Topic

Major Suit Raises of Opening Bids. This is based on Max Hardy’s book “The Problems With Major Suit Raises and How to Fix Them”

Major suit raises break down into several categories, preemptive jump raises, single raises, limit raises, game forcing limit raises, power raises with 13-15 HCP, and 15+ hands with strong slam possibilities.

The Jump Raises. Raises to 3 or 4 of the major are pre-emptive (Precision player’s raises to 4 of the major may be either pre-emptive or strong as the Opener’s hand is limited). All these responses must be alerted.

All strictly preemptive, less than 5 HCP

Usually shows 4 card support and some distributional feature. Would jump to game with five card support on most hands.

With hands with five support and some shape that are just too good to bid preemptively (e.g. they have an outside ace or king), bid 1NT forcing then jump to game.

The Single Raise Shows 5+ to 9- Support

Shows 5+ to 9- Support

May be less in competition

May be less when holding an ace

Shows 3 or 4 card support.

If 3 card support do not bid further.

If 4 card support, compete to 3-level.

Opener may use Kokish Game Tries after the single raise:

1♥ 2♥ Kokish Game Tries in Hearts

2♠ asks Responder in which he would accept a help suit game try:

2NT Spades

3♣ Clubs

3♦ diamonds

Opener may bid another suit below 3♥ asking if Responder can provide help in that suit (e.g. 1♥ 2♥ 2♠ 3♣ 3♦ asks for help in diamonds. Responder would bid 4♥ with help in diamonds.

Opener’s short suit game tries (SSGT). Responder will go to game when his values are not in Opener’s short suit.

2NT SSGT in Spades.

3♣ SSGT in Clubs

3♦ SSGT in Diamonds

3♥ Trump Suit Quality Ask.

Pass with weak trump support.

Bid 3NT with weak trump support and good values in other suits.

4♥ with two or three top honors in hearts.

1♠ 2♠ Kokish Game Tries in Spades

2NT asks Responder in which suit he would accept a help suit game try.

3♣ Clubs

3♦ Diamonds

3♥ Hearts.

Opener may ask for help in another suit as described above.

Opener’s SSGTs.

3♣ Clubs

3♦ Diamonds

3♥ Hearts.

3♠ Trump Suit Quality Ask.

Pass with weak trump support.

Bid 3NT with weak trump support and good values in other suits.

4♠ with two or three top honors in spades..

III

The Balanced Limit Raise with Three Card Support Shows 9+ to 12- HCP

Shows 9+ to 12- HCP.

Start by using Forcing Notrump.

If opener rebids in a lower suit at the two level, jump to three of his major suit.

If opener repeats his suit at the two level, promising six, jump to game in his suit.

If opener jump shifts in a new suit, jump to game in his first suit. This is NOT fast arrival, and is the only way to show a real fit. A preference will not suffice, it would show a doubleton in support. Also, if opener has first bid hearts and reverses to spades, jump to four hearts.

If opponents overcall, cue bid to show this hand.

The Good Limit Raise 9+ to 12- HCP and either four trumps with no side shortness, or three trumps with a side singleton or void

Defined as 9+ to 12- HCP and either four trumps with no side shortness, or three trumps with a side singleton or void. All responses must be alerted.

Show this hand by jumping to three clubs. Alert

If partner rebids his suit at either the three or four level, you should pass.

If partner rebids three diamonds (Alert), that is the Mathe Asking Bid. Partner is asking for more information about your hand.

If you have four card support with no shortness, bid opener’s suit at the three level.

If you have three support with a singleton:

If the singleton is in the other major suit, bid three notrump. Alert

If the singleton is in a minor suit, bid that suit at the four level. Alert

If you have three card support with a void, bid the opposite major at the three level. Alert

If partner then bids as cheaply as possible, he is asking the location of your void.

Bid as cheaply as possible to show your void.

If your suit is hearts, partner’s ask is three notrump. Alert

Four clubs or four diamonds shows a void in the suit bid.

Four hearts shows a spade void.

