REBID SITUATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 19

REBID SITUATIONS

We conclude the series of discussions on the rebid. situations, with rebids after partner's raise, the responding hand's rebids, and showing preference. . . REBIDS AFTER PARTNER'S RAISE. When partner has raised the opening- one-bid, the opener should count the. total number of playing tricks in his hand. If there has been no intervening bid, he must, when rebidding, take into consideration the possibility that the raise was a shaded one. -With 5i winners, he may rebid to the -level of three. With 7 winners he may rebid to the level of four. In either case, an3'. bid in a new suit, by the opener is forcing, for one round; he ma 3' safely bid two or thrse in a new | suit, even when prepared to bid to game later, knowing that his partner must respond. ' j Examples: South. West. North. East. . , 1 y Pass !f Pass ■■■ 3-.* ■•.--.■•' ' North may pass three hearts. 1 9 Pass 2 y Pass ■ 3-f ' . . . -. ' Northl, may not. pass three diamonds.

•his minimum as 3. honour-tricks,- and after partner's response of anything other than one no-trump will- rebid freely with any additional strength in either honour-tricks ; or distribution. •'' The responder counts his minimum -as one honour-trick if he has made a one-over-one response or a one notrump take-out, and rebids freely on any strength in addition: _ " ;: If the . responder has made a ; twp-over-one suit response, the opener in rebidding has already .assumed that the responder has H or 2 honour* tricks! so that unless' forced by ■■"trie opener, the responder must pass any rebid • unless he has. further ' values than those already shown by his takeout, i. SHOWING PREFERENCE, t It sometimes happens that the opening bidder, in spite.of having received no encouragement whatever from his partner, has bid two suits. When this happens, the partner must, show which of the two suits he ■ prefers Thb. course is obligatory even' '«itn the weakest of hands. : He must choose as follows: — ■ ".: 1. With equal length in each of trie opener's suits (as 3 and 3) he should usually prefer the first-bid suit, even though in the second he is ' stronger in high cards. For instance, suppose the opener bids one spade, and-the bidding goes— ' . _■■'■"'. * South. West. North. East. ■ 1 4 2 Jf> Pass » Pass-.."- •"' 2 ¥ : _. ;' ",| ■• or— . . . . .: •' ':. ".. 1 £ Pass ' IX.T. 'Pass" ■:■■ ':, 2 f • ■':- "'" , ■■'' . ;:-i: r the responder should ; bid two spades, even, though his spades. are...9.7.3.',^and hearts are X.10.8. : '. ' . ;' 2. With greater length" in .'one of.,.the opener's suits, he should prefer that suit, even though he has" higher .cards in the other.suit. For instance he >will show preference'for the suit in which he holds 7.5.3.,; over the suit in vri'sal* he holds A.J. only. ■■■'■. - There is one exception to this rule, and that 'occurs when the opener has "reversed", in making'his opening bid. (The , bid of a • higher-ranking suit by a player who has opened with a lowerranking suit is called a' "reverse.-') In this case, the responder should not raise the second suit without four trumps. Holding three /cards of each suit he should return to partner's firstbid suit, however weak his hand. With a very weak hand he may pass tHe second suit bid if he has three cards in it, and only two cards of the first suit. -.'■■" ', Preference may be shown by. .;" (a) Passing the second suit bid. : (b) Returning to. the first suit bid at the lowest possible minimum. These are both minimum responses, and must not be taken as showing support.- For example: \ ■South. West.. North. 'East.: ■ " 1 4 Pass ' 2 £ Pass' < 2 * .-Pass 2 £ . . is no stronger than ) 1 4 Pass 21 ' 2y. Pass Pass ' ] When North goes back to two spades, Souths first suit, it simply means'that he prefers spades. When he passes the two-heart bid, he shows that he prefers that suit. If strong enough to raise (that is, if in the above cases North held adequate trump support with about four playing tricks for one or other of the suits) he must jump one trick to show that he has a raise for the first-bid suit; or give a free raise if he can support the second-bid feuit. For example: ■ South. West. North. East. 1 Pass 2 JL Pass"2 ¥; Pass 3^ "; is the same as 1 ' Pass .■ 2 Jf, Pass'■; ' If i Pass '■ 3 y .'■ :-^yAlthough in the first case-'.ffirea spades seems to be a. jump raise,'it is actually: only, a single raise, as putting South back, to two spades would only show a preference' for the spade suit. In the second case North.,xan raise the heart suit without -increa> ing- the contract. ~->-