Showing posts with label Forcing Major Suit Raises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forcing Major Suit Raises. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Major Suit Raises - Simple, 3 and 4 Card Limit, Pre-emptive and Forcing

This post combines several posts together. To look at the different responses individually, read the following posts:
Responses to 1 Spade (no distribution)
1 of a Major - 4 of a Major
Forcing Major Suit Raises
Three Card Major Suit Limit Raises

Let's practice all the responses we now have when Partner opens 1 of a major and we have a fit.

On all the following hands Partner opens the bidding 1♥. What will you bid and what are you telling Partner? If you don't bid some number of ♥ explain why not.

Hand 1

♠K8532
♥J9652
♦J8
♣5



Hand 2

♠QJ75
♥962
♦AKQ5
♣63



Hand 3

♠J8
♥T95
♦6542
♣AQ98



Hand 4

♠KJ84
♥Q95
♦KQT3
♣98



Hand 5

♠Q862
♥AQ94
♦K82
♣32



Hand 6

♠9853
♥J542
♦KQ5
♣A3



Hand 7

♠J52
♥T52
♦J9
♣KQ873



Hand 8

♠52
♥A9653
♦Q8742
♣T



Hand 9

♠53
♥Q53
♦KQ6
♣T9754



Hand 10

♠T75
♥KT652
♦K972
♣8



Hand 11

♠KJ874
♥Q95
♦KQT3
♣J



Hand 12

♠T8752
♥KQ72
♦3
♣K43



Hand 13

♠654
♥JT876
♦K942
♣J



Hand 14

♠A97
♥T64
♦8642
♣Q94



Hand 15

♠J95
♥J76
♦Q97
♣KT94



Hand 16

♠KJ632
♥J6543
♦97
♣3



Hand 17

♠A2
♥AQ64
♦JT964
♣83



Hand 18

♠AKT85
♥J74
♦95
♣K62



Hand 19

♠KT3
♥KJ53
♦9
♣JT986



Hand 20

♠J653
♥T853
♦8
♣AJ85



Hand 21

♠KJ875
♥T8762
♦82
♣7



Hand 22

♠KJT4
♥AJ82
♦2
♣AQ64



Hand 23

♠AK64
♥JT32
♦T6
♣QJ4



Hand 24

♠732
♥AJ982
♦9862
♣T



Hand 25

♠86
♥653
♦AJ974
♣Q72



Hand 26

♠Q3
♥T6532
♦QJ98
♣Q7



Hand 27

♠Q7
♥AT43
♦K72
♣Q982



Hand 28

♠AQ83
♥985
♦KQT2
♣98



Hand 29

♠A9532
♥J64
♦872
♣32



Hand 30

♠AQ83
♥AJ94
♦KQT2
♣A



Hand 31

♠A76
♥8763
♦AJT
♣Q96



Hand 32

♠Q65
♥K432
♦6
♣KT743



Hand 33

♠QJ75
♥962
♦AK85
♣63



Hand 34

♠J987
♥JT862
♦KT3
♣6



Hand 35

♠542
♥9654
♦AJ982
♣T



Hand 36

♠J963
♥742
♦6
♣KJ982



Hand 37

♠QJ98
♥T9653
♦T43
♣7



Hand 38

♠873
♥KJ53
♦AK4
♣T98



Hand 39

♠AKT85
♥965
♦J5
♣AQ6



Hand 40

♠T98
♥KJT52
♦T963
♣4



Hand 41

♠Q86
♥J653
♦T5
♣K972



Hand 42

♠J2
♥QJ62
♦2
♣A98763



Hand 43

♠J9876
♥K732
♦98
♣J7



Hand 44

♠KJT4
♥AJ2
♦Q2
♣9864



Hand 45

♠9873
♥K754
♦A4
♣K43



Hand 46

♠K32
♥T875
♦AQ93
♣Q5



Thursday, September 29, 2016

Forcing Major Suit Raises

Partner opens the bidding 1♥ and you have this hand. What will you bid?

