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Inverted Minors

Raising partner’s 1m opening isn’t very high on our priority list – we don’t like suggesting playing in a minor suit to begin with, and partner’s “suit” could be only 3 cards. We’re never going to raise partner’s minor when we have a 4‑card major, since we want to find out if we have a major-suit fit. We’re not going to raise partner’s minor with a balanced hand – unless it’s so strong that we have slam interest – because we prefer to play balanced hands in notrump. So minor-suit raises are rare, but they do happen, and when they do we need to have good agreements in place.

 

The trend in modern bridge is to design our bidding systems so that the better our hand, the lower we can keep the auction. This is a departure from the thinking of the original bidding architects, so a lot of the “standard” bidding from the ’50s and ’60s has been reworked. One of the most common examples of this is “Inverted” minor-suit raises. In the olden days, a raise to 2m was weak (6‑9 HCP or so) and a jump-raise to 3m was invitational. There wasn’t a bid for a forcing raise; you had to make up some forcing call and support partner later. This is unacceptable to the modern bidding theorist – the forcing raise is the most important, and it should be able to keep the bidding as low as possible. The common solution to this problem is to define 1m‑2m as forcing – invitational or better – and 1m‑3m as weak. You can see why they call it “inverted” – the meanings of 2m and 3m have basically been swapped. But by having 2m be forcing, it can include both the invitational and the GF raises. We lose the 1m‑2m raise with the 6‑9 HCP hand, which is awkward occasionally; many of these hands aren’t right for a 1m‑3m raise, so they get stuck with no good bid. As is often the case, we are willing to sacrifice partscore accuracy to improve our game and slam bidding.

 

Both the 2m and 3m raises are alertable. The standard agreements are that Inverted Minors are on by a passed hand (obviously 2m is Invitational, not Invitational+, so opener can pass it) and off in competition (meaning that if an opponent overcalls or doubles, 2m is not forcing; good raises cuebid or use Jordan).

 

 

What Hands Raise Opener’s Minor?

There are a few general rules about raising opener’s minor suit:

  • Never raise opener’s minor when you have a 4+ card major. Bid 1M instead.
  • Don’t raise a minor when you have a balanced hand (unless you have slam interest). Bid the appropriate level of notrump.
  • You usually want 5‑card support to raise opener’s minor. You can raise with 4‑card support much more freely when opener’s suit is diamonds than clubs, since a 1♦ opening will be on a 4+ card suit 95% of the time.
  • Don’t abuse the 3m raise. It’s there for weak hands that have great support. If 1NT is a reasonable alternative, give it strong consideration.

 

The 3m Raise

It’s important to have a clear definition about what this 3m raise looks like, especially since it takes up so much space – you want it to be pretty specific. It does not encompass all hands that would have raised to 2m playing “standard” minor-suit raises. In fact, most of these hands are not appropriate for a 3m raise, because this raise should be preemptive in nature.

 

The most common strong hand that a 1m opener will have (i.e., a hand that might want to bid a game opposite a weak raise from responder) is the balanced hand with 18‑19 HCP (the hand that was planning to rebid 2NT after 1m-1M). When not vulnerable, I like to define the 3m raise as a hand so weak it does not want partner to bid 3NT if she has the balanced 18‑19 hand. That means about 0‑6 HCP. When vulnerable, I like the 3m jump to show enough strength that it does want partner to bid 3NT if she has the balanced 18‑19 hand. Obviously, shape, and suit quality need to be taken into account any time we are preempting.

 

 

Examples:

Partner opens 1♦.

 

♠ 5 ♥ 752 ♦ QJ863 ♣ JT42

3♦ if not vulnerable, pass if vulnerable.

 

♠ J2 ♥ Q64 ♦ KJ853 ♣ Q65

1NT. Too strong for 3♦.

 

♠ J984 ♥ 4 ♦ A9762 ♣ 853

1♠. Don’t raise a minor with a 4-card major.

 

♠ 942 ♥ 4 ♦ J9543 ♣ 9762

Not nearly enough for a vulnerable 3♦ bid, but acceptable non-vulnerable, especially at favorable vulnerability.

 

♠ 3 ♥ A54 ♦ K8743 ♣ 8743

3♦ when vulnerable. 1NT if not vulnerable.

 

 

 

The 2m Raise

An “Inverted” 2m raise shows an invitational or better hand with no 4‑card major and good support for opener’s minor – usually 5+ cards. When our suit is a minor, our goal contract is always 3NT. That means we can’t upgrade too much for shortness, since we are hoping to play in notrump, even though we have a fit. So invitational values means 10‑12 HCP.

 

Balanced hands are usually better off bidding notrump. By raising opener’s minor responder is strongly suggesting that the final contract belongs in opener’s minor – though of course 3NT is a very common landing spot. If the hand looks like it belongs in notrump, strongly consider another bid.

 

 

Examples:

Partner opens 1♦.

 

♠ 2 ♥ K65 ♦ AQ872 ♣ Q743

2♦. A textbook minimum 2♦ bid.

 

♠ K4 ♥ AK ♦ KQ972 ♣ AJ75

2♦. There is no upper limit to an Inverted 2m raise.

.

♠ Q64 ♥ K53 ♦ QJ92 ♣ QJ8

2NT. With a balanced hand, 2NT is a better bid than 2♦.

 

♠ A7 ♥ KQ6 ♦ KJ94 ♣ AJ82

2♦. This hand is too strong for any notrump bid, since slam is quite possible.

 

♠ QJ65 ♥ 9 ♦ AQ7532 ♣ K9

1♠. Don’t raise a minor with a 4-card major.

 

♠ J3 ♥ Q96 ♦ KQ842 ♣ J54

1NT. Too weak for 2♦, too strong for 3♦.

 

♠ 8 ♥ AQ7 ♦ AJ962 ♣ KQ53

If you play 3♠ as a Splinter, that’s the best bid. Minor-suit splinters show very good hands – at least 15 HCP. If you don’t play splinters here, bid 2♦.

