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Table of Contents
Development after opening 1 Plain Suit
First Response to 1 Plain suit
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 |
Development after forcing 2 over 1
1 - 2 is discussed elsewhere
Opener's first rebid
- 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 3C 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).
Responder's second bid:
- 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 respondr's suit is not forcing
- A rebid of 2N is limit
- A leap to 4 minor is a slam try (it it is a rebid of 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 one of opener's majors:
- If 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 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 opener.
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1 Spade 2 Hearts
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) |
1 Diamond - 2 Diamonds
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 one-over-one response
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 opener makes a simple rebid of his own suit.
Opener's rebids:
- A raise of 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 secondary suit (i.e. a shorter suit than the s)
- 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)
Responder's second bid after receiving a raise to the 2 level
| 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 opener does not show 3+ card support of responder's suit, then responder's jumps to the 4 level in minors follow the same rules as after forcing 2 over 1.