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By Responder After Opener’s 2NT Jump Rebid

                                                                   Presented by Mike Savage        

 

       When you have a hand too big to open 1NT but not quite big enough to open 2NT and you are the opening bidder, you very often will have to open one of a minor, planning to rebid 2NT over a 1-level response by partner. There are two hands that you might not choose to rebid 2NT. The 1st is the hand

when you partner responds one of your 4-card major. Now you simply bid four of that major, showing a balanced hand (no singleton or void) with enough values for game and 4-card support.        The 2nd hand is when your partner responds one heart and you have four spades. You don’t want

to give up on a 4-4 spade fit but usually you want the bigger hand to bid no-trump first and a one or two spade bid might result in partner being declarer in a no-trump contract. Also if you bid two spades,  what kind of hand do you have? Are you balanced or not? The following is a good way to check for

eight-card major suit fits after a 2NT rebid; there are other approaches also.

 

     1.    1C or 1D  1H  2S:   Either sequence shows at least four, usually five, of the minor

1C  1D  2H or 2S:   and at least four of the major (either 4-5+ or a three-suiter).            

           

1C or 1D  1H  2NT:  Shows a big balanced hand that may contain three hearts,

                                              four spades or both.

            1C or 1D  1S  2NT:  Shows a big balanced hand that may contain four hearts,

                                              three spades or both.    

 

2.      After a 2NT rebid by opener over responders’ one-of-a- major response (All bids are forcing): Bidding three of opener’s minor shows at least four-card support & either slam interest in the minor or a shapely hand with support and doubt about playing in no-trump or a fit in the minor along with a 5-card major. Bidding the unbid minor asks opener to show 4-cards in the other major and failing that, to show 3-card support for the bid major. If you show four cards in the

other major and he now bids 3NT that means he has a five-card major and you can bid four of

           the major with 3-card support. This method finds a 4-4 major fit even when you have a 5-3 fit.           

 

Examples:                    1C  P  1H  P   

2NT  P  3D  P

3S: Shows four spades, may have three hearts.

 

1D  P  1H  P 

2NT  P  3C P

3H  P  3NT:  Shows four spades and only four hearts.

 

1C  P  1S  P

2NT  P  3D  P

3S: Shows three spades, denies four hearts.

 

1D  P  1S  P

2NT  P  3C  P

3NT:  Denies three spades or four hearts

                                                                            

After one of a minor – 1 of a major – 2NT (all bids over 2NT are forcing):

3 of opener’s minor = Shows at least a 4-card fit, is forcing and may have a five-card major.                  

3 of responder’s major = Shows all hands with 3-card support for responder’s major.

                        3 of a new suit = Cue-bid with minor suit slam interest and denies 3-card major support.

3NT = To play without slam interest, denies 3-card major support or stopper problems.

 

3 of bid major = Shows at least a six-card suit and slam interest.

                        3NT = Denies A, K or Q in the major.

                        4 of a lower suit = Shows A, K or Q in the major & is lowest cue bid.

                        4 of the major = Shows two or more of the top three honors in the major bid.

 

3 of the other minor (denying a four or more card fit for opener’s minor) followed by:

                        3D (when available) = Shows a good five or six-card minor and denies a major fit.

                                                3 of responder’s major = Shows 6-cards in the bid major, 4 in the other.

                                                3 of the other major = A 3-card diamond fit with some slam interest.

                                                4D = Roman Key-card for diamonds.

                                                4C = Natural with a long suit and has slam interest.

                        3 of responder’s major (showing a three-card fit) followed by:

4 of the other minor = Natural with a long suit and has slam interest.

                                                                                      4 of the other major = Maximum with minor fit.

                                                                                      4 of responder’s major = To play: minimum

                                                                                      4NT = Maximum, without 3-card plus minor fit.   

4 of opener’s minor = Artificial; balanced slam try in responder’s major.

                          4 of bid major = To play.

 4NT = Roman Key-card for the bid major.

                          4NT = Roman Key-card for the bid major.        

4S (over 3H, showing three) = Shows 4-4 in majors & is slam invitational. 4NT = Roman Key-card Blackwood for the bid major.

3NT followed by: 4 of opener’s minor = Shows slam interest with 6-4 in the majors.

                                                     4 of the other minor = Natural with a long suit and has slam interest.

        4 of the unbid major = Stiff with 3-card support for opener’s minor.

                       

3H (after 1 of a minor - 1S – 2NT) = Shows at least 5-5 or longer in the majors.

 

3S (after 1 of a minor – 1H – 2NT) = Shows at least 6-5 or longer in the majors.

 

4C = Gerber

 

4H or 4S (four of responder’s major) = These bids are to play with no slam interest what so ever.

 

4NT = Natural and invitational.