Cream of the Crop 11

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THE TWO CLUB OPENING An opening 2C bid is artificial, showing a strong two bid sort of hand or a 25-30 HCP notrump hand. MARVIN TWO HEARTS is used for 23-24 HCP notrump hands, while 21-22 HCP notrump hands are opened with 2NT. If the opening is based on a long major suit, the hand is balanced (no singleton or void). Unbalanced strong two bids based on a major use MARVIN TWO DIAMONDS (next chapter) with a spade suit or MARVIN TWO HEARTS (next after that) with a heart suit. If an opening of 2D is being used in conjunction with the AmBIGuous Diamond or other conventional 2D usage, then the 2C opening may be used for a strong two bid based on spades with either a balanced or unbalanced hand. The 2C opening promises at least four defensive tricks. Open 1S (or 4D, if playing NAMYATS) with S-KQJ98632 H-AKQ D-4 C-3. If you open 2C and partner doubles a high level preemptive bid by an opponent, perhaps thinking you have better defense, you won't know whether to pass or bid. Besides, 1S is not going to be passed out. A hand with four losers in quick tricks should not open 2C if there is another potential loser and the hand may not play in a major. With S-QJ1092 H-KQ D-AKQ3 C-A4 open 1S, even at match points. There are four quick losers, the fourth diamond may be a loser, and if partner insists on a diamond contract you could go down in game even if he has an ace. When the opening is based on a minor suit, opener should have no more than three losers unless the hand is likely to take nine tricks at notrump. Open 1C with S-A532 H- void D-KJ C-AKQ9764, a hand that has too many losers for a 2C opening and is unlikely to play in notrump. But with S-42 H-A5 D-A4 C-AKQ7653 there is a good chance that the hand will make 3NT opposite a bust, so a 2C opening is okay. Don't open 3NT with that spade weakness and no holding such as Kx in a red suit to protect. Negative Response With a bad hand, bid 2D. This may also be a "waiting bid" with good values but no acceptable positive response. A "second negative" (defined later) confirms a bad hand. The partnership may stop short of game if responder has a really bad hand and opener cannot make game in his own hand. The only way to stop is for opener to rebid a suit after hearing a second negative response: Opener Responder 2C 2D - negative or waiting 2S 3C - second negative 3S Pass Responder may pass 3S with a hopeless hand, shortness in spades, maybe one queen in a long suit (where it is unlikely to be of help to opener). If responder had rebid 3D, showing some values, instead of 3C, the 3S bid would be forcing. Even after this second negative, a new suit bid (3H, above) would be forcing. Positive Responses A positive response usually promises two or more controls (ace or two kings). Of course the 2D (waiting) response may be made with two or more controls when responder doesn't have a suit worth showing or the requirements for a notrump response. A positive response is forcing to game. -- 2NT shows exactly two kings, no aces. Prefer a suit response if holding a suit worth showing. -- 2H or 2S is natural, requiring less than a minor suit response. A four-card suit is okay if it is fairly respectable, something like KJ97, KQ84, AQ65 (two of the top four honors, including the ace or king). A five-card suit should be headed by ace, king, queen-jack, or better. A six-card suit should be at least jack high (queen high with a marginal positive response). -- 3C or 3D implies five or more cards and a fairly good suit (e.g., KJ932, AQ762, AJ1087). With strong hands the suit can be a little weaker, but not much. The positive response in diamonds is 3D, since 2D is artificial. -- 3NT shows a balanced hand with exactly three kings, no aces. Prefer a suit response if holding a suit worth showing. -- 3H or 3S shows a seven-card suit headed by the ace or king, or both, with or without the queen, and no ace or king outside. This is the only exception to the requirement of two controls for a positive response. Opener can determine the exact nature of the suit by using Roman Key Card Blackwood. -- A jump to the four level in