This Week in Bridge
(345) Opener’s Rebids After Partner Raises
© AiB Robert S. Todd
Level: 4 of 10 (1 of 6) robert@advinbridge.com
General
Our goal in bidding a suit is to search for a fit (or better fit, Major over a minor) to play in and then look for a level to play at. In a competitive auction, the size of our fit will make a large difference in how high we compete in the bidding. Let’s look at some auctions where we have already found a fit and see what Opener’s rebids show.
Non-Competitive Auctions
If we open with a suit, partner raises, and the opponents are nice enough to stay quiet, then Opener usually uses their rebid (if they make one) to try for game.
Example 1
When we have bid and raised a minor suit, we are generally looking to get to 3NT.
1♦ P 2♦* P
__?
Here we play that 2♦ is inverted minors, showing 10+ points, no 4-card Major, and forcing 1-round.
2♥/2♠ Stopper in this suit. Looking for NT, usually a problem in the other Major.
2NT 12-13 pts, stopper in both Majors
3NT 14+ pts, stopper in both Majors
3♦ 12-13 pts, often unbalanced
3♥/3♠ Splinter, 14+ pts, GF, Singleton or Void in suit bid
Example 2
When we bid and raise a Major suit, if we bid again, we are usually exploring for game (or more) in our Major suit.
1♠ P 2♠ P
__?
3♣/3♦/3♥ Help Suit Game Try
2NT Quantitative, non-specific game invite
3NT Choice of Games: pass or correct to 4♠
3♠ Some play this as “random” game try, or trump suit game try, but many play this as a blocking bid called 1-2-3 Stop. (Discuss this with partner!)
Example 3
1♠ P 3♠ P
__?
3NT Choice of Games
4♣/4♦/4♥ These are control-showing bids, trying for slam.
Partner Raises in Competition
Let’s look at how our rebids change if our opponents enter the auction.
Example 4 – LHO comes into the auction
1♦ 3♣ 3♦ P
__?
Here, partner may have a 4-card Major and may not have had enough values to make a negative double. That changes the meaning of Opener’s new suits.
3♥/3♠ 4-card Major, extremely strong hand, looking for game – 3NT, 4M, 5♦. 1F
4♦ Invite Game
4♥/4♠ Splinter, GF, Slam Try, Singleton or Void
Example 5 – RHO comes into the auction
1♠ P 2♠ 3♦
__?
In this auction we have less room to operate.
3♥ “General Game Try”, offensively-oriented hand
X “Card Showing”, cooperative double. Partner can choose pass, 3♠, 3NT, 4♠
3♠ Competitive, To Play
3NT Choice of Games, ♦ Stopper
If the opponents bid 3♥ in this this auction (instead of 3♦) then double is our only game try and becomes more offensively-oriented – the Maximal Double.
Conclusion
Since our primary objective in the bidding is to locate a Major suit fit, when partner raises our Major, we have usually settled that we are going to play in that strain and only the level is left to determine. If partner raises our minor, we usually do not have a Major suit fit. Once we have determined a fit, we can strive for game – often 4-Major or 3NT (with a Major suit or minor suit fit respectively). When in competition we usually have a way to compete in the bidding without inviting partner to bid more and other bids (if available) give us ways to invite partner to bid game. Make sure that you and partner discuss these auctions so that you are on the same page about what is competitive and what invites Responder to bid more.