Bridge:Conventions/Timbuktu
From Tractatus
Timbuktu
Timbuktu is a disruptive, defensive convention used to interfere with opponents during a strong auction. After opponents have opened Strong 2♣, 2NT, or a strong 1♣, all bids are Timbuktu.
With a distributional hand, if you have a single suit(6+ cars in the suit), bid the suit immediately beneath your suit. If you have a two suited hand (5-5 or better), if the suits are touching, bid the first suit higher than your suits. If the suits are not touching, then bid No Trump.
The responses are Paradox Raises. For 'simplicity', I give the bidding sequences for 2♣-2D and 2♣-2NT:
Of course, the key is actually what happens when the opponents bid. If the call is not a double, then normally, the correct action to take is to do nothing. We interfered, and got away with it. Phew.
Some percentage of the time, the opponents will double. A pass at this point from the partner of the Timbuktu bidder is TO PLAY. Yup. That means that you actually have the suit the Timbuktu bidder does not have and you want to play there anyway.
So, the normal bid is to give a paradox raise, as if the opponents had not doubled.
Now, the goal becomes to run to the safest contract.