Opener's Rebid

Question 1

What do we mean by the shape of a hand?

Answer 1

We mean the number of cards in each suit?

Question 2

How do you denote the shape of a hand?

Answer 2

You show with the longest suit first such as this: 5-4-3-1.

Question 3

How do you show the shape of a hand when you wan to be specific about which suits are which length?

Answer 3

You show lengths by suit rank in suit rank order: spades, hearts, diamonds & clubs.

Question 4

How many different categories of unbalanced hands are there?

Answer 4

1-suited. 2-suited. 3-suited.

Question 5

How do we breakdown opener’s strength?

Answer 5

12-15 HCP (minimum)
16-18 HCP (invitational)
19+ HCP (game forcing)

Question 6

How does opener rebid with a 1-suited hand?

Answer 6

With a minimum hand, bid cheaply (e.g., 1-heart then 2-heart)
With an invitational hand, jump (e.g., 1-heart then 3-hearts)
With a game forcing hand, double jump (e.g., 1-heart then 4-hearts)

Question 7

With a 2-suited hand, what does opener do?

Answer 7

He shows his second sut with his second bid?

Question 8

At what level does opener show his second suit?

Answer 8

At the minimum or invitational levels, he bids cheaply (e.g., 1-heart then 2-clubs)
With a gam forcing hand, he jumps (e.g., 1-heart then 3-clubs

Question 9

Why do we combine minimal and invitational hands to decide to bid cheaply?

Answer 9

Double jumping gets the auction past 3NT in many cases. That is the spot we will want to stop if both partners can’t agree on a suit.

Question 10

What do you do if your second suit is only 2-more than your first

Answer 10

Bid the second suit. Bid your first suit if the difference in length is 3+ cards.

Question 11

What is the exception to jumping when opener rebids a new suit?

Answer 11

If responder already has shown game forcing strength (by making a two-over-one response), there is no need to jump. Either rebid your suit cheaply (w/ a 1-suited hand) or bid your second suit cheaply (with a 2-suited hand).

Question 12

When are we in “game force”?

Answer 12

When both players know that there is enough strength for game.

Question 13

So how do you describe the difference between “forcing” and “game forcing”?

Answer 13

When a player makes a forcing bid, his partner is required to bid just once more.
When a player makes a game forcing bid, his partner cannot pass until a game contract is reached.

Question 14

Why are 3-suited hands awkward to bid?

Answer 14

There often is not enough time to show all three suits.

Question 15

How do you respond when you have a 3-suited hand?

Answer 15

As with a 2-suited hand, bid your second suit cheaply when you have a minimal or invitation hand.
Jump a level with a game forcing hand (unless responder already has shown a game forcing hand of his own).

Question 16

What do you do if you have a balanced hand?

Answer 16

With 12-14 HCPs, bid notrum cheaply.
With 18-19 HCPs, jump in notrump unless your partner has shown a game forcing hand?

Question 17

So, how do we fill in our picture of how opener bids notrump?

Answer 17

Assuming a balanced hand,
12-14 HCP, open 1 of a suit and then bid notrump cheaply
15-17 HCP open 1NT
18-19 HCP, open 1 of a suit and then jump in ntrump
20-21 HCP open 2 NT

Question 18

What is the one exception to rebiding notrump?

Answer 18

If you have a 4-card major that you can show at the 1-level when you rebid.

Question 19

What happens if responder has bid the strain that opener was about to bid?

Answer 19

Opener will raise the bid

Question 20

What happens if responder responds with notrump

Answer 20

If responder bids notrump after opener opens in a minor, opener is allowed to pass.
If opener has opened in a major suit, opener must bid again in response to 1NT.

Question 21

When opener raises a suit bid by responder, at what level should opener rebid?

Answer 21

With a minimum hand, raise one level.
With an invitational hand, raise two levels.
With a game forcing hand, raise to game.
As usual, raise just one level if responder already has shown a game forcing hand?

Question 22

If opener has 12-14 HCPs, and then opened in a minor suit, why can they pass with a response of 1NT?

Answer 22

They should pass because there can’t be 25 HCPs need for a game.

Question 23

What happens if responder gives a single raise (e.g., 1-heart to 2-heart)?

Answer 23

With a minimum hand, pass.
With an inviitational hand, raise one level
With a game forcing hand, raise to game (or bid 3 NT) after a minor suit raise if you have strength in the unbid suits).

Question 24

What if responder give us a limit raise (e.g., a double jump showing an invitational hand such as 1-heart to 3-hearts)?

Answer 24

With a minimum hand, either pass or raise to game (or bid 3 NT)
With any stronger hand, raise to game (t bid 3NT)?

Question 25

How does opener evaluate his hand when responder has made a limit raise showing an invitational level?

Answer 25

An invitational hand is 10-12-HCPs, so if opener has aminimum hand of 12-15 HCPs, opener needs to check if they are at the low or high end of the range. With 12-13 HCP, there likely is not enough for game. With 14-15 HCPs, there probably is.