Responses to 1

Response	Meaning
1/1/2	natural 5 card suit, forcing
1N	non-descriptive relay
raises	limit
2/2/3	game force; suit of HHxxxx; not solid
2N	game forcing raise (Hxxxx) minimum
3/3/4	splinter raise (Almost always shows just 4 card support, use 2N with 5+ card support)
3N	not defined

Responses to 1

Response	Meaning
1/2/2	natural 5 card suit, forcing
1N	non-descriptive relay
raises	limit
2/3/3	game force; suit of HHxxxx; not solid
2N	game forcing raise (Hxxxx minimum)
3/4/4	splinter raise (Almost always shows just 4 card support, use 2N with 5+ card support)
3N	minimum balanced raise (4 cards)
4	unbalanced weak raise

Responses to 1

Response	Meaning
1N	non-descriptive relay
2/2	5 card suit, forcing
2	5 card suit, not forcing (constructive 10-ish “points”)
raises	limit
2N	game forcing raise (Hxxxx minimum)
3/3	game force; suit of HHxxxx; not solid
3	Invitational, good suit (HJTxxx minimum strength)
3N	minimum balanced raise (4 cards)
4/4/4	splinter raise (Almost always shows just 4 card support, use 2N with 5+ card support)
4	unbalanced weak raise

1 - 2 is discussed elsewhere

• Opener's non-forcing rebids:
  • Rebid of opened suit at the 2 level;
  • Raise of responder's suit to the 3 level (promising 3+ card support)
  • Bid of a Canapé at the 3 level
• Opener's forcing rebids;
  • A new suit at the 2 level
  • A jump shift to the 3 level or to 4
  • A jump raise of responder's suit (only if responder's suit is a minor) with 5+ card support (this is keycard “Gerber
  • Ä jump rebid of the opened suit showing a very good suit (one loser opposite a singleton)
  • A jump to 3N showing a strong canapé (only if responder's suit is a minor) in responder's suit
  • 2N with stoppers in the unbid suits and one of the below:
    • A canapé
    • A one suited hand

The 2N rebid by opener (at his second bid) shows either a 15-16 HCP one suiter or a canapé with extra values(if the response was 2, then the canapé is not possible – opener has a 15-16 HCP one suiter). Responder's non-forcing bid is a rebid of his suit; all other non-game bids are forcing to game or the four level.

In order to determine which hand type opener has, responder can bid 3 or 3 of opener's major. The 3 bid implies a Club fit, the 3 major bid implies a 3 card major suit fit.

After the 3 bid, opener rebids his major if he has the 15-16 HCP one suiter. Any other rebid by opener shows the canapé.

After the bid of 3 of opener's major by responder, 3N shows the Club Canapé (as would a bid of 4).

• A preference at the two level back to opener's first bid suit is a non-forcing 3 card preference with a disinclination to bid 2N.
• A preference at the three level (with or without a jump) is:
  • Invitational if opener did not raise responder's suit and did not bid 2N;
  • Forcing if opener raised responder's suit or bid 2N. Thus the preference at the game level is weaker than the (forcing) 3 level preference. This forcing preference can be made on 3 card support because opener has not denied a 5 card holding in his first bid suit.
• A single raise of opener's long suit is invitation at the three level, forcing to game at the four level. examples:

1	2
3	4	game force
—————————————————–
1	2
2	3	invitational
	4	forcing

• A simple rebid of the responder's suit is not forcing
• A rebid of 2N is limit
• A leap to 4 minor is a slam try (if it is a rebid of the responder's suit, it is always used artificially, not to show a good suit - use an immediate jump shift for that purpose). It shows one of the following:
  • Agrees that minor if it is one of opener's suits
  • Otherwise agrees with one of the opener's majors:
    • If the opener has bid and rebid the same major, the leap to 4 and 4 both agree opener's major. 4 shows a control and 4 shows a controls lacking a control (remember that control means A, K, singleton or void).
    • If the opener has bid one major and then the other, the leap to 4 agrees s and the leap to 4 agrees s regardless of the order bid by the opener.

