, and clearer, and about 15.

But even today, finding "how to lebensohl against conventional defences" in even Anderson's detail is near-impossible, and if you do find it, it probably won't tell you *why* those decisions were made.

Is there a long way to go after you learn Anderson? Sure. Is there a long way to go after you learn "Commonsense Bidding" by Root, or "Partnership Bidding" by Robson and Seagal, or any other of the pre-millenial classics - because bridge has in fact evolved in 35 years, and some things that were stunningly new and revolutionary then are commonsense and obvious to novices now (see: SAYC).

Having said that, I would *not* start with Leb/weak2X. Start with the contested 1NT auction. Just the complexity added by "partner might not have a minimum double" is another step to understanding, and "introduction to puppetry" is a big enough one as it is. Plus, you get *much more opportunity* to practise it over your 1NT than over their weak 2s which your partner doubles.

[*] You can also tell how many people really don't understand this (they just use it) by the number of poor explanations of 2NT Alerted (or "pass forces redouble" over 1NT-X, or...) Okay, some of them are *trying* to confuse the opponents, but most - yeah.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2025-April-22, 14:45, said:

I learnt leb with patient partners and Ron Anderson's "The Lebensohl Convention Complete"
Fantastic book which is missing from my bookshelf, I wonder who I lent it to.

A lesson I learned half a lifetime ago is that you do not lend books or LPs or anything else you treasure... it's a sure way to poison even a close friendship. Make the gift with a wry smile or say no.

[akwoo]

mycroft, on 2025-April-23, 09:40, said:

Plus, you get *much more opportunity* to practise it over your 1NT than over their weak 2s which your partner doubles.

Depends on the circles you play in. Amongst most beginners I know, the most common defense to 1N is 'pass', whereas even their very restrictive weak 2s get bid once in a while.

[pescetom]

smerriman, on 2025-April-22, 14:35, said:

I probably wouldn't teach them together as while they have the same name, they're really two different conventions, and aren't bid the same way (see recent thread where someone thought 3♣ was forced after a weak 2).

I agree with this, also because IMO they have different value (I think Rubensohl is superior after interference over 1NT, but not elsewhere).

[mycroft]

pescetom, on 2025-April-23, 14:02, said:

A lesson I learned half a lifetime ago is that you do not lend books or LPs or anything else you treasure... it's a sure way to poison even a close friendship. Make the gift with a wry smile or say no.

Heh, in my last move I finally got rid of (most of) my duplicate bridge book collection. I used to pick up whenever I saw them used:

• Watson's Play of the hand
  
• The K/S book (How to Play Winning Bridge)
  
• Simon (Why you Lose at Bridge)
  
• Hayden Truscott (Bid better, play better)
  
• Lawrence's "How to Read the Opponents' Cards"
  
• "5 Weeks"
  
• and, I'm sure I've forgotten a couple of others (Bridge in the Menagerie?).

That's because I'd lend them out and people would want to keep them. Or would just do it without wanting.

akwoo, on 2025-April-23, 14:30, said:

Depends on the circles you play in. Amongst most beginners I know, the most common defense to 1N is 'pass', whereas even their very restrictive weak 2s get bid once in a while.

Not going to disagree (but again, even after those restrictive weak 2s, partner has to double rather than pass or bid, and third-hand has to not raise), but if they're around me, they're not playing against beginners. It's also why the whole "overstrength pre-empt" thing gets started (and why it's now not allowed in "those games")- when they open 2♣, their opponents shut up, even if it's their hand.

[mw64ahw]

Just came across this for those who don't want to play transfers
https://bridgewinner...mized-approach/