Table of Contents
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After 1 Major - 2 (same) Major
Ewen game tries are used. This, of course is optional. If this conventional method is not used, then the partnership agreement should be that all calls are natural in the canapé sense.
These are the conventional sequences:
1 | 2 |
3 , 3 , 3 | Long suit game tries |
| 3 | game try on power |
| 2N | “forces” responder to bid 3 |
| Opener rebids 3, 3, 3 with shortness in , , and respectively. |
| 1 | 2 |
| 2N, 3, 3 | Long suit game tries, with , , |
| 3 | game try on power |
| 2 | “forces” responder to bid 2N |
| Opener rebids 3, 3, 3 with shortness in , and respectively. |
If the auction goes 1 Major followed by a raise to 2, with an interfering overcall after the raise, then only “long suit” game tries are used.
Development after Forcing 1N Response
The one no-trump response to 1, 1 and 1 opening bids is forcing one round. It is a non-descriptive relay and of course is “alertable”. When asked what it means, I usually say “It shows 6 to 29 HCP and asks for a further description of my hand.”. Or at least that's what I used to say. Now I just say “forcing”.
Opener's rebids:
| After 1 - 1N |
| 2/2/2 | normal Canapé (2 shows 5+ and exactly 4 ; with 5+ in each minor the opening is 3 ) |
| 2 | minimum one suited hand (could have secondary suit of s) |
| 2N | natural with long s (could have a singleton) shows extra values |
| 3 | 4 card suit, good hand (the only non-Canapé bid by opener in the system) |
| 3 | good hand, good suit 5 or 6 losers. Contrast with 2N which shows the same strength, but a less good suit |
| 3/3 | 6 card (/) suit 4 losers |
| 3N | 7 card suit, 4 card suit |
| After 1 - 1N |
| 2/2/2 | normal Canapé |
| 2 | minimum one suited hand |
| 2N | natural with long s (could have a singleton) shows extra values |
| 3/3 | Canapé 4 or 5 losers |
| 3 | good hand, good suit 5 or 6 losers Contrast with 2N which shows the same strength, but a less good suit |
| 3 | 6 card suit 4 losers |
| 3N | 7 card suit, 4 card suit |
| After 1 - 1N |
| 2/2/2 | normal Canapé |
| 2 | minimum one suited hand |
| 2N | natural with long (could have a singleton) shows extra values |
| 3/3/3 | Canapé 4 or 5 losers |
| 3 | good hand, good suit 5 or 6 losers Contrast with 2N which shows the same strength, but a less good suit |
| 3N | 7 card suit with 4 |
Responder's rebids
After opener makes a rebid of his first bid suit or bids a new suit at the 2 level, then:
- Raises of long suit are invitational
- The cheapest call is a relay. If the cheapest call coincides with opener's first bid suit, the call is a relay not a preference.
- A preference at the 2 level shows 3 trumps and about 11 HCP.
- A preference at the 3 level is a forcing natural bid. This usually occurs when there is interference in the auction – without interference, a second relay would probably have been made.
- New suits are natural and game forcing unless the call qualifies as a relay. The hand is typically 5332. Don't do this with a singleton.
- 2N is a relay if opener's second bid is 2; it is a natural limit bid if opener bid touching suits in a descending (higher ranking suit bid first) Canapé; it is a game force in the suit displaced by the relay otherwise.
- Jump shifts into a new suit show a solid suit (AKQ109x)
- A jump bid back into opener's first bid suit is a natural GF (4-card support); typically this is a result of an opponent's overcall, but in the following auction (only) … 1 1N 2minor 3 shows a GF (4-card support) and a long suit (5+) and is a slam try.
- – John Kinn 2018/03/21 18:37
| Sample Forcing 1N auctions |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | ? | |
| 2 | second relay (game force) | |
| 2 | 3 card preference (about 11 HCP) | |
| 2 | natural game force | |
| 2N | game force with long |
|
| 3 | invitational | |
| 3 | solid suit (game force) | |
| 3 | 4 card support forcing | |
| 3 | solid suit | |
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | very invitational | |
| 4 | to play |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | ? | |
| 2 | second relay (game force) | |
| 2 | natural game force | |
| 2N | natural limit | |
| 3 | natural game force | |
| 3 | invitational | |
| 3 | 4 card support (game forcing) | |
| 3 | solid suit | |
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | solid suit | |
| 4 | very invitational | |
| 4 | to play | |
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After 1Diamond/1Heart/1Spade - 2N
The call of 2N is a game force in the suit opened. Responder promises Hxxxx of trumps. Opener rebids his long suit at the cheapest level. This means rebidding his original suit on the 3 level with a one-suited. A 3N bid by either (except if 1Diamond is opened) is a trump asking bid: the response shows the number of honors (step 1 = no honors; step 2 = 1 honor etc.).
