Conceived by Mr. Thomas F. McDow of Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States, in the 1990s when a student at Yale University. Mr. Thomas F. McDow operates also an online blog appropriately title McDow Over NoTrump.

Additional Contributions Welcomed

Note: As no additional information and photographic material is available any contribution as to the bridge personality of Mr. Thomas McDow would be greatly appreciated.

McDow Over NoTrump Method

As reported in the Daily Bulletin, Monday, March 23, 1998, Volume 41, Number 4, for the 41st Spring North American Bridge Championships the fundamentals of the idea are, if the player is in the Pass-Out Seat and the last bid was 1 No Trump, then:

Double:	Promises at least a 5-card suit. Partner relays cheapest bid to discover the suit.
Any Suit:	A bid suit promises only a 4-card suit in the bid suit.

The partnership bids up-the-line until at least a 4-3 or a 5-2 fit (Moysian fits) is discovered. The values should be sufficient to seriously considering a competitive action on the two level.

Mr. Thomas McDow also penned an article for the Bridge Bulletin, January 1999, page 64, titled Kid Bridge, relating the experiences of bridge through the eyes of younger players.

Auction Example

West		North		East		South		Meaning
1 NT								The range of the No Trump is announced.
		Pass		Pass		Double		McDow Over No Trump. Promises at least a 5-card suit. Partner relays to 2 Clubs and the doubler either passes or corrects.
						2		Promises at least a 4-card Club suit, and values to compete on the two level. The partnership continues to bid up the line until a 4-3 or 5-2 fit is discovered.
						2		Promises at least a 4-card Diamond suit, and values to compete on the two level. The partnership continues to bid up the line until a 4-3 or 5-2 fit is discovered.
						2		Promises at least a 4-card Heart suit, and values to compete on the two level. The partnership continues to bid up the line until a 4-3 or 5-2 fit is discovered.
						2		Promises at least a 4-card Spade suit, and values to compete on the two level. The partnership continues to bid up the line until a 4-3 or 5-2 fit is discovered.

The bridge student can visualize other similar auctions, whereby the player can enter the competition if the last bid, followed by two passes, is 1 No Trump. The bridge student should also remember that the McDow Over No Trump convention is only applicable if the last bid suit is 1 No Trump.

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.