EHAA: Frequently Asked Questions
(Last revised on 24 March 1997)
Contents:
1. What is EHAA?
2. Where did it come from?
3. What are its key features?
4. What are its strengths?
5. What are its weaknesses?
6. Don't you go for a lot of big numbers?
7. What is the EHAA 2-bid structure like?
8. What is the EHAA notrump structure like?
9. Why should I play it?
10. Why shouldn't I play it?
11. When should I play it?
12. How can I learn more about it?
1. What is EHAA?
EHAA is an agressive, natural style of bidding that combines mini
notrump openings, wide-range weak two-bids, and a Goren-like four-card
major approach into an easy, effective, and fun way to bid. It is not
a highly specified system, but rather, like Standard American or Acol,
a general style which can be played in numerous variations. It's
designed to be simple, but, like any other style, can be enhanced (or
complicated, depending on your point of view) by adding conventions to
suit your taste.
2. Where did it come from?
Nobody knows. It's known to have been played in both New York and
California as long ago as the late 1950s, and had achieved significant
popularity in many other parts of the country by the late 1960s. But
its origins remain obscure.
3. What are its key features?
It's most significant feature is the "EHAA two-bid;" an opening two-
bid in any suit showing 6-12 HCP and at least five cards in the suit.
Any suit of five or more cards qualifies for a two-bid; xxxxx and
AKQJxxxxxx are both allowable suits. It also features is a 10-12 HCP
1NT opening. This means that opening bids of one of a suit are far
sounder than in most other styles, since they almost always contain
13+ HCP.
4. What are its strengths?
It's a "fast attack" style, which means that you get into the bidding
early on a lot of hands with which others remain silent; this makes
life extremely difficult for the opponents when it's their hand. And
when the hand belongs to your side, you usually reach your final
contract quickly, without giving away the kind of information that
helps the other side figure out when to double or how to defend.
Another great strength of EHAA that's often overlooked even by EHAA
fans is the frequency with which, when the opponents buy the contract,
your having opened the bidding with 1NT or an EHAA two-bid gives you
an advantage on defense that other pairs, who weren't in the bidding,
don't have.
5. What are its weaknesses?
The fast-attack style of EHAA can occasionally backfire, when the hand
belongs to your side and you preempt your own bidding instead of the
opponents'. For instance, when you open an EHAA two-bid, it can be
almost impossible to conduct a delicate slam-range auction. On the
other hand, though, you often gain by "bashing" in these situations,
frequently making technically inferior contracts that would have been
beaten after a complex and delicate auction that provided the
opponents with clues to the best lead or defense.
6. Don't you go for a lot of big numbers?
No, because EHAA relies on preempting the opponents with your side's
first bid. Subsequent actions tend to be sound and value-based rather
than further preempts, so you don't find yourself "overboard" after
the first round of bidding. Of course, when you open a 10-12 1NT or
an EHAA two-bid, you may already be too high, but, because the
opponents haven't yet had any chance to exchange information about
their holdings, they are almost never in a position to punish you.
7. What is the EHAA two-bid structure like?
It's extremely natural. A raise or a 2NT response is natural and non-
forcing but constructive, inviting partner to bid game with a good
hand. Simple new suit bids are non-constructive attempts to improve
the contract. Jumps below game are slam tries, and jumps to game,
defined as "to play," are two-way actions that can be made expecting
either a make or a good save.
8. What is the EHAA notrump structure like?
Over a 10-12 HCP 1NT opening, 2C is an extended form of Stayman that
can be used with any hand of invitational or game-going strength that
can't simply bid to the final contract immediately. This frees up
all of your non-game jump responses for use as preempts, which allows
you to maximize the "leverage" gained by opening 1NT when most pairs
are passing.
9. Why should I play it?
Mainly because it's so much fun. And it's easy. And it's quite
effective as well. If you like straightforward, natural bidding, if
you prefer a "seat-of-the-pants" approach that emphasizes bidding
judgment rather than complicated conventions, then EHAA is for you.
If you don't like the idea of just sitting there and giving the
opponents a "free ride" when they have the balance of strength, EHAA
lets you get in their way while still retaining enough bidding
discipline to avoid the drawbacks of a randomly destructive "anything
goes" approach.
10. Why shouldn't I play it?
If you prefer a complex, artificial style with lots of conventions,
then EHAA probably isn't for you. If you're a confirmed believer in
the law of total tricks, you may not like EHAA two-bids, for two
reasons: First, since a two-bid can be a 5-, 6- or 7- (or, in theory,
13-) card suit, responder doesn't know how many trumps you hold.
Second, you can't make an "automatic" blocking raise with a known 9-
card fit, since that would be invitational. Also, pure LOTT-based
competitive bidding is harder when you play four-card majors.
11. When should I play it?
EHAA works best at matchpoint or board-a-match scoring, where the
ability to interfere with opponents' auctions is critical, and where
boards are often won by reaching contracts without giving the
opponents the kind of vital information they can use to beat you by
making close doubles or by preventing you from making overtricks. It
doesn't work quite as well at IMP scoring, where the ability to make
delicate scientific game- or slam-level decisions is more important.
12. How can I learn more about it?
Only one book about EHAA has ever been written: Every Hand An
Adventure, by Eric Landau and Randall Baron. It's currently in print
(64 pages, $4.95), available from Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies (800-
274-2221 or http://www.baronbarclay.com) and The Bridge World
Bookshelf (212-866-5860 or http://www.bridgeworld.com). It should
soon be available from all of the major bridge-book vendors.
Eric Landau elandau@cais.com
APL Solutions, Inc. elandau@acm.org
1107 Dale Drive (301) 589-4621
Silver Spring MD 20910-1607 Fax (301) 589-4618