Later development is cue bidding. A 3N bid by either hand is S3N when opener's first suit was a major, to play offer for the D case.
How responder shows a good suit and game forcing values
To show a strong, 1 suited hand (i.e. a Roth-Stone 5-card major type), which is not suitable for a jump shift, first make the relay response and over opener's response:
- Bid your suit with a jump if it is solid.
- Bid your suit if it needs real support at the cheapest level. If your suit coincides with the next relay, bid 2N (a replacement bid) to show the displaced suit.
- If opener bids your suit, make a second relay and then agree the suit the next round.
- If opener surprises you by jumping to the 3 level on round 2 or bids 2N, show your suit as best you can. Jumps should be natural and suit showing. If you fit with opener's jump (be thankful, first of all), continue the relays, Blackwood or something. It won't happen often so it's not worth worrying about.
Thus:
| 1 | 1N | |
| 3 | 4 | shows very good s |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2N | 4 | shows very good s |
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Diamond - Club 2 suiters
- 2 suiters with fewer than 17 HCP are opened:
| 3 | 5+ s and 5+ s with 4 to 6 losers |
| 2 | 4 and 6 with 4 losers |
| 1 | 4 and 5+ 5 or 6 losers or 5+ and 4 |
The following is a summary:
| Number of s | Number of s | Hand Strength | Opening Bid | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | any | 1 | good suits if 5422, otherwise open 1N |
| 5 | 5 | any | 3 | raise responder's preference with 4 losers |
| 5 | 4 | any | 1 | |
| 6 | 4 | min | 1 or 2 suppress suit |
|
| 4 | 5 | min | 1 | rebid 1N over 1 (2 with 3 card support) |
| rebid 1N over 1 (2 with 3 card support) |
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| rebid 2 over 1N (relay) |
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| 4 | 6 | max | 1 | jump shift into s next (only non-canapé rebid in system) |
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After Third or Fourth Chair Openings
Most responses are the same. Jump shifts are an exception. They show a 4 card fit and a source of tricks (flower bids). A jump shift is forcing to 3 of opener's suit
A second relay by a passed hand is obviously not a Game Force, but does indicate a hand greatly improved by opener's second bid (usually). The rules are:
- Cheapest new suit bid is a relay
- Cheapest NT is never a relay … is natural
The rationale is that a new suit is never needed for a natural bid, with a suit worth bidding, the passed hand would have bid it immediately. Added and agreed — John Kinn 2017/06/23 09:15
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Development after 1 Diamond/1Heart/1Spades -- Jump Shift
Now that a jump shift is sensibly a forcing to game bid to show a good 6 card suit, we can develop an intelligent follow up. This is it:
- Jump rebid - this unusual call shows minimal support (Hx, xxx) for the jump shift suit and a real suit of opener's own.
- Raise - tentatively this shows support without a second suit you wish to show (no controls in it presumably). It is conceivable that opener has good support and sure slam ambitions; he will be able to develop his hand easily via cue bidding.
- Suit rebid - nothing special
- New suit - natural in the Canapé sense. If opener later raises opener's jump shift suit, he denies holding hand (1).
- Jump to game in jump shift suit - a truly miserable opening. Lack of controls, points, structure etc.
- Jump shift to a new suit. A fit with responder and shows opener's long suit.
- Minimum notrump - non-committal if 2N, else sign-off. Notice the ramification mentioned in (4)
- Jump to 3N - Hey! You just responded in my canapé
Examples
| 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 4 | opener denies any real support for responder, else he would call 4 at turn 2 |
| 1 | 3 | |
| 4 |
| 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Opener could have Qxxx AQJxx xx Ax |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | Kxx AQxx A Qxxxxx |
|
| Kx Axxx QJxxxx A |
||
| Kx AQxxx QJx Axx |
| 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Axx KQxxxx Kxx x |
| 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Ax Kxxx AQxxx xx |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 4 | Kxx KQxxx Kx xxx |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 2N | xx AKxxx KQx Axx |
|
| xx AQxx QJxxx Kx |