Managing the Auction as Responder

This subject was prompted by several deals from last week's session where careful selection of initial response would make subsequent decisions much easier. There was rather a lot covered but this was the first session.

Four boards were talked about, identifying three more specific topics,

• Jump shifts, when not to (board 16) and when you might (board 13)
• A misfit looms – board 10
• No suit to bid – board 2

Alternatively, can go straight to the pithy 'takeaways' at the end.

Background

Non-competitive auctions often develop like this;

And it falls to responder to determine the final contract. Opener's rebid has usually limited his hand in some way.

Unless game values are already established, any bid in no-trumps or a previously-bid suit is non-forcing and says
"this is as far as I can go opposite your minimum"

Limit raises and no-trumps are well defined, say within one or two HCP. Making a limit bid has a high priority as it establishes strength and either a trump suit (when a raise) or describes the hand-type (when no-trumps).

Limit bids are not commands to pass, rather think of them as invitations to bid on with extra values.

Opener's other rebids – not raises or no-trumps – also narrow the options, for example,

Opener's simple rebid denies the ability to jump to 3 (6+ diamonds, 16+ HCP) and to bid 2 but opener might still have hearts (2 is a 'big' bid, equal in strength to 3 because it forces to the same 9-trick level if responder prefers diamonds which is highly probable). So 2 is 11-15 and 5+ diamonds. Less clear is when opener rebid in a third suit – but that deserves a whole page of its own.

When responder has no clear course to a final contract he does well to plan ahead – which is what the pre-session topic was all about.

Board 16

These were the East cards, EW only vulnerable,

• A103
• A96
• A54
• AK32

This is a great hand once partner has opened the bidding – actually, it would be pretty good even if partner had passed. Should you tell partner you have a lot of points in some way? The choice seems to be between,

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4

Let's strike out (c) immediately; partner almost certainly won't know what it means and will never expect a strong balanced hand. Because we haven't passed, both (a) and (b) are forcing so three clubs doesn't have an advantage there.

Why would we ever bid 3 when we could bid 2 and be assured of another call?

Three clubs is a jump-shift. It does have a meaning and a purpose but it doesn't match our balanced hand either, it shows both of,

• Six or more clubs
• 16 or more HCP

The second requirement clearly means you have enough combined strength for game so a jump-rebid is game forcing. It solves the problem of how to say "I have slam ambitions and a great suit of my own" without running out of forcing bids. Let's see an example:

• A3
• 96
• KJ6
• AKJ1076

Now you seem to have run out of options and anything is a stab in the dark. 3 isn't forcing, how about 3NT? That is pragmatic but you could easily be too low. 4NT? Partner will tell you how many aces she has and you'll be none the wiser about the correct strain or level.

You can avoid problems like this with a jump rebid.

Opener normally rebids as she would over a non-jump but a level higher. Crucially though, she knows she will get another opportunity (because a jump-shift is game-forcing) and that means she can make a descriptive bid (like 3 with extra hearts) without it ending the auction. This allows opener to judge the auction too.

Back to the hand we started with:

• A103
• A96
• A54
• AK32

Now we don't really have a problem. Partner has at least five hearts (and very likely six or more – see right) so an eight-card major fit has come to light. Although this hand is balanced, the loser count is impressive when we give due credit for the four aces: 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 – 4 x ½ = 5. That implies a level of 18 – 7 – 5 = 6, a small slam is in order.

We can bid 6 and see if partner makes it.

West's hand was:

• K
• KQJ1085
• K96
• 954

She had twelve winners and was on the lookout for an overtrick – which is why this deal also made it into the play section of the pre-session talk.

Board 13

These were the South cards, both vulnerable,

• AJ10
• K5
• AJ986532
• ---

This hand has 'only' 13 HCPs but has eight – count them – diamonds, should you jump to 2 to show the exceptional nature of your hand? Just two choices (I won't include a makeweight 3 – see 'double jumps' above),

1. 1
2. 2

2. I think so – though 1 isn't an out-and-out error. In addition to the 'exceptional' comment above, there are two good reasons for this.

• Compared to the auction 1 – 3; which used up masses of bidding space, we are still relatively low after 1 – 2;
• If partner is blessed with diamond honours, even without length, he will realise their value. No other approach will deliver that message.

One auction I saw continued,

South can now pass with a clear conscience: he has jumped and rebid in diamonds, North clearly has no help. South needs those missing honours to plug the holes in his suit for a high-level (5/6 diamonds) and North surely doesn't have them.