If your suit is spades, partner’s ask is three spades. Alert

Four clubs or four diamonds shows a void in the bid suit.

The otherwise idle call of three notrump shows a heart void, releasing the call of four hearts to be Exclusion Blackwood.

The Game Forcing Limit Raise 9+ to 12- HCP with four card or longer support and some side shortness.

Defined as 9+ to 12- HCP with four card or longer support and some side shortness. (This is the hand which others made a direct splinter bid. Our UNDER JUMP SHIFT defines such a hand without locating the splinter.)

Show this hand by making a jump shift in the suit directly below partner’s suit. If the opening bid has been one heart, this is a jump to three diamonds. If the opening bid has been one spade, this is a jump to three hearts.

If opener then jumps to game in the agreed major suit, he as a minimum opening bid with no interest in slam.

If opener instead repeats his suit at the three level, he shows interest in a slam and asks for your shortness (Alert)

If your next bid is four clubs or four diamonds you show a singleton in the bid suit.

If the agreed suit is spades, four hearts shows a singleton heart.

If the agreed suit is hearts, if you next bid three notrump, you show a singleton spade.

If you make the cheapest available bid (three spades over three hearts, or three notrump over three spades), you announce a void in some suit.

If partner next makes the cheapest available, he asks for the location of your void.

If hearts are agreed and he bids three notrump over your call of three spades.

Four clubs or four diamonds shows a void in the bid suit.

Four hearts shows a void in spades.

If spades are agreed and he bids four clubs over your call of three notrump:

Four diamonds or four hearts shows a void in the suit bid.

Four spades shows a void in clubs.

Power Raises with Unbalanced Hands 12+ to 15- HCP with a singleton or void and four card or longer support.

Defined as 12+ to 15- HCP with a singleton or void and four card or longer support.

This hand is shown by an OVER JUMP SHIFT. This is a jump shift in the denomination directly above opener’s suit. If the opening bid has been one heart, this is a jump to three spades. If the opening bid has been one spade, this is a jump to three notrump.

With a dead minimum and no interest in a slam, opener bids game in his major suit.

With some interest in slam, opener makes the cheapest available call (three notrump over three spades, or four clubs over three notrump) to ask the location of responder’s shortness.

When hearts agreed, the ask is three notrump.

Responders bid of four clubs or four diamonds shows shortness in the bid suit.

Responder’s bid of 4 hearts shows shortness in spades.

When spades are agreed, the ask is four clubs.

Responders bid of four hearts or four diamonds shows shortness in the bid suit.

Responder’s bid of four spades shows shortness in clubs.

VII

Responder’s Game Forcing Raise Without Shortness 12+ to 15- HCP with no side singleton or void and four card or longer support.

Responder will have 12+ to 15- HCP with no side singleton or void and four card or longer support.

Responder shows his hand with a direct jump to a minor suit at the four level.

A jump to four clubs promises good quality trumps. Good quality is defined as follows:

Four card support including two of the top three honors.

Five or longer card support including the ace or king.

A jump to four diamonds shows bad quality trumps. Bad quality is any lesser trump holding.

This complex is called INVERTED TRUMP SWISS.

NOTE: After the 4C or 4D jump, slam is highly unlikely unless Opener has shortness or significant extra values.

VIII

Responder has Four Card or Longer Fit and Fifteen Plus with Strong Slam Interest.

Responder takes charge of the auction.

Only when his hand is this good does it make sense for responder to use the Jacoby Two Notrump. (This device is widely used as the only available forcing raise. Those who use it for all hands with forcing raises have the wrong captain. They are not able to convey complete descriptions as can be done when the entire system is available.)

When Responder conventionally bids two no-trump, opener’s rebids are as written for the convention.

A jump to game shows no side shortness and a minimum opening bid.

A new suit rebid at the three level shows shortness in the suit bid.

A bid of three notrump denies shortness and shows extra values.

A repeat of opener’s suit at the 3 level denies shortness and shows extra values and extra suit length.

A jump to a new suit at the four level shows a good second suit at least five cards long.

If opener repeats the suit of rebid made at the three level, he shows that his shortness is a void.

After hearing opener sign off by bidding four of his major suit, responder shows shortness and continues to try for a slam if he next bids a new suit.

Conventional Applications in Contested Auctions.

After an overcall or a takeout double, responder always stretches to raise when he has meager values and a fit.

In such auctions, jump raises are always preemptive.

After an overcall, a cue bid in must auctions will show a limit raise or better. When possible, conventional uses still apply.

Over Jump Shifts still apply whenever a jump is possible.

Under Jump Shifts still apply whenever a jump is possible.

When it is no longer possible to jump (e.g. 1♥-2♦-?), direct splinters are used and a cue bid shows other limit raises.

When direct splinters must be used, Inverted Jump Swiss is no longer available. A cue bid is used to express the hand that would have used this tool.

After a takeout double, all conventional calls still apply.

A jump to three clubs is still a limit raise with four card support or three card support and side shortness.

Over and Under Jump Shifts and Inverted Trump Swiss all apply.

A jump to two notrump (Jordan) is used to show a balanced limit raise with three card support. This is because the Forcing Notrump is no longer available.

The fact that Jacoby Two Notrump is no longer available is not likely to matter. When responder has a hand with 15+ and a four card or longer fit he can redouble, then cue bid.

All Passed Hand Raises Encompass the Drury Convention.

Responses are based on the fact that the opening bid may be on a hand with less than full opening bid values, and that the major suit may only be four cards long.

With four-four in the major suits, the opening bid is one heart unless the heart suit is bad.

Knowing of this possibility, responder who holds minimum values (5+ to 9-) with three card support and four spades will respond one spade rather than make a single raise in hearts.

Since all invitational (limit) raises are shown through the Drury convention, direct jump raises become preemptive.

Hands of limit rase values (9+ to 12-) use the Drury convention. The form to use is Two-Way Reverse Drury.

A response of two clubs promises three card support.

A response of two diamonds promises four card or longer support.

The convention applies after interference.

If the interference is a double or an overcall (including an overcall in no-trump), when the responder is still able to call in either minor suit at the two level, the opposing call is ignored.

If the interference is an overcall of two clubs, two diamonds becomes all-purpose Drury.

If the interference is at a higher level, a cue bid shows a limit raise.

If the level is such that a cue bid would force a game, a raise to the three level is all that is available. Opener will have to guess whether this is a true limit raise or whether responder has stretched to show a fit.

After a Drury call of two clubs showing a limit raise with three card support.

Opener returns to his major suit at the two level with any hand that has no potential for game.

Opener jumps to game in the agreed major if his values are adequate (most hands of 14 HCP or more).

Opener rebids two diamonds to show a full opening bid, but with doubts about game.

When opener has bid two diamonds showing doubt about a game contract, responder makes a short suit game try when his hand includes a singleton or void.

When responder has no short suit, he returns to the agreed major suit at the two level.

When responder has returned to the agreed major suit at the two level, opener may make his own short suit game try or pass.

After a Drury call of two diamonds showing a limit raise with four card or longer support.

Opener returns to his major suit at the two level when his opening bid was on a sub-minimum hand.

Opener jumps to game in the agreed major when he has full values (14+ HCP) or when he feels that the extra trump makes game a good possibility.

Opener bids two no-trump to show a full opening bid, but with doubt about game. Responder then decides how to continue.

Responder may jump to game or may sign off in a part score.

Responder may bid a new suit as a short suit game try.

The use of Drury requires certain adjuncts.

When responder jumps to two no-trump, he promises shortness in opener’s major suit and five-five (or longer) in the minor suits with game invitational values.

Since a response of two clubs shows a limit raise for opener’s major suite with three card support, responder jumps to three clubs to show a club suit of six or more cards and game invitational values.

Since a response of two diamonds shows a limit raise for opener’s suit with four card or more support, responder jumps to three diamonds to show a diamond suit of six or more cards and game invitational values.