Conventions that you could play if you play 5 card majors and a strong NT.

 

For more advanced partnerships

 

  1. Bergen raises

 

These are raises with 4+ card support for partner’s Major (M) suit that she opened.

Since you would raise 1M to 2M with 6-9 and 3 card support… 1M - 3M shows what?  It is often played as 4 card support and 10-12 points. 

 

The law of total tricks (broadly) says that you should bid to the level of fit…i.e. if you have a 9 card fit bid to the 3 level etc… irrespective of points.  

So, playing Bergen raises, 1M-3M shows 0-5 points and 4 card support (following the law of total tricks).

The 3♣ response shows 6-9 points with 4 card support and

3♦ shows 10-12 with 4 card support.  (actually it is best to reverse the 3♣ and 3♦ meanings to give more room to investigate slam and reduce interference but most people don’t yet play it that way).

That is it in its basic form.   I suggest that you ignore opponents’ takeout doubles and play ‘fit-jumps’ (see more advanced conventions) if they overcall.

You can extend the above to include two more bids.  1♠ - 3♥ and 1♥ - 2♠.   I like to play these as showing a singleton somewhere, game forcing so 9-12 points and 4 card support.   If partner is interested in your singleton (to investigate slam) then she can ask by bidding the next suit (3♠ and 3♣ respectively), otherwise just bids game so as not to give information away.  NB with a stronger hand, bid more slowly…

 

  1. Support doubles and redoubles

 

A support double or redouble shows precisely 3 card support for you partner’s (responded suit).

 

Consider the following auctions (opponents bids are shown in parentheses).

(i)

1♣             (P)       1♥        (1♠)

??

 

(ii)

1♣             (P)       1♠        (2♥)

??

 

 

 

 

 

Let us say that you have these 3 common hand types

(a)                          (b)                    (c)

♠ 987                     K87                 K876

♥ Q72                    72                    72

♦ AJ7                     AJ7                  A7

♣ KQ103              KQ103                        KQ103

 

On the first auction if you do not play support doubles you are forced to guess to pass (best) or bid 2♥ with hand (a) and will bid 1NT with hands (b) and (c).  

 

On the second auction you should pass with hand (a) no matter what you play (you could play in a 4-3 fit on a combined 18 points… you may get away with it but…) you can double to show 3♠ and a suitable competitive hand on (b) and bid 2♠ on (c) to show 4 card support.   This makes it much easier for partner to follow the law of total tricks.  Nearly always when you partner does not double in such sequences she is denying 3 card support which will help you plan the defence or get to the right contract.

 

(iii)

1♣             (P)       1♥        (Dbl)

??

In this example, you can show a 3 card raise by using (a support) Redouble and bid 2♥ with 4 card support and a minimum hand.

 

  1. Jacoby 2NT (J2N) in response to 1 Major openings

This is another convention where the rarely used 2NT invitational (11-12 Std American - STD/ 10-12 Std French - SEF) response to 1♥ or 1♠ opening is given a new meaning.  It should be a balanced game forcing raise 12-16 points and 3-5 card support.

 

The simple responses are:

 

3♣/♦/ other major shows a singleton in the bid suit (may be a void spade if 1♥ opened)

4♣/♦ shows a void in the bid suit (also 4♥ after a 1♠ opening – but not 4♠ after a 1♥ opening)

So 3M (of the suit opened) should show a strong hand in terms of playing strength 4 or 5 losers (after which suit bids are cue bids (see below)).

3NT should be 5332 and 12-14/15 points

4M shows a 6 card suit and 12-14/15 points

4NT should be 5332 and 18/19 (STD) or 19(SEF)

 

 

 

 

 

For example

(a)                                                 

♠ AJ987                 KQ87             

♥ A72                    K2                  

♦ 7                         J74                  

♣ KQ103              AJ103 

 

1♠              2NTJ2N

3♦S             4NTRKCB

5♥2-Q          6♠

 

So what do you do if you have 2344 and 11 or 12 points when your partner opens 1♠ or 3244 and 11 or 12 points when your partner opens 1♥?  

 - If you are playing standard American or SEF, you must use the 2♣ as the forcing response then (usually) bid 2NT over partner’s 2♥ rebid. 

 - If partner supports your ♣ you will have to decide whether to pass or, usually, try 3NT.  

 - If partner bids ♦ you should support these.

 - If you play 2/1 Forcing to game then you must start with a forcing 1NT and rebid as above over partner’s response.

 

  1. Cue bids

When investigating slam, often simple ace asking won’t get the job done as you may need to know the specific Ace and King holdings or shortages in each suit.

The most common question is when should I use a cue bid?   The 3 main answers are (a) when I want to make a mild slam try below game level (b) when the answer to Blackwood or Gerber might be ambiguous or get us too high (c) when I am looking for Kings in side suits.

 

Consider the following examples:

(a)                          (b)                    (c)

♠ KQ97                 AJ82                AJ82

♥ 32                       A75                 Q75

♦ 4                         Q752               A752

♣ AKQJ106          752                  752

 

Your partner holds hand (a) and you have either hand (b) or (c) clearly 6♠ is excellent with (b) and hopeless with (c).

 

A normal auction might be:

1♣             (1♥)     Xneg        (2♥)

3♠/4♠         (P)       ??

