RESPONDER’S
2nd BID
Learners are sometimes not sure what to bid with
weak hands after opener has bid two suits and the partnership hasn’t found a
fit. What should South bid next in this auction? a) 2 Let’s look at each of the options: |
|
a) Not 2
For South to repeat his suit
he should have at least six cards.
Why? By bidding two suits, North
has shown a hand with 5-4 (at least) shape in the red suits. That means North has only four cards
that could possibly be clubs or spades!
b) Not 2NT.
2NT would show 11-12 points in this auction.
c) Not Pass see d)
d) 2 Correct
With a weak hand (6-9), when
the total cards held (between both partners) in opener's 1st suit are more than
or the same as the total cards in opener's 2nd suit, it is correct to 'give
preference' to opener's 1st suit.
In an auction like the one above where three suits
have been bid and no fit has been found and the responder only has 6–9 points here are responder’s
options:
1 2 |
Rebid own suit. It must be at least six cards. |
1 2 |
Give preference to
opener’s 1st suit. Opener
needs to be aware that responder might only have two hearts. |
|
|
1 2 |
Pass, giving
preference to opener’s 2nd suit.
Pass only if your side has MORE in opener’s 2nd suit than 1st
suit. |
|
SUMMARY |
|
6-9 points |
You only have ONE bid unless: a)
you are making a
preference bid b)
you have a 6+ card
suit of your own |
10-12 points |
You can bid twice |
13+ points |
Keep bidding until you reach game |
1 2 |
Suppose the bidding has started like this. This sequence shows opener has 5+ cards in the 1st suit and 4+ cards in the 2nd suit and 12-15 points. |
When
you are responder with 6-9 points you want to keep the bidding as low as
possible but you want to play in trumps with the suit in which your partnership
has the most cards.
In these examples you have no eight card fit in
either of opener’s suits but you choose the suit in which you know your
partnership has most cards.
|
Pass,
preferring opener’s 2nd
suit. (Together, you have at least 7 clubs) |
|
Bid
2 |
1 2 |
If you are the opener and the bidding goes like
this, remember that the 2 |
6-9 POINTS
These
bids are more or less Sign Off bids.
Opener should only bid again with an absolute maximum hand (15+ points).
When responder has 10+ and
supports opener’s 1st or 2nd suit or bids NT, the 2nd bid shows the same point
count as if it was the first response to an opening bid of opener’s 1st or
2nd suit.
1 2 |
The 3 |
1 2 |
The 3 |
|
|
|
|
1 2 |
The 4 |
1 2 |
The 2NT bid shows 11-12
points. (Like 1 |
© No Fear Bridge 2007 www.nofearbridge.co.uk