Continuations After 1m-2m

The most important thing your partnership must agree upon is how high the 2m forces you. My preference is that it is forcing to 3m. This means that a bid of 3m by either partner is not forcing (showing a minimum), but that you cannot stop below 3m – meaning all bids at the 2‑level are forcing. Many people play that the force is through 2NT (i.e., you can stop in both 3m and 2NT). Both agreements are playable, but I think the flexibility of being forced to 3m outweighs the advantages of being able to stop in 2NT. Responder shouldn’t really have a hand that wants to stop in 2NT anyway – those hands usually bid 2NT immediately instead of making a 2m raise. As always, having an agreement with your partner that you both know and remember is much important than having the “right” agreement. The discussion here assumes that the force is through 3m; if you have a different agreement, you will need to modify your responses a little.

 

Keep in mind that our primary goal in all minor-suit auctions is getting to 3NT. After an Inverted 2m raise we have two basic missions:

  1. Determine if we have game values. The 2m raise is Invitational+, so either opener or responder needs some extra values to get us to game.
  2. Make sure 3NT isn’t a stupid contract. This means we don’t have a short suit that is wide open, where the opponents are likely to be able to cash the first 5 tricks.

At any point, the weakest bid by either opener or responder is 3m, since that can be passed. With a bad minimum hand – even with a balanced hand and xxx in the minor – opener should bid 3m to put on the brakes. With a minimum raise, responder’s second bid is usually 3m, limiting her hand.

 

Balanced Hands

Opener has two possible ranges of balanced hands: 12‑14 and 18‑19. For now, it’s not essential to differentiate them, since all the bids at the 2‑level are forcing. 2NT shows a reasonable balanced hand with stoppers in the other suits (especially the majors). It could be any strength. 3NT by opener takes up so much space that we want it to be very specific. It needs to be a balanced 18‑19, but it should be the worst balanced 18‑19, meaning usually 18 HCP and a poor fit – usually a 3‑card suit, often a 4333 hand.

 

If opener lacks a stopper somewhere, making his hand wrong for a 2NT rebid, he can bid naturally at the 2‑level. This doesn’t have to be a 4‑card suit – you’re not looking for a major-suit fit, since responder has denied a 4‑card major. It just shows some values in that suit. You generally want to bid up the line, so bidding 2♠ usually means opener doesn’t have a heart stopper.

 

 

Examples:

Partner raises your 1♣ opening bid to 2♣.

 

♠ Q83 ♥ AJ75 ♦ Q8 ♣ AJ32

2NT. A good minimum balanced hand (you plan on bidding game, even if responder has a minimum) with stuff in all the other suits.

 

♠ Q874 ♥ QJ83 ♦ J5 ♣ AQ2

3♣. Opener’s weakest action is 3m. This doesn’t promise any extra length in his suit, just a terrible minimum with no game interest if responder is invitational.

 

♠ KJ82 ♥ KQ5 ♦ QJ2 ♣ AQ6

3NT. The worst good hand – 18 HCP but 4333 and only 3 cards in your suit.

 

♠ 74 ♥ KJ82 ♦ AQ2 ♣ K853

2♦. A decent balanced minimum, but no spade stopper, so you can’t bid 2NT. Bid suits where you have values up the line.

 

♠ KQ78 ♥ AJ3 ♦ A8 ♣ KQ84

2NT. 2NT is forcing, so it can include strong hands like this. If responder bids 3♣ showing a minimum, you will bid 3NT; this shows a better hand than a direct 3NT. If responder bids 3NT, showing more than a minimum, you can raise to 4NT to show your extra values.

 

 

Unbalanced Hands

Opener can splinter after an Inverted 2m raise if he has a hand strong enough to force to game (15+ HCP) by jumping in a new suit. After 1♦‑2♦, bids of 3♥, 3♠, and 4♣ are splinters. Remember that 3NT is still a likely spot (when responder has values opposite your shortness), so you need full HCP values (or even a little extra) to force to game. With a weaker hand, opener bids naturally at the 2‑level (just like she does with a balanced hand missing a stopper).

 

 

Examples:

Partner raises your 1♣ opening to 2♣.

 

♠ 5 ♥ KJ53 ♦ AJ6 ♣ AQJ82

3♠. A perfect splinter.

 

♠ 8 ♥ AQ5 ♦ KJ5 ♣ QJ9765

2♦. Not strong enough to splinter.

 

 

Minor-Suit Transfers

The benefits of transfers – being able to show hands of different strengths with the same bid, letting the strong hand play the contract – are not reserved for the majors. We can add transfers to the minors to our system to increase our bidding effectiveness. In fact, since we have one more step available, our minor-suit transfers can be very revealing.

 

Without transfers, there are two ways to show the minors over a 1NT opening bid: jumping to 3♣ or 3♦, or using 2♠ as an artificial bid. The most common meaning for 2♠ is that it shows a weak hand with a minor: opener is forced to relay to 3♣ and responder either passes or corrects to 3♦. If using 2♠ this way, you can use the direct 3♣ and 3♦ bids as natural and game forcing.

 

There are several downsides to this method. One is that we are using up three bids to show two suits. We’re also wrong-siding a lot of contracts. And with the game-forcing hands, responder doesn’t have a simple way to continue describing her hand, as opener must make the next bid. We can fix most of these problems with transfers.

 

 

Minor-Suit Transfers: The Basics

In the simplest terms, over 1NT 2♠ is a transfer to clubs and 2NT is a transfer to diamonds.

 

Note that these transfers are a little different from the major-suit transfers we are used to. Major-suit transfers are “one-under” transfers, meaning we’re bidding the suit directly below the suit we’re showing – we bid 2♦ to show hearts and 2♥ to show spades. Minor-suit transfers are “two-under”: there is an extra bid between the transfer bid and the suit we are showing.

 

In the original incarnation, the two bids were used to distinguish whether opener “liked” responder’s suit or not. Liking the suit was generally defined as any four-card holding or three to an honor. You would accept the transfer if you liked the suit and bid the “gap” bid if you didn’t. (Some people reversed these meanings.)

