A simple major suit raise structure....

[errline]

I've been trying to come up with something really easy to remember as a raise structure over 1M, that will still let us play 2NT as natural 13-15 and 2/1 usually guaranteeing a decent 5 card suit.

 

It has to be easy enough not to tax mental energy that I need while trying to learn better card play, and easy enough to convince regular partners to play and not have major confusion. So for that reason I don't like the idea of having to "count steps".

 

My first thought for simplifying the raise structure is that, if playing 2/1 GF, there is no reason why a 2/1 followed by support couldn't contain four piece trump support.

 

♠ KQ52 ♥4 ♦AJ986 ♣ KJ8

 

So with this hand, too strong for a splinter, over 1♠ I would bid 2♦, then raise Partner will not know I have four pieces, but that seems less relevant in a game forcing auction which I am likely captaining anyway.

 

So given that, I was thinking of a raise structure like this:

 

2NT -- 13-15 HCP balanced, 2-3 pieces in opener's major, perhaps 4 card support if 4333 shape

JS to other major: game-forcing raise

3♣ -- Bergen limit raise (or mixed)

3♦ -- Bergen mixed raise (or limit, I'm not religious about the order)

3M -- preemptive

3NT -- 16-17 balanced, exactly 2 pieces

double-jump-shift -- limited splinter (in the range of 10-(13-) HCP)

 

3♥ as a forcing raise of 1♠ is not ideal because it eats up so much room. But many game forcing raises have other ways to be bid. These raises may contain shortness, but will usually deny a good 5 card suit (else 2/1, then support) and will contain very good values of at least 13 HCP.

 

So in effect the forcing raise is a catchall bid that should only be a few, usually quite strong, hands. J2NT is not very commonly used in my experience and this would be even less so. The forcing raise will always show slam interest outside of a bare minimum by responder, so you're going to cue-bid over it anyway. It has the advantage of not showing responder's hand shape the way that J2NT does. And for gigantic supporting hands we might tend to 2/1 in a very good four-card suit rather than use the forcing rasie.

 

Opener would deny interest in slam by rebidding 3S; otherwise would bid serious 3NT to ask for cues. Alternately 3S could show good trump quality or extra length, while skipping S3NT to cue would show neither good trumps nor slam interest.

 

2♠ as a forcing raise of 1♥ is much better, and would allow opener to rebid his second suit with a good hand, or 2NT to show a balanced minimum. Above that we would cue-bid.

 

Then to simplify even further, I was thinking of using a similar structure over the minors:

 

1m - 2m inverted raise, invitational

1m - 3m inverted raise, weak

1m - 2M weak jump shift

1m - 2NT 13-15 or 18-19 HCP balanced, no 4 card major

1m - 3NT 16-17 HCP bal, no 4-card major

JS to other minor (3♣/1♦ and 2♦/1♣) is a game forcing raise, usually showing an unbalanced hand (else 2NT or 3NT) with length in opener's suit (else 1D or 2C). These are going to be rare hands by definiton.

 

I don't actually love this -- I'd rather have 1m - 2m game forcing and the jump-shifts invitational -- but it is consistent with the major suit raise scheme and thus easier to remember.

 

This creates a hole over 1D openings where responder has a club suit, less than four card diamond support, no four card major, and only invitational values. To fix that, we'd make 2/1's game forcing only over major suits opening bids; 2♣/1♦ shows only invitational values if responder rebids 2NT or 3♣. Also we could say opener's 2NT rebid in that auction shows 12-14 HCP balanced, and that responder can pass it with less than GF values.

 

Thanks very much for any thoughts, gotchas I haven't seen, or other useful info. :-)

[Winstonm]

You might want to look at the Blue Club 4C/4D convention.

[han]

I think that would be a good idea to make the following changes over 1S:

 

3C: forcing raise.

3D: limit raise.

3H: mixed raise.

 

This is easy to remember, as the order is the same as over 1H (lowest JS is best). Fred recommends this structure in his "improving 2/1" articles, take a look at it if you haven't done that yet! Over 3C you have more room, and you'll need it. Over the limit and mixed raises you don't need much room, just bid game if you think you have reasonable play for it :rolleyes:.

[errline]

Yes, I had read Fred's Improving 2/1 articles.

 

I like that structure fine. It's just a matter of convincing partners to play it. :-)

 

I agree that it's really suboptimal to take up so much room with the forcing raise.

 

Is there a recommended response structure for 2S and 3C?

[Fluffy]

The jumps to 3NT with 16-17 looks awful to me, althou I can't really say why. (yeha I can, ,preempts the bidding when partner has 2 suiter).

 

What are you gonna do with 19 balanced?.

[han]

Yes, I had read Fred's Improving 2/1 articles.

 

I like that structure fine. It's just a matter of convincing partners to play it. :-)

 

I agree that it's really suboptimal to take up so much room with the forcing raise.

 

Is there a recommended response structure for 2S and 3C?

Fred also has recommendations for a structure over 2S and 3C, but if you have trouble convincing your partners to play the above, then the forcing raise structure might be far too much.

 

You could play something simpler like this:

 

1st step: minimum. (cheapest step asks to pattern out as below)

2nd step: extras, no shortness.

3rd step: extras, singleton or void somewhere (cheapest step asks).

4th step: good 5-card side suit, extras (cheapest step asks).

 

This is somewhat similar to the structure that Fred gives but easier. He also can differentiate between 5 trumps or longer.

[errline]

The jumps to 3NT with 16-17 looks awful to me, althou I can't really say why. (yeha I can, ,preempts the bidding when partner has 2 suiter).

 

What are you gonna do with 19 balanced?.

With 19 you would bid 2NT, then bid again over partner's almost certain signoff to show the big hand. But you sure have eaten up a lot of bidding room. That hand has never come up for me though.

 

I'm kind of thinking out loud here. :D

 

Many players in my area play (or at least used to play) that 3NT/1M shows 13-15 HCP balanced and a doubleton in opener's major. I suppose this means that over 1H it would have to be specifically 3-2-4-4 shape. I never liked that treatment, for the same reason -- it preempts opener's second suit.

 

Anyway I think I've been talked out of the 16-17 HCP 3NT bid, and also 2NT on 18-19. 2/1 could show 5 cards, OR a good 4 card suit in a very good hand of 16+ HCP. That leaves 3NT open for a concealed splinter over 1♠ or something. Just what I was trying to get away from -- adding complexity. :)