Gerber - An Introduction

WARNING! The following post talks about GERBER. Gerber is a bid used by more experienced players. If you are a new player do NOT bother reading this post. When you have played a bit more and know a bit more you can learn Gerber. For now, do not bother.

Gerber

Gerber is a convention bridge players use to ask their Partner how many Aces they hold after the Partner has made a natural bid of NT either at the beginning or the ending of the auction. In these auctions, a jump bid to 4♣ says nothing about the ♣ suit -- it is asking their Partner how many Aces they hold. Bridge players call this 4♣ bid Gerber.

This could be bid after an opening bid of NT:

Opener	Responder
1NT	4♣

This is GERBER. Responder, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Opener to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

Opener	Responder
2NT	4♣

This is GERBER. Responder, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 2NT Opener to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

This could be bid after a NT response:

Opener	Responder
1♦	2NT
4♣

This is GERBER. Opener, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 2NT Responder to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

This could be bid after a NT rebid:

Opener	Responder
1♦	1♥
1NT	4♣

This is GERBER. Responder, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Rebidder to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

This can be bid after Stayman has been bid:

Opener	Responder
1NT	2♣
2♥	4♣

This is GERBER. Responder, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Opener to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand. Responder may or may not have a ♥ fit for Partner.

This can also be bid after a Jacoby Transfer:

Opener	Responder
1NT	2♥
2♠	4♣

This is GERBER. Responder, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Opener to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand. The Partnership may or may not end up in ♠. They should have a ♠ fit in any case.

This can be bid after Partner made an OVERCALL:

Opener (Dealer)	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1♣	1NT	Pass	4♣

This is GERBER. Advancer, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Overcaller to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

Opener (Dealer)	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
2♥	2NT	Pass	4♣

This is GERBER. Advancer, by bidding 4♣, is asking the 1NT Overcaller to tell them how many Aces they have in their hand.

What are the responses to Gerber?

4♦	Partner I have either zero or all four Aces
4♥	Partner I have one Ace
4♠	Partner I have two Aces
4NT	Partner I have three Aces

Do you need to memorize this chart?

Not really. After the 4♣ bid the first possible response you would make is for the worst possible case. Zero Aces. So the first possible bid after 4♣ is 4♦. The second possible bid you would make after 4♣ is the second worst response. So 4♥ would be the second worst response which is only 1 Ace. And so on. We need to group the worst response (zero Aces) with the best response (four Aces) because the Gerber bidder should be able to tell which one Partner has.

There is quite a bit more to Gerber that I will get to in the next few days. For now practice your responses to Gerber.

On the following hands you have opened the bidding 1NT. Your Partner has bid 4♣ which we now know is Gerber. What is your response on each of the hands and what are you telling Partner with your bid?

Opener	Responder
1NT	4♣
???

Hand 1

♠AQJ5
♥J642
♦AT
♣AJ3



Hand 2

♠KQ
♥Q982
♦K65
♣AJ93



Hand 3

♠K4
♥AJ2
♦AJ983
♣A54



Hand 4

♠AJ7
♥A6
♦A976
♣A843



Hand 5

♠QJT8
♥Q6
♦KQ5
♣AJ63



Hand 6

♠K6
♥A43
♦K876
♣AJT2



Hand 7

♠KQ2
♥K7
♦AJT85
♣KJ8



Hand 8

♠KT8
♥KQJ8
♦KQ4
♣KT7



Hand 9

♠A7
♥A96
♦Q853
♣AKT9



Hand 10

♠KQ92
♥KQJ7
♦QJ2
♣Q2



Hand 11

♠A86
♥954
♦AT95
♣AK9



Hand 12

♠A74
♥KQJ
♦AQ5
♣T653



Hand 13

♠KT98
♥KJ5
♦KQ98
♣A2



Hand 14

♠KQ
♥KQ52
♦K97
♣QJ75



Hand 15

♠AJT2
♥KQ5
♦J985
♣KQ



Hand 16

♠KQJ8
♥KT8
♦KT7
♣KQ4



Hand 17

♠AJ7
♥KJ
♦A976
♣A843



Hand 18

♠AJ7
♥A6
♦A843
♣A976



Hand 19

♠QJ94
♥KJ7
♦QJ2
♣AQJ



Hand 20

♠QJ2
♥Q2
♦KQ92
♣KQJ7



Hand 21

♠Q963
♥QJ9
♦A6
♣AQJ9



Hand 22

♠A843
♥A976
♦AJ7
♣K6



Hand 23

♠KQ43
♥A5
♦Q85
♣AT32



Hand 24

♠54
♥AJ3
♦AK96
♣AJT2



Hand 25

♠Q2
♥QJ2
♦KQJ7
♣KQ92



Hand 26

♠A65
♥A84
♦AT83
♣A97



Hand 27

♠KT
♥AQ52
♦A43
♣QJ85



Hand 28

♠AQ5
♥J3
♦KQ974
♣KQ9



Hand 29

♠K742
♥95
♦A62
♣AKJ4



Hand 30

♠AQJ
♥J97
♦QJ62
♣KJ5



Hand 31

♠Q72
♥J95
♦AT
♣AKJ76



Hand 32

♠Q7
♥AJ2
♦QJ53
♣AK53



Hand 33

♠A843
♥A976
♦A6
♣AJ7



Hand 34

♠KQ43
♥A5
♦A85
♣AT32



Hand 35

♠KQ54
♥A5
♦A876
♣A95



Hand 36

♠A843
♥A976
♦AJ7
♣A6



Hand 37

♠AKT8
♥K3
♦K97
♣Q642



Hand 38

♠KQJ7
♥KQ92
♦Q2
♣QJ2



Hand 39

♠QJT8
♥A742
♦A5
♣A84



Hand 40

♠QT8
♥A4
♦AQ876
♣K87



Hand 41

♠AT83
♥A97
♦A84
♣A65



Hand 42

♠KQ6
♥AK73
♦T965
♣K6



Hand 43

♠97
♥KQJ7
♦AJ32
♣KJ3