Opener's Raise Of Responder's Suit

[pbleighton]

The book I learned Standard American from is Root's Commonsense Bidding. Root says that on the opener's first rebid, it takes four to support partner's suit (except for 1S-2H, where it takes three). Under rare circumstances, you may support with good three card support (his example: KQ2). He implies that in competition, you do whatever you can.

 

I have seen, in play and bridge columns, people raising with three more liberally than this. Example (opps silent):

Opener holds K53-642-63-AKQJ6, opens 1C, responder bids 1S, opener rebids 2S.

 

Has this become common, and do you agree with it? If so, what guidelines/examples can you give me for raising with three (major vs minor, 1/1 vs 2/1, etc.).

 

And what of the responder's rebid? I understand that a delayed raise implies fewer trumps, but what of the sequence 1D-1S-2C-3C - what does this promise?

[Rado]

Hi Pbleighton and all,

 

Good agreement about raising on 3 cards fit might be:

 

min opening (12-14) and outside singleton:

Axx x KQxxx Kxxx

1D-1S

2S

delayed raising would promise better hand (15-17) and is invitational:

AJx x KQxxx AQxx

1D-1S

2C-2D

2S

 

With some of my live partners we have an agreement that outside small doubleton is enough excuse for raising on three cards.

 

Best regards, Rado

[flytoox]

The book I learned Standard American from is Root's Commonsense Bidding. Root says that on the opener's first rebid, it takes four to support partner's suit (except for 1S-2H, where it takes three). Under rare circumstances, you may support with good three card support (his example: KQ2). He implies that in competition, you do whatever you can.

 

I have seen, in play and bridge columns, people raising with three more liberally than this. Example (opps silent):

Opener holds K53-642-63-AKQJ6, opens 1C, responder bids 1S, opener rebids 2S.

 

Has this become common, and do you agree with it? If so, what guidelines/examples can you give me for raising with three (major vs minor, 1/1 vs 2/1, etc.).

 

And what of the responder's rebid? I understand that a delayed raise implies fewer trumps, but what of the sequence 1D-1S-2C-3C - what does this promise?

 

Raise with three card if 1) no better alternative, 2) you have ruff value. 3C here should be 4 card spt, coz 2c here is very likely to be 4 card suit. Also 3c is constructive, it should be about 10-11 HCP hand, after pd's 2c rebid, there is still hope for a game, otherwise, pd will pass 2c.

 

Correct me if I am wrong ;D

hongjun

[luis]

I'd never raise 1m-1M to 2M with 3 cards.

If we do have to play in a 4-3 fit then better if it is a known 4-3 fit and not a surprise. Besides that you can end up playing a bad slam in a 4-3 fit with a better fit in a minor or worst without any fit at all.

But that's only my opinion.

[mishovnbg]

I use raise of 1 major response regular with 3 cards, it is part of my system too. Here in BBO i use it even if have no agreement about, still without bad results B). But if you like same style of bidding and play it with parner, you need convention to discover type of raise with game invitational/forcing hands. Kantar's solution is 3 in minor to be NF game try with 4 cards response. 2NT show 5 card response and is forcing, inv+.

Misho

[hrothgar]

Either style works fine, just make sure that you and your partner are on the same wavelength.

I prefer raising on three cards when it seems "right". Typically Hxx in support with side shortage. I have been known to raise to 2M on less when I want to preempt the opponents.

[inquiry]

Like Rado, as opener, I frequently raise my partner's major on auctions like....

1m-1M

 

Here, the raise on three is generally weak (not like you four ace hand elsewhere). So if I bid something else then later support the major, it tends to be stronger hands. I don't know about Rado, but I adopted this style after reading one of my favorite books... Robson/Segal's Partnership Bidding.

 

Ben

[Antoine Fourrière]

The 1992 Individual European Championship featured a mandatory system, five-card majors, strong notrump, weak twos...

 

However, it didn't mention three or four-card raises.

 

Robson reported that deal in Bridge Magazine:

 

[tt]8 4 2   A T 9 7

9 5   Q J

K Q T 6   A 9 8 5

A K 5 4   Q 9 8[/tt]

 

Forrester - Perron

1 C   1 S

2 S   4 S

pass

 

The three-card raise is quite popular in the English-speaking world, but the French (or the Poles) need four cards, and don't mind rebidding 1N with a weak doubleton.

(Yes, a 1NT rebid would have ended in 3NT going down.)

 

Apparently, neither the IEC organizers nor the two players seemed to consider it an issue.(Some things are so self-evident that even the strange people which lives from the other side of the Channel cannot have a different religion.)

Five-card openings vs four-card openings? But that's system!

Four-card raises vs three-card raises? Of course, that's judgment!

 

And BBS, which has no claim to hegemony, is also silent about it.

[the hog]

Playing a natural system we frequently raise on a 3 card suit if we have a weak doubleton, even with xxx in the trump suit. Why?

 

This is more pre emptive than a 1NT bid

The opps may well misjudge lott thinking we are in an 8 card fit

If pd wants to play 3NT and I have Jx or worse in a suit, it is better for the lead to come to him.

 

If partner is strong there are many ways to find out if the raise was a three or 4 card raise.