 

If your partner bids 3♠ you should bid 3♥ on (b) to show your ♥ control and denying the ♦ Ace.   On (c ) you should bid 4♦ showing your ♦ control but not denying a ♥ control at this stage (after all partner’s red suits may be the other way around in which case slam is good with (c) but hopeless with (b)).   If partner bids a slightly aggressive 4♠ with (a) then you should bid 5♥ with (b) and 5♦ with (c) as if you choose 4NT the answer will not help you to decide the final level.   Yes partner could have ♥432 and a void ♦ but this is a small possibility.

 

  1. Splinter bids

These are bids that show a shortage in the bid suit and a fit for partner’s last bid suit.  It should also convey a desire to play in game or slam opposite a suitable hand.

Consider the following now familiar examples:

(a)                          (b)                    (c)

♠ KQ97                 AJ82                AJ82

♥ 32                       A75                 Q75

♦ 4                         Q752               A752

♣ AKQJ106          752                  752

 

You open 1♣ on (a) and LHO overcalls 1♥, partner doubles and RHO raises to 2♥ what should you bid?  You have 4 losers so need only say ♠Jxxx, ♥Kxx, ♦xxx, ♣xxx from your favourite partner to make 4♠ so 3♠ is an underbid.  If you bid 4♠ your partner may bid on with hands (b) and (c) but it puts them under pressure.   The ‘expert’ bid is 4♦.  This is a splinter, showing a singleton or void ♦ and is obviously game forcing with assumed agreement for ♠ (your partner has not promised 4♠ remember).   Facing such a bid with hand (b) slam looks a good prospect (bid 4NT now) but with (c) it looks like there will be ♥ losers so bid 4♠.

 

  1. Roman Keycard Blackwood (RKCB)

 

After you have directly or indirectly agreed the trump suit with your partner, you can bid 4NT to ask for the number of aces and King of trumps held.   The responses are:

5♣ = 1 or 4, 5♦ = 0 or 3, 5♥ = 2 without the trump Q, 5♠ = 2 with the trump Q.   If you are interested in the trump queen for the small or grand slam and get a 5♣ or ♦ response, you can bid the next non-trump suit available and the responses are step based.

1 step denies the Q, the 2nd step shows the Q, the 3rd step shows the Q and 1 outside K etc..

 

There are two benefits to this method over simple Blackwood or Gerber.  The first is that you can usually find out with one bid whether you  have the required number of key cards (4 aces and the King of the agreed trump suit).  The second benefit is that you can locate or show the Q of trumps, often vital when you are to play in a 4-4 or 5-3 fit.   Consider how you might bid the next two pairs of hands with/without RKCB.

 

(a)                          (b)                   

♠ KQ97                 AJ82               

♥ 32                       A75                

♦ 4                         Q752  

♣ AKQJ106          752

 

After the sequence discussed above

1♣  (1♥)    X         (2♥)

4♦  (P)      4NT     (P)

5♠  (P)      6♠        All pass

 

Here the 5♠ shows two key cards and the Q♠.   Without the Q♠ the slam is against the odds (less than 50%).  So if you get a 5♥ response you sign off in 5♠.

 

Or this pair..

(a)                          (b)                   

♠ K974                  AQ82             

♥ 32                       AK5               

♦ A106                  K752  

♣ AK106               Q52

 

1♣             1♦

1♠              2♥4th suit

3♦              3♠

4♣cue        4NTrkcb

5♦0 or 3        6♠ (it can’t be 0!)

 

To keep things simple with a new partner, I like to play that if we have bid and supported a suit (or implied support as above) then 4NT is always RKCB.   If we have not bid and supported a suit then 4NT is just quantitative asking you to pass with a min for the auction so far and to bid slam with a maximum or a hand suitable in some other way ( a running 5 card suit for instance).

 

  1. Lebensohl

 

There are many situations where you can play Lebensohl, but I will deal with just three of them here.  Indeed cases 2 & 3 are almost identical so then can be lumped together.   What is the bidding problem that you may face that warrants another convention?   Consider these 4 hands.

 

(a)                          (b)                    (c)                    (d)

♠ 98                       K87                 8764                J2

♥ Q872                  Q872               72                    A43

♦ A87                    A7                   87                    Q107

♣ KQ103              K1093             QJ1053            QJ1053

 

With hands (a) and (b) your partner opens a strong NT and annoyingly, your Right hand opponent overcalls a natural 2♠.  What do you bid now?   If you had a 5th ♥ then clearly you could bid 3♥ and feel confident if partner raised to game but what if partner has just Jxx♥?   You give up playing a natural invitational raise to 2NT to allow more sequences.   So:

Double is for penalties

A new suit at the 2 level, if available, is non-forcing i.e. 0-7 points and usually 5+ cards

A new suit at the 3 level is natural and forcing to game (9+ and 5+ card suit)

2NT shows (mainly) three main hand types a weak competitive hand that you can’t show at the two level, partner is asked to bid 3♣ and you either pass or bid your suit OR a game forcing hand without a spade stop but with 4♥ (cue bid 3♠ after the 3♣ response) OR  a game forcing hand without a spade stop and denies 4♥ (bid 3NT after the 3♣ response).

A direct cue bid (3♠ here) shows a 3 suited hand with shortage in the suit bid.

3NT shows a game forcing hand with a spade stop and denies 4♥.  

NB some people play these bids the other way around so agree the version first!