 

There were several issues with this method, most notably that the only way to invite in notrump was to go through Stayman, since the 2NT bid had been hijacked for the transfer to diamonds. This meant responder often bid Stayman without a four-card major, which caused lots of confusion and gave unnecessary information to the defenders. There is a better solution.

 

 

 

2♠ Range Ask or Clubs

Instead of going through Stayman with invitational notrump hands (the type that would raise to 2NT in the old-school methods), we can build that hand into the 2♠ bid. So 2♠ becomes either a transfer to clubs or an invite in notrump.

The 2♠ bid shows one of three types of hands:

 

  1. Invitational without a 4-card major (i.e., a standard 2NT raise)
  2. A weak hand with clubs (that wants to sign off in 3♣) (at least 6 clubs)
  3. A strong hand with clubs (that is interested in a slam) (at least 6 clubs)

 

Initially, opener assumes responder has hand type 1 and treats 2♠ as a Range Ask (i.e., asking whether opener is minimum or maximum). Opener has two options:

 

  • Bid 2NT with a minimum
  • Bid 3♣ with a maximum

 

Over either of these bids:

 

  1. With hand type 1, responder passes 2NT or bids 3NT over 3♣.
  2. With hand type 2, responder passes 3♣ or bids 3♣ over 2NT. (Opener must pass 3♣.)
  3. With hand type 3, whether opener bid 2NT or 3♣, responder bids a new suit to show shortness (singleton or void). With a balanced slam try, responder can bid 4♣. (With a mild balanced slam try over a 2NT bid, he can bid 3NT.)

 

 

Examples:

1NT  ?

 

♠ AJ3 ♥ 654 ♦ QJT54 ♣ 94

You want to invite in notrump. Bid 2♠, planning to pass if partner shows a minimum with 2NT and bid 3NT if he shows a maximum with 3♣.

 

♠ 87 ♥ 65 ♦ J54 ♣ Q87543

You want to sign off in 3♣. Bid 2♠, planning to pass 3♣ or bid 3♣ over 2NT.

 

♠ 9 ♥ AQ4 ♦ K54 ♣ AQT653

You have slam interest. Bid 2♠, then over either 2NT or 3♣ bid 3♠, to show a club suit (6+) and spade shortness.

 

1NT – 2♠; ?

 

♠ QJ5 ♥ AQ54 ♦ KJ4 ♣ Q65

You have a minimum, so bid 2NT.

 

♠ AJ65 ♥ KQ54 ♦ AK8 ♣ 43

You have a maximum, so bid 3♣. Don’t worry that your clubs are terrible, this is an artificial bid.

 

 

The 2♠ bid is alertable.

Opener’s 2NT and 3♣ responses are alertable.

Responder’s shortness-showing bid is alertable.

 

 

If 2♠ Gets Doubled

Pass without a spade stopper, answer normally with a spade stopper.

 

 

 

2NT Diamonds or Minors

A 2NT bid shows diamonds (6+), either weak (no interest in game) or GF (usually with slam interest). It can also be used with a weak hand with both minors (5-5 or longer).

If opener prefers diamonds to clubs, he bids 3♦. With equal length in both he bids 3♦. Otherwise, he bids 3♣.

 

  • With the weak hand with diamonds, responder passes 3♦ or bids 3♦ over 3♣.
  • With the weak hand with both minors, responder passes whichever minor opener bids.
  • With a strong hand, responder bids a new suit (3M or 4♣) to show shortness (singleton or void), 3NT with a mild balanced slam try (or possible club shortness and a mild slam try) and 4♦ with a strong balanced slam try.

 

Examples:

1NT  ?

 

♠ 3 ♥ J54 ♦ QJT754 ♣ 874

You want to sign off in 3♦. Bid 2NT, planning to pass if opener bids 3♦ and to correct to 3♦ if he bids 3♣.

 

♠ AJ5 ♥ 6 ♦ AJT873 ♣ KQ5

You want to invite a slam in diamonds. Bid 2NT, then over either 3♣ or 3♦ bid 3♥, showing diamonds (6+) and a singleton or void in heart.

 

♠ 3 ♥ 87 ♦ QJ654 ♣ J7532

You want to play a partscore in whichever minor partner fits best. Bid 2NT, planning to pass whichever minor partner bids.

 

The 2NT bid is alertable.

Opener’s 3♣ and 3♦ responses are alertable.

Responder’s shortness-showing bid is alertable.

 

 

If 2NT Gets Doubled

Answer normally. XX should show a defensive hand with the majors.

 

 

 

 

 

Drury

Sometimes it’s right to open a little light in 3rd or 4th seat. When partner is a passed hand and you have a minimum opening hand or less, you know there is no game (unless partner turns up with a big fit and some shape). It’s worth getting into the auction with these hands, though – you want to compete for the partscore, disrupt the opponents’ bidding, and maybe get partner off to the right lead. These are some of the same reasons we have for making an overcall, and the type of hand we’re willing to open in third seat very much resembles what we want for an overcall – it could be less than an opening bid, and the better the suit, the weaker the hand can be.

 

Of course, opener can have a real opening bid. She can have a 20‑count. So responder needs to be able to show a good hand – particularly a good hand with a fit for opener’s suit – in case there is a game (or a slam). But it’s just an awful feeling as opener when you open 1♠ in third seat on a crummy hand and partner raises you to 3♠; you were willing to compete in the auction, but you didn’t want to voluntarily end up at the 3‑level.

 

The solution to this dilemma is Drury. A passed hand’s 2♣ response to a 1M opening is an artificial bid (and therefore alertable) that shows a maximum passed hand (9‑11 HCP) and support for opener’s major (at least 3 cards). So we can have our cake and eat it too: we have the way to show the good raise, but don’t have to force to the 3‑level with that hand. Of course, we lose the ability to make a natural 2♣ bid; those hands have to bid 1NT (or 3♣, natural and invitational). As usual, we are willing to give up the less-frequent minor-suit bid in favor of the one that helps us find major-suit fits.