♠AJ87
♥QJ86
♦KQ2
♣A9

Hmm this is a tough one. You have a fit for Partner's major and you would like to tell Partner you have a fit. Let's review our responses.

Over a 1 of a Major opening bid, bidding: Shows
2 of the Major 6 to 10 points and at least three trump
3 of the Major 11 or 12 points and four trump
4 of the Major 6 to 10 points, a singleton or void and at least five trump


For more details on those responses check out the following posts:
Rebidding when you have a fit for Partner's Major and can count Distribution points
1 of a Major - 4 of a Major

So back to the hand in question:

♠AJ87
♥QJ86
♦KQ2
♣A9

Partner opens 1♥. What can you say? First count your points. You have 17 HCP and 1 more point for your doubleton. That's 18 points. You have a fit for Partner's major. But what do you bid? How can you tell Partner you have a major suit fit?

You can't say 2♥. You have too many points. You can't say 3♥. You have too many points. You can't say 4♥. You have too many points. Some people have a forcing raise in their Partner's major. You don't. What can you possibly say?

Here you are stuck. You CAN'T tell Partner you have a fit right away. This is okay. Eventually you will bid to at least 4♥. You just can't say that right away. Make another bid. This bid needs to be FORCING. You MUST make Partner bid again.

So on this hand you bid 1♠. This is a new suit by Responder and is 100% FORCING. You could have 6 points, you could have 13 points, you could have 20 points. Partner MUST bid again.

Say after your 1♠ bid Partner rebids 1NT. This should show a minimum balanced hand and no fit for your ♠.

(For more details on showing a balanced hand check out this post:
How to Show Balanced Hands)

Now you know you probably don't have enough for a small slam (Partner might only have 13 HCP) and you also know you have a ♥ fit. Now you can rebid 4♥. This should end the auction.

See, I told you you would eventually get to game in ♥. You just can't bid game right away. That shows a different hand.

Now let's say over your 1♠ bid Partner rebids 3♥. Hmmm. Partner is showing 16-18 HCP and a six card ♥ suit.

(For more details on rebidding your Major check out this post:
Rebidding your original suit - Hearts)

You have 18 points. That is enough for a small slam. Now you will bid 6♥. Yes, just like that. You have enough for a small slam, you don't have enough for a grand slam, just bid 6♥.

Now let's say over your 1♠ bid Partner rebids 3♦. Hmmm. Partner is making a JUMP SHIFT showing about 20 points.

(For more details on Jump Shifts check out these posts:
Jump Shifts
More Jump Shifts )
You have 18 points. That is enough for a grand slam. Now you will bid 7♥. Yes, just like that. You have enough for a grand slam, just bid it!


How about another hand:

Partner opens the bidding 1♥. What will you bid?

♠AJ8
♥QJ86
♦KQT2
♣92

Here you have a fit for Partner but again can't tell Partner about it. You need to make a forcing bid. What about 3NT?

NO! 3NT is NOT a forcing bid. 3NT should show 13-15 HCP (which you have) but should DENY having a fit for Partner's major. Partner can PASS 3NT. On this hand you need to bid 2♦. This is a new suit by Responder and is 100% forcing.

Let's practice some forcing major suit raises.

On all the following hands Partner will open the bidding 1♥. How many points do you have? What will you bid?

Hand 1
♠KJT4
♥AJ82
♦2
♣AQ64



What will you now bid if Partner responds:


________________________________________________________

Hand 2
♠QJ75
♥962
♦AKQ5
♣63



What will you now bid if Partner responds:


________________________________________________________

Hand 3
♠AKT75
♥965
♦J5
♣AQ6



What will you now bid if Partner responds:


________________________________________________________

Hand 4
♠KJ873
♥Q95
♦KQT3
♣J



What will you now bid if Partner responds:


________________________________________________________

Hand 5
♠AQ83
♥AJ95
♦KQT3
♣A



What will you now bid if Partner responds: