2-level rebids with range of 11-18

[cwiggins]

Standard or 2/1 GF has a collection of bids where opener's rebid at the

2-level is very wide range: bare minimum openers (11 with shape) to

just under a jump shift (18 HCP without exceptional shape).

 

The bids include:

 

 

1S 1N

(2C, 2D, or 2H)

 

 

1H (1S or 1N)

2C or 2D

 

 

1D (1M or 2N)

2C

 

 

For example

1S 1N

2H

might be

AQxxx

KQxx

xxx

x

Or it might be

AKQxx

AQJx

Qxx

x

 

 

WIth support for opener's second suit, what are the ranges for the

various bids?

- slammish could go through fourth suit forcing

- game strength but nothing extra could just bid the game

- weak hands could pass

 

 

The problem is that the range of "too much to pass" to "invitational

but not enought to force to game" strikes me as being too large for one

three level bid to handle.

 

 

The problem is worse when opener rebids a minor suit e.g.

1H 1S

2D

Now responder has to keep 3NT alive as a possible contract. One

message that I would want to send is: "If you've got extra points,

let's play 3NT or 5m." I would do that with hands with solid HCP

(10-11 HCP) and some shape. A second message would be "I am very

distributional. We can make 5D if you hold even some minimum but

perfrect fit hands." These hands might contain as few as 9 HCP and

maybe even less. E.g. wouldn't you want to be in 5D if you and your

partner held:

 

 

xxxx

Qx

Axxxx

void

 

 

x

AKxxx

KQxx

xxx

 

 

A third message would be "This was a courtesy raise. Bid on only if

you are maximum for your 2D rebid."

 

 

I have two questions. First, how do Standard or 2/1 GF sort out this

situation? I.e. if you were sitting down with an expert partner but

had not discussed the situation, what would you expect them to do?

Second, are there ways to improve this situation that are GCC legal?

 

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

Chris Wiggins

[awm]

One of the major ways to sort out this situation involves making use of "false preferences." For example, suppose the auction goes 1♥-1♠; 2♦. Holding around 8-9 points in values it's somewhat dangerous to pass because opener could be maximum. However, preferencing to 2♥ is not forcing and doesn't show invitational values. Therefore it can be beneficial to take preference to 2♥ even holding 4♦ and 2♥.

 

Of course, false preferences don't solve all problems. The most notable issue is what to do when you have only a singleton (or even void) in opener's first suit, making the preference uncomfortable. Typically here the solution is to raise with 8-9 high and pass with less. The raise is okay (well sort of) because of the playing strength of the singleton. The pass is okay (sort of) because you need more overall strength for a minor suit game in any case. Obviously this is not an exact science.

 

In any case it is often best to make the bid which is "most frequently right" rather than allowing for all possibilities. With a range of 11-18, opener is much more often in the 11-13 part of that range, because hands with fewer points are more common than hands with more points. Therefore passing with 8-9 is not as dangerous as it might first appear -- the times partner has a min and you will be glad to stop low can compensate for the times you miss game opposite a maximum, even at IMPs.

 

As for a real "fix" for this problem (outside playing a strong club system) I recommend Gazilli. It's a convention played by many of the top Italian pairs where opener's 2♣ rebid in auctions like the ones described is artificial, showing either a strong hand or a natural club suit. Typically responder relays with 2♦ if holding enough for game opposite the strong option, to which opener rebids 2M with a minimum including clubs and otherwise makes another call. Details about this convention can be found in various places online. The major cost is that you can't play in 2♣ or 2♦ in auctions where opener has a primary major and a secondary club suit (i.e. you lose the auction 1M-1♠/1NT-2♣-Pass and 1M-1NT-2♣-2♦-Pass). Of course, especially playing 2/1 these auctions are rare anyway because the 2♣ rebid can be a three (or even sometimes two) card suit. In addition to having limited rebids in the other suits, Gazilli frees up opener's 2NT and 3-level jump shift rebids for alternate meanings (for example showing intermediate distributional hand types as in precision).

 

Gazilli is legal on the ACBL general chart, which allows "all constructive methods starting from opener's rebid."

[whereagles]

what he said :o