 

For Drury to exist, these conditions must be met:

 

  • Responder is a passed hand. (This means opener was in 3rd or 4th seat.)
  • The opening bid is 1♥ or 1♠. (Over 1♦, 2♣ is natural.)
  • The opponents do not bid or double. (Some people keep Drury on over a double; some even keep it on over a 1♠ overcall when we open 1♥. These agreements are reasonable, but not standard; be sure to discuss this with your partner.)

 

 

Examples:

The auction starts P-(P)-1♠-(P)-?

 

♠ KJ5 ♥ A632 ♦ QJ85 ♣ 72

A perfect Drury hand. Bid 2♣.

 

♠ KQ8 ♥ 54 ♦ Q754 ♣ J653

Not strong enough for Drury; raise to 2♠.

 

♠ 63 ♥ Q87 ♦ Q54 ♣ AQ952

You can’t bid 2♣, since that would be Drury. You have to bid 1NT.

 

 

Opener’s Rebid

In the original incarnation of Drury, opener rebid 2♦ to show a minimum hand and everything else was natural and showed a good hand. Very quickly the world realized this was backwards: the weak hand should rebid 2M. So nowadays everyone plays REVERSE DRURY – which means that opener’s weak rebid is 2M – even if they call it “Drury.”

 

Opener rebids 2M with a sub-minimum hand (i.e., with a hand you would not have opened in 1st or 2nd seat and that has no interest in game opposite a passed hand). With a hand that would accept a limit raise, opener just bids game. By far the two most common Drury auctions are P-1M; 2♣-2M and P-1M; 2♣-4M.

 

With a full opening bid, but no particular game interest, opener bids 2♦. This is artificial and alertable. It allows responder to a.) reevaluate with a shapely maximum and force to game (e.g., a hand that would force to game via a splinter opposite a 1st seat opener) and b.) to judge how best to compete if the opponents enter the auction.

 

With game interest, opener can make a game try; any new suit she bids (other than 2♦) is treated as a natural game try, just as if the auction had gone 1M-2M. (If you and your partner have another agreement about game tries – for example, if you play short-suit game tries – that agreement should apply here as well.) If opener jumps in a new suit – for example P-1♠; 2♣-3♥ (she could have bid 2♥ as a game try) – it is a splinter (i.e., a slam try with a singleton or void in the suit she’s bidding).

 

 

Examples:

The auction has begun P-(P)-1♥-(P); 2♣-(P)?

 

♠ J7 ♥ KQ975 ♦ A532 ♣ 62

Bid 2♥. You opened a little light and have no game interest. Aren’t you happy you’re playing Drury and partner didn’t force to the 3‑level?

 

♠ KQ8 ♥ AJ652 ♦ 7 ♣ KQ72

Bid 4♥. You want to accept the invitation, but there is no hope of a slam.

 

♠ A6 ♥ AQ843 ♦ 32 ♣ KJ73

Bid 3♣, a natural game try. You have some hope of game, especially if partner has a fitting club card.

 

♠ AQ5 ♥ AQ842 ♦ AQ94 ♣ 7

Bid 4♣, a Splinter. You are definitely forcing to game, and if partner’s values aren’t wasted in clubs, you might have a slam.

 

♠ K4 ♥ KJ642 ♦ A95 ♣ Q63

Bid 2♦. You would have opened this hand in 1st or 2nd seat, but you don’t have much game interest opposite a normal limit raise.

 

 

Variations

Some people like Drury so much they use both 2♣ and 2♦ to show raises of opener’s major. This is known as Two-Way Drury. The most common use is to differentiate 3- and 4‑card raises (most use 2♣ to show the 3‑card raise and 2♦ to show the 4‑card raise). Some choose to differentiate strength – one bid (usually 2♣) shows the best hand (i.e., 10‑11 HCP) and the other shows slightly less (8‑9 or so). I don’t think either of these is useful enough to give up my natural 2♦ bid.

 

 

DONT

It’s important to compete over your opponents’ 1NT openings. Everyone has great systems over 1NT, and unimpeded they usually get to the right spot. You know how annoying it is to have the opponents interfere with your 1NT auctions; that’s the type of opponent you want to be.

 

Because one of your opponents has shown 15‑17 HCP, it is very unlikely that your side has a game. So bidding in this situation is less concerned with finding games (as is usually our first priority) and more on finding fits and getting in the way. There is significant danger entering the opponents’ 1NT auction – opener has already narrowly defined her hand and shown a strong hand, so the opponents are well placed to collect a penalty if you are too frisky. Since you won’t usually have a very strong hand in terms of high cards, you need to make up for that with playing strength, which means shape. The best hands to bid with over the opponents’ 1NT are two-suiters, since they have extra offensive potential and increase the chances partner has a fit.

 

There are a lot of conventional systems out there for overcalling your opponents’ 1NT opening bid. DONT – which stands for Disturbing your Opponents’ No Trump – has the advantages of being simple and allowing you to show all of your two-suited hands and play in a fit at the 2‑level. Here’s how it works:

 

  • Double shows a one‑suited hand. Usually this is a good 6‑card suit. Advancer (the partner of the overcaller) bids 2♣, and overcaller bids her suit (or passes with clubs).
  • Bidding 2♣, 2♦, or 2♥ shows a two-suited hand with that suit and a higher-ranking suit. So if you bid 2♣, you have clubs and your second suit is either diamonds, hearts or spades; if you bid 2♦, your second suit is either hearts or spades. 2♥ shows specifically hearts and spades (since spades is the only suit higher ranking than hearts).
  • All suit bids of 2♠ and higher tend to be preemptive in nature (since you could have shown your suit at the 2‑level by starting with a double).

 

 

That’s about it! You can show all of your two-suiters at the 2‑level, and because you’re always bidding the lower-ranking suit you can always stop at the 2‑level (something many other notrump defenses cannot boast.) You might notice that there are two ways to show a single-suited hand with spades: directly bidding 2♠ (this can’t show a two-suiter, since there are no suits ranked higher than spades) or starting with a double to show a single-suited hand and then bidding 2♠. One of the many benefits of the spade suit! Both sequences show a single-suited hand with spades, they just show different strengths. Since the initial bid is more preemptive (it takes up room faster), we define it as the weaker of the two sequences.

