What to Respond?

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable. You and your Partner are playing SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) so nothing fancy.

Here is your hand:
♠7
♥AK9873
♦763
♣K86

Partner opens the bidding 1♠. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass".

What is your call? What specifically does this call show?

Show Answer

2♥

This shows at least FIVE ♥ (NOT four) and at least a good ten HCP (High Card Points).

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 to bid

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠53
♥KQ76
♦AJ
♣98642

Partner opens the bidding 1♦. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) bids 1♠. What is your call?

Show Answer

That's a tough one unless you play Negative Doubles. If you do play Negative Doubles, you can bid "Double" to show ♥ and ♣.

If you don't play Negative Doubles you might have to bid 2♣ on this hand. Yeach!

Check out my Negative Double posts to learn more about this useful bid.

Responding to Partner

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠QT75
♥K853
♦J2
♣T92

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦! RHO says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

1♥

Bid your four card suits UP THE LINE. That means bid the four card suit that comes next in the bidding ladder.

Responding when the Opponents Pre-empt

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

Here is your hand:
♠AQT8
♥4
♦Q542
♣KQ94

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says 3♥. (Oh yeah, they are making it tough for you!) What is your call?

Show Answer

Do you play Negative Doubles? This is a perfect Negative Double! It tells Partner you have at least four ♠ and some values also.

That would be my first choice -- but I play Negative Doubles.

If you don't play Negative Doubles you've still got to do something. You probably have a ♦ fit. Pretty much all the time Partner will open 1♦ on a four card suit.

If you play in ♦ you get to count Dummy points. You've got a very useful singleton and you can add 3 more points to your hand. That brings your total to 16 points. More than enough to go to game in ♦.

If you bid 4♦ Partner will "Pass" (your 4♦ bid shows a much weaker hand than the one you have) and you missed a game.

If you either bid 5♦ or cuebid the Opponent's suit to show a strong hand you got to your 5♦ game which makes. Good job!

Responding to Partner

Here is your hand:

♠2
♥JT872
♦K7
♣Q6543

Playing matchpoints and no one is vulnerable. The Opponents are silent during the auction.

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♠. What is your call now?

Show Answer

How about 1NT? This shows about 6 to a bad 10 points without three ♠.

It is an ugly bid. I'll give you that. But you have NO CHOICE.

You have at least 6 HCP so you HAVE to bid. Partner might have about 20 points over there and just wanted to hear a response from you in order to bid game.

To bid a new suit at the 2 level requires at least 10 HCP. You don't have that many.

So your choices are 1NT or 2♠. You can't support Partner so that leaves 1NT as the only bid.

What to bid as Responder

Here is your hand:

♠QJ98
♥A5
♦763
♣J954

Playing matchpoints and your side is vulnerable.

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♥. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) responds 1♠. What is your call?

Show Answer

How about 1NT?

This shows 6 to a bad 10 HCP, a stopper in ♠ and a balanced hand. All of which you have.


Normally a 1NT response would NOT show a balanced hand but when RHO bids now you have choices on whether or not to bid or Pass. You choose to bid so you should be balanced.
If you choose to "Pass" you let the Opponents walk all over you. Be more aggressive next time.

Responder Promises a FIVE Card Suit

Normally when Responder bids a new suit they only promise a FOUR card suit. Example:
This is the auction:

Opener	Responder
1♥	1♠

Responder is showing at least four ♠ and at least 6 HCP (High Card Points).

(Remember their PARTNER opened the bidding. OPENER needs FIVE ♥ and 13 HCP to open the bidding but Responder only needs 6 HCP and a FOUR card suit to respond.)

How about another auction?

Opener	Responder
1♣	1♥

Responder is showing at least four ♥ and at least 6 HCP (High Card Points). Responder could have more than four ♥ but they do not promise more than four ♥.

What happens if Responder responds at the 2 level? Does that change things?

No.

Take this auction:

Opener	Responder
1♥	2♣

Since Responder bid a new suit at the 2 level they show at least 10 HCP BUT they are still only showing four ♣. They could have more. (They might even have less if they are stuck!)

HOWEVER there is ONE auction where Opener opens a suit at the 1 level and Responder bids a new suit without jumping and they promise FIVE in the suit.

Do you know the auction?

Opener	Responder
1♠	2♥

This is the ONE auction where Responder promises a FIVE card suit. When Opener opens 1♠ (they MUST open 1♠) and Responder bids 2♥ (again they MUST respond 2♥) this shows that Responder not only has the 10 HCP required to bid at the 2 level but also has a FIVE card ♥ suit.

WHY? Why would the inventors of this bidding system do that to us? Why make us memorize one more thing?

The reason is simple.

It is INCREDIBLY easy to find a FOUR FOUR ♥ fit once Opener opens the bidding 1♠. However if you allow that Responder could have only a four card ♥ when the bid 2♥ then it would be impossible to find a FIVE THREE ♥ fit when Opener opens 1♠.

Don't believe me? I don't blame you. Let's see this in action.

Here is your hand:
♠Q3
♥AK93
♦KJ72
♣874

Partner opens the bidding 1♠. Here you might want to bid 2♥. This violates the four card suits up the line rule but you do it at the 1 level so why not the 2 level right? So you bid 2♥.

Opener has:
♠AK762
♥J852
♦Q3
♣A2
Opener raises your ♥ suit to 3♥ since they have a fit with minimum values.

You bid 4♥ triumphantly! "See, we NEEDED to bid 2♥ in order to find our fit!" you cry.

Hmmmmm. Really?

Let's take your hand. Partner opens 1♠ and you have this hand:
♠Q3
♥AK93
♦KJ72
♣874

Let's say that instead of responding 2♥ you respond 2♦. (Four card suits up the line.) Do you lose that ♥ fit?

NO!

Over 2♦ guess what Opener is going to bid?

Opener has:
♠AK762
♥J852
♦Q3
♣A2

2♥. Now you have found your ♥ fit. You can bid 4♥ and you will have made it to your game in ♥.

Well, what does it really matter?

Here's where it matters.

When Responder has this hand:
♠Q3
♥AK963
♦KJ7
♣874

and Opener has:
♠AK762
♥J85
♦Q63
♣A2

and Opener opens the bidding 1♠.

If Responder promises FIVE ♥ when they respond 2♥ then the partnership will have found their five three ♥ fit and be safe and happy in 4♥. Responder will bid 2♥. Opener will know they have a FIVE card suit and can raise with three. Opener will bid 3♥ and Responder will bid 4♥ to get the partnership to game.

But what happens if Responder only promises a FOUR card suit. Now over 2♥ Opener cannot show a fit. They will probably bid 2NT to show a minimum, balanced hand.

What does Responder do now?

If Responder bids the ♥ again they show a SIX card suit. (On most auctions when Responder rebids their suit they show six cards in that suit.) But Responder does not have a six card suit.

Responder would probably just bid 3NT and hope for the best.

With an eight card fit, playing in four of a major tends to be better for playing in 3NT. Especially when you are a newer player.

Imagine what will happen if the Opponents lead a ♣? Would you rather bid in 3NT or 4♥?