Rebid after 4th suit gf

[firmit]

Standard bidding, 2/1 - 1♣ 4-3-3-3 (4c major) or 4+♣

 

Bidding goes uncontested

1♣-1♦

1♠-2♥*

 

This we agree on. I picture opener having 4-3-2-4/4-2-2-5. Could opener have 3♦? I thought not.

 

...

2♠- 3♣

3♦

 

So when I set trumph with my solid AKJxx of clubs Kxxxxx of diamonds, I took his 3♦ as cue with Ax (worst case Qx).

 

...

3♦-3♥

3♠-4♣

4♦-4NT

5♠-5NT

6♦-...7♣

 

Opener had:

AKxx

xxx

AQx

9xx

 

Responder:

-

Ax

K109xxx

AKJxx

 

Opener thought diamonds was agreed, responder thought clubs was agreed.

How should the bidding go?

[nick_s]

Well, I'm neither a 2/1 guru, nor an expert, but here's my 2 cents anyway. There are tons of interesting issues lurking here that I'd like to see explored by the resident experts.

 

First off: figuring out whether you want to be in 7 ♣/♦/NT as opposed to 6 ♣/♦/NT is dependent on knowing whether you have the Q♣. Determining possession of a minor suit queen is a relatively hard thing for anyone to do.

 

I'd be strongly tempted to open 1♦ instead of 1♣, and claim that I had a heart mixed up with my diamonds. There's a huge disparity in the strength of the minor suits.

 

I would have responded 2♦ instead of 1♦. However I do understand that strong jump shifts have rather gone out of fashion these days. I'd have minor reservations about the quality of the diamond suit, but this isn't as important when the jump shift is based on support for partner's suit.

 

I would rebid 1NT instead of 1♠, even though I don't have a heart stop. I expect partner to prefer responding in a major suit to diamonds with a weak hand. If partner is stronger, we can always find the major fit later in the auction.

[rogerclee]

It is possible that opener has 3 diamonds. If you play that the opener opens his better minor, he could even have 4 diamonds (4144 shape).

 

2S does not really suggest anything except that if he is balanced, he does not want NT played from his side (whether he has a lack of a heart stop or if it is a positional holding like Axx).

 

3D here is not a cuebid unless you agree it to be so. He could simply have 4234 shape and is showing you some diamond cards. It is interesting to note that since you didn't bid 2C initially (inverted minors, I assume), partner may have played 3C as some sort of artificial extras-showing noise, asking about diamonds.

 

As for how I *think* the auction should have gone (like nick_s, I am also not an expert in any way), I would bid it this way:

 

1) 1C - 2C;

2) 2S - 3D;

3) 4D - 4H;

4) 4S - 5NT;

5) 6D - P;

 

1) I'd like to start with an inverted minor. Despite my 6-card diamond suit, I think that it is very likely that clubs should be trumps, and this is the best way to start getting both minors in the picture.

2) 2S is simply stopper-showing. This is both good and bad news to the responder; it may suggest spade wastage, but it also suggests that there may not be any heart wastage, so we may have some good luck with diamonds. At any rate, 3D is the most descriptive call, forcing to game.

3) Opener, with no heart stop, cannot bid 3NT. He can bid 3S again, but this seems redundant; 4D seems like a good call, showing some diamond cards. Responder is excited and cues 4H, which is for clubs.

4) Opener cuebids 4S; despite his 4333 minimum, he has a lot of controls which sound very useful on this auction. 5NT is a choice of minor slams.

5) With AQx of diamonds, this is an easy choice.

[hrothgar]

Comment 1: Many people (myself included) believe that a 1M rebid should promise an unbalanced hand. If we assume a 1♦ response, the auction would start either

 

1♣ - 1♦

1N

 

or

 

1♣ - 1♦

2♦

 

Associated with this, if you decide to play a style in which a 1♠ rebid is permitted with a balanced hand, then you can't rebid 2♠ over 2♥. This bid can't be used to temporize; rather it needs to clarify shape. I'd recommend a

3♦ rebid with your hand. (At some point in time, holding AQx in Diamonds you need to show that you have support)

 

Comment 2: Some might suggest that responder's hand is suitable for a Strong Jump Shift (assuming that you are playing them). Lets assume that you are playing a modern style in which a SJS shows either

 

1. A self sufficient suit

2. Game forcing values with a suit + a fit for opener

3. A Strong Balanced hand

 

An argument could be made that this hand fits the second category. I'm not sure if I buy into this argument. The Diamond suit has length, but it lacks texture. Still, I think that the bid is worth considering even if you decide against it. Please note: This points to the need to establish requirements for raising an SJS.

 

Comment 3: AKJxx of Clubs isn't solid. Even if responder has xxxx in Clubs, you still have a potential trump loser.

 

Comment 4: Some might recommend an inverted minor raise. I'm not fond of this. I prefer to clarfiy shape with an immediate 1♦ advance. I suppose that an inverted minor raise is somewhat more attractive where responder would bid 1♦ with balanced dreck and Opener will be leery about raising Diamonds.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 opener could hold 3 diamonds,

as an example see openers hand

#2 3C did set clubs

=> and that is a reason for the

bidding disaster

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[awm]

The 1♣ opening and 1♠ rebid are both style issues. Certainly some people would open 1♦ (better minor) or even 1♠ (four card majors) or would rebid 1NT (bypassing the major with 4333 shape, if not with any balanced shape) or rebid 2♦. I also like an immediate 2♦ strong jump by responder, but perhaps strong jump shifts are not being played here. Anyways the start of 1♣-1♦-1♠-2♥ is okay, although not everyone's preference.

 

However, I don't really get opener's 2♠ rebid. Opener's values are all in spades and diamonds. He has the best possible support for diamonds given the non-raise at second turn. And partner's checkback bid is usually looking for a diamond fit (we have a great one) or a heart stopper (we have no such thing) or a club fit (unlikely given our xxx holding). Why not bid 3♦ and show our great support and where half our values lie?

 

The "natural" meaning of 2♠ is probably a 5-5 or 5-6 in the blacks. Perhaps this is sufficiently unlikely that there's desire to use 2♠ as a "catch-all" with an awkward hand. But this isn't an awkward hand -- it's a diamond raise!

 

After 2♠, I agree that 3♣ should set clubs, and 3♦ is a cuebid. How would opener have bid with ♠AKxx ♥xxx ♦Ax ♣Qxxx if not like this?