 

DONT applies in both the direct seat and the balancing seat (assuming responder has passed – if he bids, DONT turns off and bidding is natural). DONT applies by a passed hand exactly the same as by an unpassed hand. DONT is most effective against a strong notrump, since a penalty double isn’t that useful; against a weak notrump a penalty double is nice to have. Many pairs use DONT only against a strong notrump (any notrump range that includes 16 HCP) and a different defense (such as Landy) against a weak notrump. Unless you’re facing lots of weak notrumps, you’re fine using DONT all the time until you become an expert.

 

 

How Strong a Hand Do You Need to Bid DONT?

The point of bidding over their 1NT is to compete for the partscore and disrupt their bidding, so these overcalls don’t need to promise a lot of strength. That being said, the possibility of a penalty is very real, so you cannot overcall willy nilly. Shape and Suit Quality are much more important factors than HCP strength.

 

As with all two-suited bids, the model DONT overcall is at least 5‑5 with good suits. When considering suit quality, you particularly want to look for good intermediates. If partner does not have a fit and you get doubled, there is a huge difference between K5432 and KT987.

 

Of course, the bridge gods do not always deal you beautiful 5‑5 hands, so you have to deviate from the model occasionally. Basic bridge rules apply here:

 

  • The more shape you have, the fewer HCP you need.
    • So with 6‑5 shape you can be friskier; with 5‑4 shape you need to be more conservative.
  • The better your suits, the more aggressive you can be.
    • When your suits are solid, there is much less danger of a penalty double, so you can compete more aggressively; with poor suits, you need to be wary.
  • Vulnerability matters!
    • 5‑4 shape can be OK non‑vulnerable – provided the suits are good enough – but should be almost unheard of when vulnerable. You need 5‑5 and good suits when vulnerable.

 

When you choose to bid with 5‑4 shape, either suit can be longer. This causes additional problems for partner (if she’s 3‑3, she is likely to guess wrong and get you to the wrong fit). Just another reason to be sparing with your 5‑4 overcalls.

 

 

Examples:

Your RHO opens 1NT.

 

♠ KJT85 ♥ 7 ♦ KJT96 ♣ Q6

A classic DONT 2♦ bid.

 

♠ KQJ875 ♥ A3 ♦ 632 ♣ J4

2♠. This just shows spades. Double‑then‑2♠ shows a much stronger hand.

 

♠ 74 ♥ Q863 ♦ J8532 ♣ Q5

Pass. The hand and the suits are much too weak. You’re asking for trouble here if you bid.

 

♠ ‑‑ ♥ QJ6542 ♦ 63 ♣ JT753

2♣. The 6‑5 shape makes this worth a bid, especially if you’re not vulnerable.

 

♠ QJ92 ♥ AQJ9x ♦ 8 ♣ 632

Non‑vulnerable I would bid 2♥, but vulnerable I would pass. I almost never bid with a 5‑4 hand when vulnerable.

 

♠ Q6 ♥ AQ6542 ♦ 43 ♣ Q64

Double, then bid 2♥, showing a single‑suited hand with hearts. (Don’t forget and accidentally overcall 2♥, since this shows both majors!)

 

♠ AQJ875 ♥ 9 ♦ 8532 ♣ A3

2♠. With such a disparity in both suit length and quality, treat this as one‑suited and just show the spades. This has the added benefit of extra preemption, making it more difficult for the opponents to find their (likely) heart fit.

 

 

Advancing Partner’s DONT Bid

 

How does advancer deal with a DONT bid that promises an unknown suit? The most important thing is this: Don’t be greedy! Your job as advancer is to find a reasonable spot at the 2‑level. Don’t try to find a better fit when you know a reasonable one exists.

 

♠ KQ63 ♥ 74 ♦ 632 ♣ Q963

 

LHO Partner RHO You
       
1NT 2♦ Pass ?

 

 

Partner’s 2♦ bid shows diamonds and a higher‑ranking suit – either hearts or spades. It’s very natural to think, “Well, if partner’s suit is spades, I definitely want to play in spades rather than diamonds: it’s a major and I have KQxx compared to xxx in diamonds.” And you’re absolutely right, if partner’s suit is spades you would rather be in spades. But what if her suit is hearts? Now you’d rather be in diamonds, but you can no longer play diamonds at the 2‑level. You have to either play 2♥ (possibly a 4‑2 fit!) or go to 3♦. Given the risks of looking for a spade fit, especially when based on your hand partner is much more likely to have hearts than spades, the better decision is to pass 2♦. It’s possible you will miss a good spade fit, but you are sure to play in a reasonable fit and to play at the 2‑level.

 

Change your hand to ♠ KQ85 ♥ 632 ♦ 875 ♣ Q43 and asking about partner’s second suit no longer carries risk. Even if her suit is hearts, you have the same support there (xxx) as you do in diamonds. (And you have no way of knowing which of her suits is longer or stronger.) So you give yourself the possibility of a super spade fit (though still unlikely) but without the danger of leaving your only reasonable fit at the 2‑level.

 

When you want to ask partner what her other suit is, you simply bid the next suit (which is the first possible other suit she could have). To do this advancer should be shorter (or equal) in the known suit than all possible other suits. So if partner bids 2♣ and you hold ♠ K74 ♥ AJ64 ♦ 7643 ♣ 52, you want to play in partner’s other suit, whatever it might be, since no matter which suit it is you prefer it to clubs.

 

After (1NT) 2♣ (P), a 2♦ bid asks the overcaller what her second bid is. With diamonds she will pass, and with a major she will bid her suit. We call this 2♦ bid a “pass‑or‑correct” bid (often written “p/c”), since it asks partner to pass if her suit is diamonds or correct to her major. (Since it does not show anything in the suit you are bidding, it is alertable.) When the DONT bid is 2♦, 2♥ is the p/c bid; overcaller will pass with hearts and bid 2♠ with spades. There is no p/c bid after a 2♥ overcall, since both suits are known; if advancer bids 2♠, it means she prefers spades. After a double showing a one‑suited hand, 2♣ is responder’s pass‑or‑correct bid: overcaller passes with clubs and bids her suit otherwise.

