M J Bridge
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Bidding
Responder root page
Direct raises
If you have not adopted any support bids then your methods will differ only in detail from those given under a beginning method.
Context -
Beginner and above
This page last revised 22nd Feb 2024
Post-
And if you have adopted the Jacoby 2NT game-
Intermediate and above
Variations on these basic methods are commonplace.
On the whole they will be dependent on the particular support bids adopted and so the main discussion will be found in context (see below).
There are, though, a number of aims and underlying principles.
Strength
In constructive auctions in which you have reason to harbour realistic hopes of a game or slam contract it is important to give partner accurate information relating to the playing strength of the hand. That is why the beginner method divides the various raises up according to a point-
Length
If planning to take the bidding beyond the two-
The guideline here is to ‘bid to the level of the fit’ although this simple rule will be affected to an extent by the prevailing vulnerabilities.
In bidding to this level you should assume that partner’s opening one of a major was made on a five-
Thus, if you have the bidding space available to show weaker and stronger holdings, then even with minimum strength you would like to be able to bid to the two-
Preemptive raises
The last of these is part of almost all common systems, jumping to four of partner’s major with five-
♠
♥
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8 3
J 9 7 6 4
8 7 3
Q 6 4
Partner opened 1♥.
Bid 4♥.
Don’t expect the contract to make.
Just hope that your opponents cannot find their way to 4♠.
A similar widening of the range for a weak four-
You probably won’t have room to include a weak raise to the two-
and the more ranges you can provide for four-
Various standard (and non-
Opener |
Overcaller |
Responder |
Advancer |
Opener's rebid |
Overcaller's rebid and beyond |
Responder's rebid and beyond |
The continuing auction |