any suit shows a solid suit headed by AKQJ, at least six long. AKQ10 is okay with seven cards. It denies an outside ace or king, and requires a balanced hand (i.e., 6-3-2-2 or 7-2-2-2 distribution). Opener takes charge. A 4NT bid by opener is a natural sign-off, since she knows responder's hand exactly. For instance, after a 4S response she would bid 4NT with S-3 H-KQJ D-AKQJ987 C-KQ in a match point game. A passed hand may make this jump with a semi-solid (KQJ10, AQJ10) six-card suit, but KQJ9 or AQJ9 is okay with seven cards (i.e., a fairly guaranteed one-loser suit). -- A 4NT response shows four kings, no aces (maybe once in your life). Rebids by Opener Opener rebids in his main suit, bidding the higher ranking suit first when holding two suits of equal length. With a notrump type hand, he rebids 2NT or 4NT, whichever is cheaper: Opener Responder 2C 2D/2H/2S 2NT - 25-27 HCP, forcing 3NT - 28-30 HCP (4-3-3-3 or 4-4-3-2) 4NT - Ten sure tricks in notrump (4-3-3-3) Showing 25-27 HCP this way (instead of jumping to 3NT) brings all the powerful three-level conventions into play. Unlike most 2NT bids, this one can have a three-point range because it is forcing. Showing 28-30 HCP this way is a little safer than the standard 4NT bid, because ten tricks are not always guaranteed with such hands. Even with ten sure tricks and 28-30 HCP, do not rebid 4NT unless you have a 4-3-3-3 hand. Then partner can count on three-card support for her weak six-card suit. If opener rebids 2NT the bidding starts all over again, with responder's original response ignored in the subsequent bidding. See chapter TWO NOTRUMP OPENING in the book "Notrump Bidding," which is applicable to this 2NT bid. If opener rebids 3NT, another benefit of this approach is mani- fested: Gerber, transfer bids, and the 4 mild slam try are all available to responder. (No Stayman at this level.) If the response is 2NT, 3C, or 3D, opener must rebid 4NT with a 25-27 HCP notrump hand. Bidding 3NT would imply merely a minimum suit-type opening, probably long in a minor. The Boland convention described in the book "Notrump Bidding" applies here. After a positive response, a new suit bid by opener is forcing, even if game has been reached: Opener Responder 2C 2S 3D 3S 4H - forcing Had the response been 2D, the 4H bid would not have been forcing (despite the absence of a second negative by responder). When opener rebids in hearts, he promises a balanced hand: Opener Responder 2C 2D 2H 2NT - 6 HCP or more 3D Opener has a 2-5-4-2 hand, since he would open 2H with an un- balanced hand. See MARVIN TWO HEARTS. Similarly: Opener Responder 2C 2D 2S 2NT 3H Opener must have a 5-4-2-2 hand; an unbalanced hand is opened with 2D when the primary suit is spades. See MARVIN TWO DIAMONDS. If a 2D opening is being used for some other purpose, however, then opener could have an unbalanced hand in this auction. Jump Rebid by Opener A non-game jump rebid by opener sets the trump suit. Opener wants responder to forget about looking for a suit fit, so that the partnership can concentrate on finding important key cards. If the original response was 2D, responder bids a key card (king of opener's suit, or any ace): Opener Responder 2C 2D 3H 3S - ace of spades 3NT - no key cards 4C - ace of clubs 4D - ace of diamonds 4H - ace or king of hearts 5H - ace and king of hearts Opener cannot pass a raise of the trump suit (showing a key card in that suit), so responder need not worry about raising with a good hand (e.g., good trumps and a short suit). With two key cards (but not AK of opener's suit), responder jumps, starting with the cheapest jump (same as Gerber jumps to show two kings). The mnemonic is "CRaSH": Color, Rank, Shape (rounded suits or pointed suits, i.e., spades-diamonds or hearts-clubs). Opener Responder 2C 2S 4D 5H - two keys, same color 5S - two keys, majors or minors 5NT - two keys, same shape With three key cards (and AK of opener's suit counts as three), bid (the) (a) suit that has no key card. Opener will figure out what you have, since he will no doubt have a key card in the suit you bid. After setting the trump suit, opener's bid in a new suit is an asking bid. See