 

Advancer always has the option of not making the pass‑or‑correct bid. This shows a suit of her own and no interest in knowing partner’s unknown suit. For example, if partner bids 2♣, showing clubs and another suit, and you hold ♠ AKQJ863 ♥ 5 ♦ 632 ♣ 63, you would bid 2♠; you don’t care what partner has, spades are going to be trumps!

 

 

Examples:

LHO opens 1NT, partner makes a DONT bid, and RHO passes.

 

♠ Q85 ♥ AJ875 ♦ 3 ♣ 753                   Partner bids 2♣.

Pass. Yes, if partner has hearts or spades you’d rather play there, but odds are she has diamonds. You’ve found a fit, don’t get greedy. Your hearts aren’t nearly good enough to bid 2♥, showing your own suit.

♠ AQ43 ♥ 632 ♦ J963 ♣ 52                 Partner bids 2♣.

Bid 2♦, p/c. Whatever partner’s other suit is, you prefer it to clubs.

♠ AK632 ♥ 74 ♦ 6542 ♣ 64                Partner doubles.

Bid 2♣. It’s very rare not to bid 2♣ after this double; you have to have a really good suit – better than whatever you expect partner has. Whatever partner’s suit is, it’s better than your spades.

 

The Rest of the Auction

How should the opening side deal with DONT bids? What happens when responder bids after the DONT bid? It’s essential that we be able to combat this common notrump defense and know what the subsequent auction means.

 

DONT and Lebensohl

If you’re playing Lebensohl, here’s a few things to remember when the opponents interfere using DONT.

 

  • Lebensohl only applies over 2♦, 2♥, and 2♠ bids, so you can ignore the double and 2♣ bids and leave your systems (i.e., Stayman, Transfers, etc.) on. (Double of 2♣ is Stayman.)
  • When showing stoppers after a DONT 2♦ bid (where only one suit – diamonds – is known), you just focus on the known suit (diamonds). So a direct 3NT denies a diamond stopper, while 2NT‑then‑3NT shows a diamond stopper.
  • When they double showing one suit, you can use delayed Lebensohl: pass and let them show their suit – now you can treat it like a natural overcall and use your normal Lebensohl agreements. So you can treat these two auctions exactly the same:

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1NT 2♥ Pass ?

 

 

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1NT Dbl Pass 2♣

 
Pass 2♥ Pass ?

 

 

 

 

Doubles of DONT bids (other than 2♣) show values and are generally takeout. (Some would call this a Negative Double.) Opener can choose to convert it to a penalty double with good defense. A redouble (after a double showing one suit) shows values and a defensive‑oriented hand (like the double of a Michaels cuebid); all subsequent doubles by the opening side are penalty.

 

 

Advancer’s Doubles

When responder bids, advancer’s double always means “I want to compete, tell me your (other) suit.” For example

 

LHO Partner RHO You
       
1NT 2♦ 2NT ?

 

 

♠ KJ52 ♥ Q7643 ♦ Q85 ♣ 6

 

2NT is Lebensohl, forcing opener to bid 3♣.

 

You definitely want to compete to the 3‑level in partner’s major. Double expresses this.

 

 

Very Strong Hands

DONT is designed to get in the way, not to get us to game. Based on frequency, this is certainly the best strategy. However, sometimes you do get dealt a strong hand that has hopes of game, even with an opponent opening a strong 1NT. And sometimes partner makes a DONT overcall and you have such a good hand (usually with a great fit) that you want to investigate game.

 

We use the 2NT bid – both by overcaller and advancer – to show a good hand. It’s kind of like a cuebid. You’re never going to want to suggest playing 2NT after an opponent opens 1NT, just like you wouldn’t suggest playing 2♠ after RHO opens 1♠.

 

For advancer, the 2NT bid shows a good hand, usually with a fit. For example:

 

LHO Partner RHO You
       
1NT 2♥ Pass ?

 

 

♠ K6 ♥ QJ63 ♦ AQ875 ♣ 43.

There seem to be a lot of points in this deck, but you have a great hand for partner and a great fit in hearts. You could just bid 4♥, but you want to give partner a little wiggle room in case her hand is awful. A 2NT “cuebid” is best.

 

For the overcaller, 2NT shows a very strong two‑suited hand. Usually this will be a 6‑5 hand. For example:

 

♠ KQJ863 ♥ AK753 ♦ 85 ♣ ‑‑

Only 13 HCP, but you could have a slam if partner has a fit and the two aces you need. A 2♥ bid showing majors would be a huge underbid. You bid 2NT, showing a very strong 2‑suiter.

 

Over this 2NT bid, advancer generally bids 3♣ and lets partner bid her hand naturally. 2NT should force the partnership to game, so the goal is just to find a fit.

 

 

Bergen Raises

Bergen Raises are a tool that uses 3♣ and 3♦ responses to a major-suit opening to show hands with a 4-card fit. They are based on the Law of Total Tricks: with a 9-card fit we are willing to compete to the 3-level, so we might as well get there immediately. Bergen Raises have both preemptive and constructive value, as they consume significant bidding space while also narrowly defining responder’s hand. Bergen Raises are not used by many expert partnerships, but they can be a useful tool.

 

 

The Basics:

Playing Bergen Raises, when partner opens 1M and you have 4-card support you have four raises available:

 

  • 3♣: This shows a “Mixed Raise” – 4-card support and a good 7 to a bad 10 HCP.
  • 3♦: This shows a Limit Raise – the hand that would jump to 3M playing standard raises.
  • 3M: This shows a weak 4-card raise – less than a Mixed Raise. This is a preempt, so you should be very conscious of vulnerability.
  • 2NT: This is standard Jacoby 2NT.

 

All four of these bids are alertable.

