Another Rebid

Playing matchpoints. Neither you nor the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠8
♥Q96
♦AJT62
♣KQ64

You open the bidding 1♦. The Opponents are silent during the auction. Partner bids 1♠. What is your call?

Show Answer

2♣. This should show an unbalanced hand with five ♦ and four ♣. Minimum opening hand or more. Which is EXACTLY what you have.

Rebidding 1NT shows a BALANCED hand with less than 15 HCP. Balanced hands do NOT include singletons. Even if Partner has bid the suit.

Sometimes you are stuck and do not have a better bid -- this is not one of those times.

What is your Rebid

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQJ642
♥K4
♦K
♣Q754

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". We decided last post to respond 1♠. Now your Partner bids 1NT. What is your call?

Show Answer

I hope you said 4♠.

When Partner rebid 1NT they said they had a balanced hand with less than 15 HCP. (After all with 15 HCP and a balanced hand they would have opened the bidding 1NT.)

If Partner is balanced they have at least two ♠. They said they didn't have four ♠ -- they would have raised your 1♠ bid to 2♠. But they must have at least two ♠ or they wouldn't be balanced. So you do have a ♠ fit. You have six.

If Partner has less than 15 HCP you do not have enough for a slam. You are not strong enough. But Partner did open and you have an opening hand. You'd better bid a game.

Bidding 2♠ shows a weak hand with six ♠. You are too strong for this bid. Partner must "Pass".

Bidding 3♠ shows an invitational hand with six ♠. You are too strong for this bid. Partner can "Pass".

What to Respond?

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQJ642
♥K4
♦K
♣Q754

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

I hope you said 1♠. I don't like bidding 2♠ for many reasons.

Some people play strong jump shifts. That promises 17 or more HCP with a good six card suit. This hand is TOO WEAK for a strong jump shift.

Others play weak jump shifts. That promises a weak hand (less than 6 HCP) with a six card suit. This hand is TOO STRONG for a weak jump shift.

But the MAJORITY of players have NO AGREEMENT as to what a jump shift shows. Can you HONESTLY tell me Partner knows what your bid of 2♠ shows? Most people don't have any kind of agreement over a jump shift by Partner. So there is no use making a bid that Partner will not even understand.

Keep it simple and respond 1♠. Partner will bid again.

What Does 2 Diamonds Show in this Auction?

Let's play a game. The name of the game is "What Does 2♦ Mean in this Auction?"

I will give you an auction and in that auction someone will have bid 2♦. You have to tell me what that 2♦ bid is showing.

This post concentrates on Standard American bridge in a NON 2 Over 1 auction. Some people play different systems so get your Partner to play along also! As long as you and your Partner agree on what the 2♦ bid means you win the game!

Pretty easy, eh?

Auction 1

This is the auction:

Opener

2♦

What do you show when you open the bidding 2♦?





Auction 2

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1NT	2♦

What do you show when you respond 2♦ after your Partner opens the bidding 1NT?





Auction 3

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♦	2♦

What do you show when you raise your Partner's opening 1♦ bid to 2♦?





Auction 4

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♥	2♦

What do you show when you bid a new suit at the 2 level?





Hand 5

This is the auction:

RHO	Overcaller
1♣	2♦

Now the Opponents have opened the bidding. What does a JUMP to 2♦ show?





Auction 6

This is the auction:

RHO	Overcaller
1♥	2♦

The Opponents have opened the bidding again. What does a 2 level overcall show?





Auction 7

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
2♣	2♦

What does it mean when you respond 2♦ when Partner opens the bidding a strong 2♣?





Auction 8

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1NT	2♣
2♦

You opened 1NT and Partner bid 2♣. Just what does your 2♦ response mean?





Auction 9

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♠	1NT
2♦

What is Opener showing??





Auction 10

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♣	1♦
1♠	2♦

What is Responder showing when they rebid their suit?





Auction 11

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♠	1NT
2♣	2♦

Why is Responder coming in with ♦ in this auction?





Auction 12

This is the auction:

RHO	Overcaller
1♦	2♦

If Partner Overcalled the Opponent's suit in ♦ what would they have?





