Responder Convention

[Spock_]

As Responder when I bid a suit at 2 Level that is not a jump shift and when the opponents have passed in between, does bidding the suit show 4 or 5 of that suit? I know bidding 2 hearts always shows 5 due to the convention of bidding the lowest four card suit.

 

Examples are

 

 

1D P 2C or 1S P 2D

[mw64ahw]

As Responder when I bid a suit at 2 Level that is not a jump shift and when the opponents have passed in between, does bidding the suit show 4 or 5 of that suit? I know bidding 2 hearts always shows 5 due to the convention of bidding the lowest four card suit.

 

Examples are

 

 

1D P 2C or 1S P 2D

I would say generally yes, but this depends on your agreements

 

For me 1♦-P-2♣ will show 6+♣ (not GF) and less than 3♦, but this is in an unbalanced♦ context. Why bid 2♣ with 3334 or (332)5 unless 2♣ is your standard GF?

while 1♠-P-2♦ will show 5+♦ in my 2/1 style. Some approaches switch 2♦ & 2♥, but I've discounted this approach, while some will show only 4♦. However, 1♠-P-2♣ must be a catch all w. 5+♦/♥.

[Stephen Tu]

Generally, without discussion, only 4 are expected for a 2/1 in a minor. Actually it can be only 3, if one has say 3433 shape and a game force opposite a spade opener, since 2H would guarantee 5.

 

But it depends on agreements. Mainly, do you have alternate bids available for balanced GF hands. Like a modern trend is to have 1M-2d also guarantee 5, but then the 1M-2c bid loses all definition, because now you might have to bid 2c on two only clubs (3442 opposite 1S)! You have to work on followups to the 2c to distinguish between real club hands vs not, and/or go full relay with just opener describing to be able to do this sensibly.

 

Other possibilities include retaining a natural GF 2nt response (1M-2nt), instead of using it as a raise (moving the GF raise to some other jump shift like 1S-3c/1H-2s), as Gitelman once suggested, this can make 2/1s be 5 the vast majority of the time (1444s may be an exception). Or, if one is willing to play an absolutely forcing 1nt reponse, some of these GF hands can bid 1nt, planning on either a 3nt rebid or, with 3cd support for major an artificial 3OM rebid (1s-1nt-2m-3H, 1H-1nt-2m-3S) as a choice of games 4M/3nt with a flat hand. (rebidding 4M if partner rebids major or bids other major).

 

Practically, 1d-2c will almost always be 5, as one will usually be able to bid a 4 cd major or NT or a diamond raise without 5 clubs. The only problem hand is 3334 that is outside of your 2nt/3nt response ranges.

[Gilithin]

Without special agreements:

1♠ - 2♣ is 3+ but usually 4+. It is only 3 if precisely 3433 shape.

1♠ - 2♥ is 5+.

All other 2/1 calls show 4+ but the suit below (1♦ - 2♣ or 1♥ - 2♦) will usually be 5+.