Examples:

1	2
2	4	fit
	4	fit

————————————————————-

1	2
2	4	fit + control
	4	fit + control and no control

If the opener has bid a major and a minor in either order, a leap to 4 of the minor opener did not bid agrees opener's major

Example:

1	2
2	4	raise
	4	raise (forcing)

The principle of double fit applies: that is, the following auction is forcing:

1	2
3	3

The bid of the fourth suit (or a third suit) by the responder at his second call is always natural and:

• Non-forcing at the two-level
• Forcing (to game) at the three-level

After the jump rebid by the opener, the responder can:

• Rebid his suit (non-forcing)
• Bid a new suit (probably an advanced cue bid)

Example:

1	2
3	4	non-forcing
4	advanced cue bid
4	advanced cue bid
3N	not encouraging
4	not encouraging

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The 2 response to 1 is constructive but non-forcing.

The auction develops as follows:

2	not encouraging
3/3	is natural (in the canapé sense) and forcing
3	is encouraging
3	is very encouraging, but denies 3s
2N	is a contract correcting call “forcing” a 3 rebid by responder
3N	is a strong hand with a canapé

After 1 - 2 - 2N - 3

3	is final
3	is a maximum hand with 2s
3	6 and 3s, maximum hand (forcing)
3N	Maximum hand with 3s (not forcing, but seems unlikely that responder will pass)

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After 1 - 2

The raise shows about 8 to 10 supporting points; this call does invite a rebid of a major (which is forcing one round).

After 1 - 1 or 1 - 1 or 1 - 1

Responder has shown 8+ HCP with a 5+ card suit. The call is forcing. Responder promises to bid again unless the opener makes a simple rebid of his own suit.

Opener's rebids:

• A raise of the responder's long suit to the 2 level shows 3 card support and is forcing to the 3-level in that suit.
• A jump raise (to the 3-level) shows 5+ card support and is forcing
• 3N shows 5+ card support with 5-6 losers. This is usually a shapely strong hand.
• A jump raise (to the 4-level) shows 5 card support and a minimum
• A new suit is normal canapé and denies 3-card (or more) support
• 1 - 1/1 - 1N show a 4-card (exactly) suit
• 1 - 1 - 1N shows a 5332 or 6 bad 322 minimum hand (without 3). New suits by responder at the 2 level are not forcing
• 2N - shows a one-suited hand (semi-balanced) without 3 card support (15 - 16 HCP)

Opener	Responder
1	1
2	2	Relay
2N		balanced hand
3		1-3-5-4 or 1-3-4-5
3		5+s
3		5+ (minimum)
3		5+ (maximum)
———————-
1	1
2	2N	Relay
3		3-1-5-4 or 3-1-4-5
3		5+ s
3		5+s
———————-
1	1
2	2N	Relay
3		3-4-1-5
3		3-4-5-1
3		5+s

If the opener does not show 3+ card support of the responder's suit, then responder's jumps to the 4 level in minors follow the same rules as after forcing 2 over 1.

New suits at the 2-level and 3-level follow the rules of forcing 2 over 1 (that is a new suit at the two level is natural and not forcing; at the three level natural and forcing).

A jump rebid is invitational

After opener bids 2N (e.g. 1 - 1 - 2N) a preference is nonforcing

Opener	Responder
1	1
2	?
	2	simple preference (3 card support)
	2	sign off
	2N	natural non-forcing
	3	natural forcing (new suit 3 level)
	3	invitational
	3	invitational (4+ card support)
	3	natural invitation
	3N	sign off
	4	artificial slam try with 4+ card Heart fit
	4	natural slam try
	4	sign off
	4	sign off (hand can't be too good since the suit was strong enough, but no jump shift)