Wednesday, January 11, 2017

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

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