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?
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