Responder

Question 1

Partner opens with 1 level major suit bid - responder has 6-10 points and 3 card support and responds with 2 level same suit bid - opener bids new suit - what is best responder strategy?

Answer 1

Help Suit Game Try - opener has 15-17 points and 1 of 3 top honor in new suit - responder should go to game (4 level)
if either of these 3 conditions are met:
(1) at top of minimum support range
(2) has a top honor in second suit
(3) has a singleton or void
otherwise close bidding out at 3 level within the original suit

Question 2

Partner opens with 1 level major suit bid - responder has 3 card support and 6-10 points and responds with 2 level same suit bid - opponent overcalls - opening partner doubles - what is responder best strategy?

Answer 2

Maximal Double - opening partner has 15-17 points - if responder is at top of minimum support range (6-10) then responder should bid 4 level game - otherwise close out at 3 level

Question 3

Partner opens with 1 level major suit bid - responder has 3 card support and 6-10 points and responds with 2 level same suit bid - opponents overcall - opening partner rebids original suit at 3 level - what is responder best strategy?

Answer 3

PASS - opener rebid is a close out bid - opener has minimum opening hand and full game is impossible - opener is already pushing bidding limits with 3 level bid
(minimum + minimum = 2 level game)

Question 4

Partner opens with 2 level diamond bid - what does this mean?

Answer 4

Flannery - opening partner has 11-15 points and 5 hearts and 4 spades - not enough points for reverse but valuable information for responder, makes 8 card major suit fit very likely

Question 5

Partner opens with 1 level suit bid and rebids new higher ranking suit - what does this mean to responder?

Answer 5

Reverse - opening partner has 16+ points and 5/4 distribution - first suit is 5 cards and second higher ranking suit is 4 cards

Question 6

Partner opens with 1 level suit bid and then rebids same suit with jump to 3 level - what does this mean?

Answer 6

Partner has 6 card suit and 16+ points

Question 7

Partner opens with 1 level suit bid and rebids same suit at 2 level - what does this mean?

Answer 7

Partner has 6 card suit and minimum opening hand with 13-15 points

Question 8

Partner opens with suit bid and rebids 2NT - what does this mean to responder?

Answer 8

Partner has 18-19 points and balanced hand (too strong to open with 1NT bid)

Question 9

Partner opens with 1 level minor suit - responder bids 4 card major at 1 level
(6+ pts) or 5 card major at 2 level (11+ pts) - opponent overcalls and opening partner doubles - what does
this mean to responder?

Answer 9

Support Double - opening partner is showing 3 card support for responder’s new suit bid - opener is not promising anything about points other than the original opening points - opener double is only actually useful if responder has
a 5 card suit (8 card fit)

Question 10

Partner opens with 1 level minor suit - responder bids 1 level major suit
(6+ pts) or 2 level major suit (11+ pts) - opponent overcalls with takeout double - opening partner redoubles - what does this mean to responder?

Answer 10

Support Redouble - opening partner is showing 3 card support for responder’s new suit major bid - opener is not promising anything about point count other than original opening points - opener redouble is actually only useful if responder has a 5 card suit (8 card fit)

Question 11

Partner opens major suit at 1 level in first or second position and responder has 4 card support and 12+ points - what is best response bidding strategy?

Answer 11

Jacoby 2NT response - game forcing -
tells opener that responder has 12+ points and 4 card support - 2NT is artificial - not about balanced hand - opponent interference invalidates
this bidding convention

Question 12

Partner opens in first 2 seating positions with heart, spade or diamond bid and responder has 12+ points and 5 card lower ranking suit - what is best responder bidding strategy?

Answer 12

Two Over One (2 over 1) - responder should bid 5 card lower ranking suit
at 2 level - game forcing - game suit
is not yet determined but game level contract is - opponent interference invalidates this convention

Question 13

Partner opens with 1 level suit bid - responder has 12 points and bids
new suit - opener also bids new suit -
no apparent fit within 3 bid suits -
no interference from opposition -
what is responder best bidding strategy?

Answer 13

Fourth Suit Forcing - game forcing - responder bids fourth unbid suit (artificial) - final contract suit is not yet determined but game level contract is
(if opener has strength in fourth suit
then maybe NT contract)

Question 14

Partner opens with minor suit bid (denying 5 card major) and responder has 13+ points with no biddable major suit - what is responders best bidding strategy?

Answer 14

Jump to 3NT - partnership does not have 8 card major suit - so best option is 3NT - partnership has 26 points (game points)

Question 15

Partner opens 1NT - responder has
10 points and 6 card major - what is responder best bidding strategy?

Answer 15

Texas Transfer - similar to Jacoby Transfer but at 4 level - 4 diamonds transfers to 4 hearts - 4 hearts transfers to 4 spades - game is played in the transferred suit - this assures that strongest hand is hidden

Question 16

Partner opens with 1 level minor suit - responder has 5 card major suit and 10+ points and bids 1 level major suit and opener bids 1NT denying 4 card support - what is best responder bidding strategy?

