Cappelletti (aka Hamilton)


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This convention is known by two names because Mike Cappelletti and Fred Hamilton are both credited for it. For simplicity I am just going to refer to it as Cappelletti.

Cappelletti is a defensive bidding convention for use after an opponent has opened 1NT. Overcaller's available conventional calls are as follows.

Overcall Meaning
Double   Penalty (See also: Gates Double)
2 A one-suited hand (any suit, 5+ cards) with roughly 11-15 points.
2 At least 5-4 or 4-5 in hearts and spades, asks partner to correct to either major.
2 At least 5-5 in hearts and a minor.
2 At least 5-5 in spades and a minor.
2NT At least 5-5 in clubs and diamonds.


Responses to the 2 Overcall

Response Meaning
Pass    Shows 6+ clubs.
2    An artificial bid, asking partner to pass if his suit is diamonds or to bid 2/2/3 depending on which suit he has.
2   Shows 6+ hearts, nonforcing.
2   Shows 6+ spades, nonforcing.


Responses to the 2 Overcall

Response Meaning
Pass    Shows 6+ diamonds.
2   Natural preference, nonforcing.
2   Natural preference, nonforcing.
2NT   Natural, invitational. Shows about 11-13 points, balanced.


Responses to the 2 Overcall

Response Meaning
Pass    A weak hand with tolerance for hearts.
2   Promises 6+ spades, no heart support, nonforcing.
2NT   Artificial, no heart support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.
3   Promises 6+ good clubs, no heart support, nonforcing.
3   Promises 6+ good diamonds, no heart support, nonforcing.
3   Promises 3+ hearts, invitational.
3   Promises 6+ good spades, invitational to 4.
3NT   To play.
4   To play.
4   To play.


Responses to the 2 Overcall

Response Meaning
Pass    A weak hand with tolerance for spades.
2NT   Artificial, no spade support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.
3   Shows 6+ good clubs, no spade support, nonforcing.
3  Shows 6+ good diamonds, no spade support, nonforcing.
3   Shows 6+ good hearts, no spade support, nonforcing.
3   Promises 3+ spades, invitational.


Responses to the 2NT Overcall

Response Meaning
3   A weak hand with tolerance for clubs.
3   A weak hand with tolerance for diamonds. Tends to deny club support.
3   Shows 6+ good hearts, no support for either minor, nonforcing.
3   Shows 6+ good spades, no support for either minor, nonforcing.
3NT   To play.
4   Shows 3+ clubs, invitational.
4   Shows 3+ diamonds, invitational.
4   To play.
4   To play.


Origins

Mike Cappelletti and Fred Hamilton, both American experts, are credited for this convention. See also Multi-Landy, which is very similar but reverses the meanings of the 2 and 2 overcalls.

See also

  • Astro
    A defense to 1NT in which a double is for penalty, and 2/ overcalls are artificial.

  • Brozel
    A defense to 1NT in which a double shows a one-suited overcall, and all 2-level bids show specific 2-suited hands.

  • DONT
    A defense to 1NT in which double shows a one-suited hand, and 2-level overcalls show the bid suit + a higher suit.

  • Gates Double
    An artificial double of 1NT by a passed hand.

  • Landy
    A (very old) defense to 1NT in which a 2C overcall shows both majors.

  • Multi-Landy (Woolsey)
    A very scientific defense to 1NT.

  • Pinpoint Astro
    A variation of the Astro convention, using double as penalty.

  • Ripstra
    A slight variation of the Landy convention.

  • Roche
    A (very old) defense to 1NT in which a 2C overcall shows 12-14 points and 3+ clubs.

  • SCUM
    A defense to 1NT that shows two-suiters by Shape, Color and the Major suits.

  • Suction
    A restricted defense to 1NT that uses ambiguous overcalls.

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Bridgebum began in 1999 and covers a large set of descriptions of Bidding conventions, declarer play and defense, and more.

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