 

 

Examples:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♠ ?

 

 

3♣: ♠ KT65 ♥ Q54 ♦ 5 ♣ A8743

3♦: ♠ QJ43 ♥ A654 ♦ 43 ♣ KJ8

3♠:  ♠ Q983 ♥ 6 ♦ QT872 ♣ 632

2NT: ♠ A984 ♥ K4 ♦ J543 ♣ KQ5

 

 

 

Follow-Ups:

As opener, when your partner has made a Bergen Raise you will usually be able to place the contract in either 3M or 4M. When there is a bid (or two) between the Bergen Raise and 3M, it is used as a general game try. Bids above 3M are control-bids, looking for slam.

 

Examples:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♥ 3♣*

 
?

 

 

♠ 87 ♥ KQ543 ♦ AJ5 ♣ Q53

Sign off in 3♥.

 

♠ AQJ ♥ AJ874 ♦ 4 ♣ KJ52

Bid 4♥.

 

♠ Q5 ♥ KQ983 ♦ AQ82 ♣ K6

Bid 3♦ as a probe for game. If responder has a maximum Mixed Raise, you want to be in game.

 

♠ A5 ♥ AQ873 ♦ AKQ72 ♣ 8

Control-bid 3♠.

 

 

Defending Against Bergen Raises:

Bidding the opponents’ suit is a Michaels Cuebid. Other bids are natural. Doubling the Bergen Raise is lead-directing. (Some pairs play double of the Limit Raise as lead-directing and double of the Mixed Raise as takeout of their suit. I prefer lead-directing always, but be sure to discuss with your partner. Be aware that some partnerships invert the meanings of 3♣ and 3♦.)

 

 

When Is Bergen On:

When playing Bergen Raises, it’s essential to know when they apply and when they don’t. Are they on over an overcall or a double? What about if responder is a passed hand? You can have any agreements you want, but here are my recommendations:

 

Double:           Leave Bergen on over a double. Play 2NT as Jacoby, not Jordan.

Overcall:          Turn Bergen off over an overcall. Cuebid with the Limit Raise and jump to 3M with both weak and Mixed Raises.

Passed Hand:  Turn Bergen off; use Drury instead. You can use “Two-Way” Drury, where both 2♣ and 2♦ are used, one to show 3-card support and one to show 4.

 

 

 

Danger Zone!

One of the biggest problems with playing Bergen Raises is that people forget them. They can be a very useful tool for showing specific hand types, and putting pressure on the opponents in the process, but they won’t do you any good if you make a limit raise by bidding 3♦, and your partner passes! If you are going to play Bergen Raises, make sure that you understand them, that your partner understands them, and that you’ve discussed the fact that you’re playing them and marked them on your convention card. Good luck!

 

 

Baze

After a Stayman auction where responder finds a fit, there are three things they might like to do with slam interest:

 

  1. Make a quantitative balanced slam try
  2. Splinter
  3. Ask for keycards

 

The standard method requires them to bid 3 of the other major with all GF hands with a fit (other than splinters). Baze combines all of the splinters into one bid (3 of the other major), leaving 4♣ and 4♦ for the quantitative and keycard bids.

 

After opener shows a major in response to Stayman, here are responder’s slam-going bids playing Baze: (This is technically “Reverse” Baze; the original incarnation inverted the meanings of 4♣ and 4♦.)

 

  • 3 of the other major shows a fit with shortness in one of the other three suits. Opener can bid the next step to ask, and responder shows shortness low-middle-high.
  • 4♣ shows a balanced slam try (a quantitative raise) with a fit.
  • 4♦ is RKB in opener’s suit.
  • 4NT is quantitative without a fit.

 

Examples:
Opener Responder
   
1NT 2♣

 
2♠ 3♥1

 
3♠2 4♣3

 

 

  1. Artificial, GF spade raise with unknown shortness
  2. Relay, asking for shortness
  3. Diamond shortness

 

Opener Responder
♠ AQ87
♥ A54
♦ KQ65
♣ J74		 ♠ K943
♥ KQ62
♦ 7
♣ AK82

 

 

Opener Responder  
     
1NT 2♣

 
2♥ 4♣1

 

  1. Quantitative with a fit.

 

Opener Responder
♠ AQ75
♥ QJ5
♦ AQ5
♣ T85		 ♠ K943
♥ K2
♦ KJ72
♣ AQ72

 

 

Opener Responder
   
1NT 2♣

 
2♠ 4♦1

 
4♥2 4♠3

 

 

  1. Keycard for spades
  2. 1/4 keycards
  3. Sign off

 

 

Opener Responder
♠ AQ96
♥ KJ4
♦ QJ85
♣ Q2		 ♠ KJ43
♥ AQ
♦ K62
♣ KJ72

 

 

Fourth Suit Forcing

It’s essential that responder has a way to make a forcing bid on the second round of the auction; often she has the values to force to game, but doesn’t yet know which game to bid. We have this situation covered when opener rebids 1NT (or 2NT): responder can use New Minor Forcing. When opener rebids her suit (such as 1♣‑1♠; 2♣) there are two forcing bids (the two unbid suits) available for responder. But when opener rebids a second suit (without reversing or jump-shifting) there is only one forcing bid available to responder: the fourth suit. Because creating a game-force is so important, we define this bid, which we call Fourth Suit Forcing (or 4SF for short), as artificial and game-forcing.

 

 

Let’s look at an example:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♦ 1♠

 
2♣ ?

 

 

Responder holds: ♠ AK862 ♥ 65 ♦ KQT5 ♣ J2.

 

Obviously responder wants to force to game, but she’s not yet sure which game: opener could still have three spades, in which case 4♠ is the place to be. If not, the most likely contract is 3NT, though if opener does not have a heart stopper the only making game might be 5♦. Opener’s range is wide enough there could even be a slam in diamonds. Rather than guessing where the partnership belongs, responder can use 4SF to create a game force and gather the information necessary to reach the right final contract.

 

 

When Does 4SF Apply?