Board 10

These were the North cards, both vulnerable,

• 8
• QJ1052
• KQ432
• 93

Is this a situation where we can cheat on a point (see minimums above) to get a message across? If we bid one of our suits, which one? Three options then,

1. 1NT
2. 2
3. 2

If we bid a suit partner will bid again and we will have to pass; we simply don't have the values to bid a second time. An auction like,

Is spiralling out of control: a new suit at the 3-level is forcing so it hasn't stopped yet. Perhaps partner with a hand that seemed like an opening bid at the time, will try 3NT…

• KQ652
• A3
• 107
• Q875

The opponents will be trying to keep straight faces – you'll be looking for 9 tricks with no long suit and a combined 19 HCPs.

So, if we bid a suit we'll bid once and hope to strike a fit. As to the best of a poor lot, it's close whether partner can support hearts with three (see board 2), in which case 2 is best or that a 2 response gives partner a chance to support diamonds (with four) or introduce hearts (with four). Neither call is very good.

North should respond 1NT.

There will be times when a light suit-response is in order but some safety is required in at least a partial fit for partner. Here the spade singleton is very worrying and strongly indicates a conservative action. Having limited your hand with 1NT if partner rebids 2 you can bid one of your suits – at least now, partner might let you play 2 or 2 because he knows you are weak.

Board 2

These were the North cards, NS only vulnerable,

• Q75
• KJ109
• A74
• Q43

12 HCPs and a balanced hand, what about 2NT (11-12) or 3NT (but isn't that a something special…)? How about bidding hearts? Or supporting spades, perhaps even 'inventing' a suit with two-minor. Lots of options this time,

1. 2
2. 2
3. 2
4. 2NT
5. 3
6. 3NT

Let's knock a few of these on the head.

First, 2. This auction, 1 – 2 requires responder to have at least five hearts. Sorry, but trust me on this, the game is just too hard otherwise. Opener simply has to know that supporting responder's hearts with three is OK. After 1 – 2; it is fine to suppress 3-card diamond support – because 5 is a long way away and if it is right to play in diamonds partner can bid the things again – the situation is not the same because there is nothing like the same bidding space.

Second, 2NT and 3NT. Even if these are natural then crucially they deny a major. Partner's 3 over 2NT is 5-5 and allows responder to support with three cards in either major. Is 1 – 3NT; natural? No – it's a pudding raise.

Third, 3. You haven't got enough spades – there is no guaranteed 8-card fit. If partner has only four spades (and therefore 15+ balanced) it will be disaster on the scoresheet to play 4 even if you make it (because no-trumps will surely score better).

All three of these reasons are unified by a single fault: they cheat on major length.

That leaves surprisingly, (a) and (b) 'fictitious' bids in a minor. If you are going to make one of these to find out more about partner's hand, it would be silly to take up bidding space and take away options from partner.

A 2 response is clear.

What happens if partner raises clubs? Then he will have (at least) five spades and you can drive towards the spade game. An experienced player might bid 3 expecting it to be forcing (See English Bridge, Dec 2014, P39, David Bird's bidding tips) but by the simple rule at the top of this page, you should call 4.

If the hand had a club more and diamond fewer, say,

• Q75
• KJ109
• A7
• Q432

No-one would have the slightest qualm about responding 2. You no more want to play in clubs on this hand than you do on the 3=4=3=3. On both hands responding 2 keeps the important balls in the air; 5-3 spade fit, 4-4 heart fit, 3NT if neither major obliges. On board 2 you just have three clubs – get over it.

This deal also made it into the play section of the pre-session talk.

Summary

What have we learnt? Only things we knew already…

Strong hands go slow

Don't rush when you have a good hand. As long as your bid is forcing you know you'll get another turn and can gather information. Don't use this as an excuse to torture partner but less experienced players more often spoil good hands by rushing.

Don't escalate misfits; show weakness first

Misfits get out of hand when one partner mistakes the other for strength even when they know there is no obvious fit. Showing weakness first alerts partner that all you have to offer is a long suit.

Never misrepresent major suit-lengths

If you have to compromise, make sure it is 'only' a minor. Bidding a three-card minor in a forcing situation can get you out of a tight spot. Because you learnt four-card majors, where every opening suit-bid shows at least four cards, this seems heretical. But the world plays five-card majors and regularly opens with a three-card minor. Somewhat oddly, that makes them more receptive to a flexible approach.