Auction 13

This is the auction:

Opener	Partner	RHO	You!
1♠	Double	Pass	2♦

Why are you bidding 2♦?





Auction 14

This is the auction:

Opener	Partner	RHO	You!
1♣	Double	Pass	2♦

Why are you bidding 2♦?





Auction 15

This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♥	1♠
2♣	2♦

Why is Responder bidding 2♦ now? Do they have ♦?





Auction 16

This is the auction:

LHO	Partner	RHO	You!
1♣	Pass	Pass	2♦

Why are you bidding 2♦ now?

How to Play this Suit?

You are playing in a contract of 4♠. The Opponents did not bid at all.

How do you play the trump suit?

Dummy:
♠A865

Declarer:
♠KJ94

You can even assume the trumps are breaking nicely. No Dangerous Opponents or any other complicated stuff. How do you play the suit?

Show Answer

You should start with the Ace of ♠ -- or a low ♠ to the Ace -- and then play a low ♠ from Dummy towards your King and Jack of ♠. If your RHO plays a low ♠, try playing the Jack of ♠. It will win if RHO has the Queen.

Here are the four hands

	Dummy ♠A865
LHO ♠732		RHO ♠QT
	Declarer ♠KJ94

If you play the suit that way when you play a low ♠ towards your Jack your RHO plays the Queen of ♠. You can now play your King of ♠ and your Jack of ♠ is a winner!

The problem with starting from your hand with the Jack of ♠ and then playing a low card from Dummy if LHO plays low is that IF your LHO covers your Jack of ♠ with their Queen of ♠ this does NOT HELP you at all. You do not have the crucial T♠ which you need in order to start with the J♠.

When playing a high card to finesse ask yourself -- if the next person to play, plays a higher card than the one I'm holding does this help me? If the answer is "Yes!" then play the high card. If the answer is "No, that does not help me at all..." then do NOT play the high card.

Rebids by Opener

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AKJ6
♥J95
♦J3
♣Q965

You are Dealer and open the bidding 1♣ -- or at least I hope you did! Your LHO says "Pass" and Partner responds 1♦. Your RHO now bids 1♥. What is your call?

Show Answer

How about 1♠?

I hope you didn't Double. This is NOT a Negative Double situation. This would be a PENALTY Double. "Double" here says you have a very strong hand with ♥ winners. But you don't.

Bidding 1♠ just shows four ♠. Partner will not think you have five of them. You did not open the bidding 1♠ so you probably don't have five of them.

Responding to 2NT

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not.

Here is your hand:
♠J743
♥Q4
♦J85
♣Q652

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 2NT. The Opponents are silent during the auction. What is your call?

Show Answer

Do you play Stayman? If you do then your bid is 3♣. Ask Partner if they have a four card major. You will uncover your eight card ♠ fit.

Both Stayman and Jacoby Transfers are on after a 1NT bid, a 2NT bid and a 2♣ bid followed by a 2NT bid.

What to bid?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not.

Here is your hand:
♠Q752
♥K432
♦5
♣AKT9

Your RHO (Right Hand Opponet) is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦. What is your call?

Show Answer

Double.

You have a perfect Double. You can support every suit but ♦ and you have an opening hand. Get Partner to choose the suit.

If you bid a suit now you show a FIVE card suit.

What to do NOW?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not.

Here is your hand:
♠K986
♥KQJ
♦5
♣QJ983

You are Dealer and open the bidding 1♣. The Opponents are silent during the auction. Partner bids 1♥. We decided last post to respond 1♠. Partner bids 2♦. What is your call?

It might help to try to figure out what Partner has for their 2♥ bid.

Show Answer

2♥. Partner knows you do NOT have four ♥. You denied having four ♥ when you bid 1♠.

What does Partner's 2♦ bid mean?

It means they don't quite know what to do. They want you to describe your hand more.

2♦ does NOT mean they have ♦. This is the ONLY bid they can make that will force YOU to bid.

Let Partner know that you have three ♥ for them. They probably have at least five ♥ on this auction.