Answer 16

New Minor Forcing - responder bids unbid minor suit (artificial) at 2 level showing 10+ points and 5 card suit - forcing for 1 round - responder is redefining original response that opener assumed was 4 cards and
6-10 points

Question 17

Partner opens 1 level suit bid in third position - responder has 3 card support and 10+ points - what is responder best bidding strategy?

Answer 17

Reverse Drury - responder bids 2 clubs asking if opening bid is full strength (13+) opener rebid of 2 diamonds (artificial) confirms full strength - 2 level rebid of original suit shows less than full strength opening points

Question 18

Partner opens 1 level major suit and responder has 4 card support and 11+ points - what is responders best bidding strategy?

Answer 18

Limit Raise - responder supports opener suit with jump raise to 3 level

Question 19

Partner opens with 1 level minor suit - responder does not have biddable major suit but does have 10 points and 4 card support for diamond bid or 5 card support for club bid - what is responder best strategy?

Answer 19

Inverted Minor - responder shows strength in minor suit at 2 level - keeps bidding at lowest possible level to give partnership bidding room to explore another suit or no trump

Question 20

Partner opens with 1 level major suit bid and opponent overcalls with new suit - responder has 3 card support and 11+ points - what is responder best bidding strategy?

Answer 20

Cue Bid - responder bids opponent suit at next level to show 3 card support for partner opening bid - effectively taking opponent out of auction - opener must be able to bid either 3 level or 4 level game level

Question 21

Partner opens with 1 level suit bid - opponent overcalls with new suit - responder has 6+ points and does not have support for partner’s opening suit but does have unbid 4 card major suit - what is responder best bidding strategy?

Answer 21

Negative Double - responder is promising 4 card unbid major suit and 6+ points - this represents low level exploration for
8 card major suit

Question 22

Partner opens 1 level major suit bid in first or second position and responder has 5-11 points but no support for opening bid suit - what is responder
best bidding strategy?

Answer 22

1NT forcing - partner opened in first
or second position (2 over 1) which makes 1NT response forcing - 1NT is normally not forcing

Question 23

Partner opens with weak two or weak three bid - what is responders best bidding strategy?

Answer 23

General Rule - do not bid over partner’s weak opening bid - exception - when responder has 15+ points with honor key cards in partner’s long weak bid suit and sure winning tricks in outside suits

Question 24

Partner opens major suit at 1 level - opponent doubles (take-out) and responder has 4 card support and
11+ points - what is best responder
bid strategy

Answer 24

Jordon 2NT - replaces Jacoby 2NT - when opponent doubles (take-out) partner’s major suit opening - Jacoby 2NT turns off & Jordon 2NT turns on - promising 4 card support and
11+ points

Question 25

Partner opens with major suit bid and responder has 6-10 points and 3 card support and responds with 2 level support - opponents do not overcall - opener rebids supported suit at 3 level - what is responder best rebid strategy?

Answer 25

Invitational - opener has medium hand (16-17 pts) and is inviting responder to game - responder should bid 4 level game if at top of minimum range and pass if at bottom of minimum range

Question 26

Partner opens 1 level suit bid and opponent overcalls with T/O double (12+ pts with 3+ card support in all unbid suits) - responder has 10+ points - what is best responder bid strategy?

Answer 26

Responder Re-Double - shows opening partner 10+ points - quickly describes partnership point count (13 + 10 = 23+) - now 35/40 points in auction have been accounted for - only 5 points left - quickly exposes opponents as weaker partnership (max 17 points) - devalues threat of T/O double

Question 27

How does your partner know that your double is for penalty?

Answer 27

Double after 4 level major or 5 level minor is for penalty - anything lower is conventional play - CC says the same thing in a different way (3 spades or
4 diamonds) which means anything higher is for penalty

Question 28

Spiral (responder convention) - partner opens with minor suit - responder bids major suit at 1 level - (minimum of 4 cards) - opening partner supports major bid at 2 level - with Spiral opener can support with only 3 cards - responder has 11 points (not sure if enough points for game) - responder bids 2NT (artificial) to ask opener to describe hand - with only 3 card support opener bids minor suit (signal) - with full opening points bids 3 diamonds - with light opening bids 3 clubs - with 4 card support and minimum hand opener rebids major suit at 3 level - with 4 card support and medium hand opener bids 4 level game

Answer 28

Benefits of spiral - creates opportunity to play in no trump (3 card opener support) or suit contract (4 card opener support or 5 card responder hand) so spiral helps partnership make trump versus no trump decision - opener also defines point count by club/diamond signal (light/full) or major (3/4 level) signal

Question 29

What is easy way to understand partnership doubles?

Answer 29

Role assignment - OPENER - support double or maximal double - RESPONDER - negative double - OVERCALL - takeout double or 6 card unspecified suit (DONT) - ADVANCE - responsive double

Question 30

Partner opens with major suit in first or second position - responder has 11+ points and 4 card support but also singleton or void - what is responder best bid strategy?

Answer 30

Splinter - jump to 4 level in short suit as long as it is lower than partner’s major suit bid - opener then closes bidding with 4 level major - game forcing - short suit is for ruffing (9 card fit)