What do you do as Opener when you have an UNBALANCED hand?
Here is your hand:
♠A8542
♥Q4
♦3
♣AKT64
You decide to open the bidding 1♠ but then Partner bids 1NT. Bidding 1NT as Responder does NOT say they have a balanced hand. It just says Responder has 6 to 10 HCP and no fit for ♠.
In any case YOU are unbalanced. You should take Partner out of their 1NT bid and bid 2♣. Partner now can choose between your ♠ suit and your ♣ suit. Either contract should be safer than 1NT.
This was an extreme example. Your hand does not even have to be as unbalanced. If you open 1 of a major and Partner responds 1NT you should take Partner out of 1NT any time you have an unbalanced hand. This could be anytime you hold a six card suit OR anytime you hold a five card suit and another four (or more) card suit. With these holdings you either have a singleton or two doubletons. This makes the hand unbalanced.
Also note that this should be a LOWER RANKING four card suit. This will be explained in another post.
Say this is your hand:
♠A8542
♥Q4
♦83
♣AKT6
You decide to open the bidding 1♠ but then Partner bids 1NT. You should take Partner out of their 1NT bid and bid 2♣. Partner now can choose between your ♠ suit and your ♣ suit. This should show at least a five card suit and at least a four card suit.
When you rebid a lower ranking suit this does NOT limit your hand much. You could have as much as 18 HCP. (With more you can make a JUMP SHIFT.)
Let's practice. On the following hands you will open the bidding and Partner will respond 1NT. What will you now bid?
Hand 1
Here is your hand:
♠AKQJ54
♥JT5
♦54
♣J6
Partner has dealt and opened the bidding 1♣. You respond 1♠. That bid is pretty easy. No point in jumping in the bidding. 1♠ is a forcing bid and Partner must bid again. I MUST remember to get this partnership to game because Partner opened the bidding and I have an opening hand.
The opponents Pass throughout the auction.
Partner responds 4♠. What is your bid?
Wait a minute. First tell me what Partner is showing for their bid.
Now what is your bid?
Show Answer
Most students Pass 4♠ right away. The partnership is in game.
But think about it. Did YOU get the partnership to game?
No. Partner did.
Partner bid game thinking you had 6 HCP and four ♠. That was all you promised for your 1♠ bid.
Yet Partner still bid game. A partnership needs about 25-26 points for game. If you only promised 6, how much does Partner need to bid game?
Yep, about 20 points.
Now Partner is allowed to count Dummy points. So they don't have 20 HCP. But they have the equivalent in HCP and shortness points.
So if Partner has 19-21 points, do the math.
You have a fit so now YOU (as Declarer) gets to count LENGTH points. Give yourself one point for each bonus trump you have. You promised four but you have six. That's two extra points in your hand. You now have 12 HCP and 2 Length points. That's 14 points.
Partner should have 19 points minimum.
Bid 6♠.
Some students like to bid Blackwood to find out about Aces. No need to do that here. You shouldn't be off two Aces. Remember, Partner leapt to game with four lousy trump. Are they really going to bid game with four lousy trump and only one Ace? They shouldn't.
Partner's hand? The one from last post:
Rebid Question
Here is your hand:
♠8762
♥AK
♦AQJ6
♣KQ8
You are Dealer and have opened the bidding 1♣. You have agreed that opening 1NT shows 15 to 17 HCP so your hand (with 18 HCP) is too strong to open 1NT.
The opponents Pass throughout the auction.
Partner responds 1♠. What is your bid?
Show Answer
Bid 4♠.
Do NOT bid 2NT.
You have a balanced hand (this is true) and you have the values for a jump to 2NT (18 or 19 HCP) BUT you have a FIT for Partner's suit. With that fit you can now count one more point for your doubleton ♥. That brings you to 20 points. Partner is showing at least 6 HCP. You have enough for a game in ♠. Bid it.
Yes your trump are terrible. But you have the rest of the suits all sewn up. Besides Partner must have some values, somewhere. Maybe they are in the trump suit?
If you decide to bid 2NT Partner can Pass and you will miss out on a game.
If Partner Passes 4♠ (which they probably will) at least you are in game.