ASKING BIDS. Responder's Rebids After a 2D Response The cheaper minor suit rebid (through 3D) is a "second negative," denying as much as 6 HCP: Opener Responder 2C 2D 2H 2S - natural, five or more 2NT - 6 HCP or more, no good suit 3C - 5 HCP or less A five-card suit headed by king or ace is enough for a natural new suit bid, even if the hand lacks 6 HCP. If opener rebids 3D, the second negative is 3NT: Opener Responder 2C 2D 3D 3H/3S/4C - natural 3NT - second negative The 3NT bid is not forcing, so if responder has significant strength he must manufacture some alternative bid. When opener rebids in a suit, do not raise without adequate trump support, which in this case is Qx, Jxx, xxxx, or better. With trump support and a fair hand, raise a major immediately. Delayed support of opener's major suit tends to imply trump support that is less than "adequate." A delayed jump raise implies singleton queen, king, or ace, or three small trumps. An immediate jump raise shows four or more trumps, no ace or king, no outside void or singleton: Opener Responder 2C 2D 2S 4S Responder has S-Q872 H-654 D-98 C-J873. The immediate jump raise warns opener not to look for anything besides good trumps. Responder's jump in a new suit is a splinter bid, showing more than adequate trump support for opener's suit and a singleton in the splinter suit: Opener Responder 2C 2D 2H 3S - splinter Responder has S-5 H-Q874 D-K985 C-J432. With a weaker hand (four small hearts), or one less heart, he would just raise to 3H. Responder's Rebids After a Positive Response A jump rebid in the same suit shows a six or seven-card one-loser suit or a six-card AKQ suit that was not good enough for an original game response (which requires at least AKQ10). A jump in a new suit is a splinter bid, showing good support for opener's suit and a singleton in the splinter suit. A jump raise to game shows good trumps: Qxx, xxxx, or better, but no singleton or void; a minimum positive response; and no ace, king, or singleton in an unbid suit. A new suit bid is forcing, even if game has been reached: Opener Responder 2C 3D 4C 4H/4S - forcing A 3NT rebid is not forcing, so it is made only when the original positive response was a minimum. When the Opponents Intervene If RHO overcalls a 2C bid with a natural bid, a double by responder shows a bust hand with length in the opposing suit. It warns partner not to go on unless he has game in his own hand. A pass is forcing. If RHO doubles 2C to show clubs, responder must pass with no club stopper, even with a good hand. This is in accordance with the general policy for action when an artificial bid gets doubled. See GENERAL BIDDING PRINCPLES (top menu). South West North 2C Dbl Pass - no club stopper, may be quite strong 2D - single club stopper, at least one control 2H/2S - natural, single club stopper Rdbl - double club stopper, at least one control QJx (Qxx, Q10x, etc.) counts as a single stopper only, no matter how many cards in the suit. AJx and KJx count as double stoppers. If RHO makes an artificial bid that shows two suits, the principles of chapter DEFENSE VS TWO-SUITED CONVENTIONS in the book "Counter- measures" apply. For instance, if RHO doubles 2C artificially to show both majors: South West North 2C Dbl Pass - no ace or king Rdbl - wants to double 2H, or 2S, or either 2D - normal waiting bid, at least one control 2H/2S - Unusual Over Unusual, showing a good minor 2NT - top card (ace or king) in each major 3C/3D - natural positive response, but poor suit The 2H, 2S, 3C, and 3D bids are in accordance with the principles of DEFENSE VS TWO-SUITED CONVENTIONS: A 2H bid is a positive response in clubs and a 2S bid is a positive response in diamonds. Both responses promise a good suit. With a suit weak in high cards, the right response is 3C or 3D. A 2C opener can never make a takeout double: South West North East 2C 2S Pass Pass Dbl - business 2NT - 25-27 HCP notrump hand, forcing 3C/3D/3H - forcing North's pass does not necessarily deny a good hand. She could have, for instance: S-752 H-AQ3 D-K84 C-9832. South's double of 2S is probably exposing a psych by West. If South later bids spades, he means it to play.