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Table of Contents
Relay Principles
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Initiating relays
Relays are begun in the following ways:
- By bidding 1N in response to 1
/1
/1
and making the cheapest call over opener's rebid
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Relay auctions after 1/1/1
Opener's first rebid is discussed in the section titled Development after Forcing NT. After the second relay a game force is established. The only exception is that the auction can stop in an agreed minor at the four level if it was agreed at the three level. Opener bids naturally in the canapé sense. With a 5431 hand, he bids his 3 card suit; with 5422 he bids NT. With a 46 hand, he rebids his 6 card suit. With a 4630 hand, opener has a choice of rebidding his 6 card suit or bidding the fragment. With a 55 or 65 hand, opener rebids his first bid suit. Responder bids No Trump or one of opener's suits at his third call to establish the suit or suggest No Trump.
One problem that can occur is that opener's third bid can be 3, 3 or 3N not allowing responder the opportunity to set trumps below the 4 level in a major. In order for responder to show which suit is trumps (and make a slam try), he will have to implicitly agree a major by bidding 4
or 4. If one of opener's natural suits can be bid below game and the other cannot, then a bid of that suit is natural and other bids show a control and agree the second suit. If both of opener's suits can be bid below game, then the cheaper “raise” shows support in that suit and all other bids show support for the more expensive suit.
Examples
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | 2N | Game Force |
| 3 | ? | shows 6 & 4 |
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | control, agreeing |
|
| 4 | agreeing |
|
| 4 | control, no control, agreeing |
|
| 4 | natural sign off |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | 2 | artificial Game Force |
| 3 | ? | shows 4 & 6 |
| 3 | Agrees |
|
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | control agreeing |
|
| 4 | control, no control, agreeing |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | 2 | artificial Game Force |
| 3 | ? | shows 5 & 6 (with 55 open 1, bid , rebid ) |
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | agrees |
|
| 4 | agrees |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | 2N | artificial Game Force |
| 3N | ? | shows 5422 |
| 4 | agrees |
|
| 4 | agrees |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
|
| 4 | sign off in |
| 1 | 1N | |
| 2 | 2N | artificial Game Force |
| 3 | ? | shows 5+ & 5+ |
| 3 | control agreeing |
|
| 3 | agrees |
|
| 3N | to play | |
| 4 | control, no control, agrees |
If opener has shown a one suited hand, he bids his splinter over the second relay if he has one; bids his suit for the third time with 6+ cards and no singleton or bids the cheapest No Trump with a 5 card suit. The exception is:
| 1 | 1N | (=relay) |
| 2 | 2 | game force |
| 2, 3, 3 shows a singleton or void |
||
| 2N shows 4 and 5+ (2N not needed to show minimum 5 332 because 1N would be opening bid) |
— John Kinn 2018/02/26 18:49
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What calls constitute a relay
- First relay - a 1N response to a 1/1/1 opening
- Second relay - the cheapest call even if opener's first bid suit.
1/1/1 - relay - 3 same suit
Opener needs a semi-solid suit (one loser opposite a singleton) to make this jump rebid. The hand should have 5 or 6 (Roman) losers
Responder's rebids are:
- New suit by responder is a control and agreement. This situation shows why the relay hand should not have a singleton and a suit of its own; It's virtually impossible for the responder to catch up.
- 3N is to play
- Game is not encouraging
1/1/1 - relay - 2N
This call shows a maximum hand with a broken 6 card suit or a good 5 card suit. The hand can contain a singleton.
Responder's rebids are:
- 3N is to play
- 3 new suit (not 3) game force, natural
- 3 opener's suit is a non-force
- 3 is a relay which asks for a singleton; opener bids singleton if he has one (rebid of long suit shows Club singleton)