There are a few important rules for you to remember about 4SF:

 

  • 4SF can only be made by responder.  Opener can never use 4SF; opener’s forcing bids are reverses and jump-shifts.
  • 4SF only exists at responder’s second call. It’s a very specific auction where 4SF applies.
  • 4SF only exists when there is only one suit that has not yet been bid naturally. This means opener has opened one of a suit, responder has made a one-over-one response, and opener has bid a second suit, either at the 1‑level or the 2‑level (without reversing or jump-shifting).
  • 4SF does not apply if the partnership is already in a game-force. The whole point of 4SF is to give responder a way to set a GF; it has no purpose if the partnership is already in a GF.
  • 4SF does not apply if the partnership has already found a fit. The above criteria cannot be met if a fit has been established (since if a fit is established the first three bids couldn’t have been in three different suits). The point of 4SF is to create a GF so that strain can be explored; this would be unnecessary if a fit had been located.
  • 4SF applies by a passed hand, but it is not GF, since a passed hand cannot have a strong enough hand to force to game. Instead, it shows a maximum hand with no good other bid – usually with five cards in responder’s major.
  • 4SF does not apply in competition. If the opponents enter the auction, 4SF is off. There will usually be another way for responder to show strength in these auctions (such as a cuebid or a redouble). The only exception is when there is a takeout double on the first round of the auction but the opponents do not take another call. For example 1♦ (X) 1♠ (P); 2♣ (P) ? Now responder needs 2♥ as 4SF.

 

 

A few examples:

1♣-1♥; 1♠-2♦                                2♦ is 4SF

 

1♥-1♠; 2♣-2♦                                2♦ is 4SF

 

1♥-2♣; 2♦-2♠                                2♠ IS NOT 4SF – we are in a GF auction (2/1)

 

1♣-1♠; 2♦-2♥                                2♥ IS NOT 4SF – it does not apply after a reverse.

 

 

What Does 4SF Show?

4SF doesn’t show anything particular. It just sets a GF and suggests that responder is not sure what the final contract should be (otherwise she would just bid it). Often responder will have a fifth card in her major, but not always. She could have a slam try in one of opener’s suits, she could have a balanced hand without a stopper in the fourth suit, she could have a slam try in her own suit. It is not a particularly descriptive bid, but it is an important one, as setting the GF allows the partnership to continue describing its hands and find the right spot.

 

 

What Does Opener Do After 4SF?

After responder’s 4SF bid, opener continues to describe her hand as best she can. As in any auction, our priority is on the majors, then on notrump, and finally on the minors. Opener’s first priority is to show 3‑card support for responder’s major. The next priority is bidding notrump with a stopper in the fourth suit; this is acceptable even without a balanced hand (almost always that would be a singleton in partner’s suit). Without support for partner or a stopper in the fourth suit, opener bids as naturally as possible. This usually means rebidding one of his suits to show extra length there. “Raising” the 4SF suit is a “punt” – i.e., “I don’t have anything useful to say.”

 

 

Example:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♦ 1♠

 
2♣

 

?

 2♥ (4SF)

 

2♠:

 

 3 spades. (Presumably 3=1=5=4 shape.)
2NT:

 

 Heart stopper, 0‑2 spades. Probably 1=3=5=4 shape. Could be 1=4=4=4 or 0=4=5=4, so responder can check for a 4-4 heart fit if she has 4 hearts
3♣:

 

 5th club. Probably 5‑5 in the minors.
3♦:

 

 6th diamond. Probably 6-4 in the minors.
3♥:

 

 Nothing better to say. No extra length, no heart stopper.

 

Here’s another example auction:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♥ 1♠

 
2♣

 

?

 2♦

 

 

♠ Jxx ♥ AQxxx ♦ x ♣ AQxx

Bid 2♠ – show partner your support.

 

♠ x ♥ KQxxx ♦ Ax ♣ QJxxx

Bid 3♣ – show your 5-5 pattern.

 

♠ Qx ♥ AQJxxx ♦ x ♣ KQxx

Bid 2♥ – show your 6-4 pattern.

 

♠ x ♥ QJxxx ♦ KJx ♣ AKxx

Bid 2NT – show your diamond stopper. Don’t worry about the singleton spade – you’re not promising a balanced hand at this point.

 

♠ Qx ♥ AKxxx ♦ xx ♣ KJxx

Bid 3♦ – raising the fourth suit means you have nothing better to say.

 

 

Other Bids in 4SF Situations

When we have an artificial GF bid available, all GF hands use that bid. This frees up other bids – particularly jump bids – to be invitational. So when you could use 4SF to set a GF, all other bids (below game) deny GF strength; therefore they are non-forcing, either weak (such as rebidding your suit or taking a preference to opener’s first suit) or invitational (such as jumps).

 

 

Example:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♥ 1♠

 
2♣ ?

 

 

2♦ would be 4SF, so all other bids are NF.

 

2♥: Simple preference: minimum hand, usually only 2 hearts.

 
2♠: Minimum hand with 6+ spades.

 
2NT: Invitational and balanced.

 
3♣: Invitational raise. (With a weak hand, you could pass 2♣.)

 
3♦: Natural and invitational.

 
3♥: Invitational heart raise. (The 3‑card limit raise.)

 
3♠: Invitational with 6+ spades.

 
3NT Minimum balanced GF with good stopper in diamonds (the fourth suit). Only 4 spades, since responder would look for a spade fit using 4SF with a 5‑card suit.

 

 

 

Putting It All Together

4SF only applies in a very specific situation, so make sure you and your partner are both confident about the rules of when 4SF is on. The most important thing is actually not remembering the 4SF bid itself, but identifying the 4SF situation when partner makes a different call – such as an invitational jump in her major. It’s essential to remember that this bid is invitational because responder could have set a GF by using 4SF. The invitational bids 4SF gives us are just as important as the GF 4SF bid itself.

 

Once 4SF has been used, the partnership is in a GF, so normal rules and priorities for GF auctions apply – first look for major-suit fits, then notrump, and only as a last resort look to play in a minor.

 

 

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