Commonly Used Conventions Lesson 5

LESSON 5
Minor-Suit Openings
and Responses
General Concepts
General Introduction
Group Activities
Sample Deals
214 Commonly Used Conventions in the 21st Century
General Concepts
Minor-Suit Openings and Responses

This lesson covers minor-suit openings and responses. There aren’t many popular conventions
associated with minor-suit openings, so this lesson focuses on clearing up a number of areas from
which the partnership can benefit. For more experienced players, this lesson may be more of a review
than the introduction of new conventions. You might want to focus on completing the appropriate
area of the convention card, as you are discussing the various topics in this lesson.
Bidding
There are many misconceptions regarding minor-suit openings and responses. The material on
bidding covers such concepts as the short club, counting dummy points when raising a minor suit
and handling limit and forcing raises.
With an experienced group, you may want to add some material on the subject of inverted minor
raises. There are some examples in the textbook. While this isn’t one of the standard conventions
covered in this series, it is popular in many areas and eliminates some problems associated with
minor-suit raises. However, it isn’t an approach recommended for casual players.
Here are the topics covered:
Opening Bids of 1 and 1

This is a basic review of minor-suit opening bids with an emphasis on clearing up misunder-
standings about the short club.
Third and Fourth Positions

This section covers the effect of the position at the table on opening bids of 1 and 1. The
Rule of 15, introduced in an earlier lesson, is applied to opening minor-suit bids in fourth
position.
Limit versus Forcing Raises

While this material may seem like a review to the more experienced students, there are likely
to be enough points of interest to make going over these examples worthwhile. A key element
is that there is no forcing raise of a minor suit using standard methods. This can lead to some
complications. With an experienced group, you can branch out into a discussion of the merits
of inverted minor-suit raises.
Suit Responses to 1 and 1

This basic material serves as an excellent review for a more experienced group.
Lesson 5 — Minor-Suit Openings and Responses 215
Notrump Responses to 1 and 1

There is confusion about the different meanings assigned to notrump bids in various auctions,
especially 2NT. Over a major-suit opening, 2NT is a conventional bid showing a forcing raise.
Over a minor-suit opening, 2NT shows a balanced hand limited to 13 to 15 points. After an
overcall, 2NT is a natural invitational bid with 11 or 12 points. After a takeout double, 2NT
is a conventional bid showing a limit raise. This section should be used to clarify the natural
use of notrump responses over a minor-suit opening.
Handling Interference
This section includes the use of a cuebid as a forcing raise after an overcall and the use of 2NT
as a limit raise or better after a takeout double. This will be a review of these concepts if they
were covered in a previous lesson. Otherwise, it’s important to introduce them at this point.
With a more experienced group, you can expand the topic to include the use of the cuebid as
a limit raise or better — probably an improvement over the standard approach.
Play & Defense

Since the practice deals involve minor-suit openings and responses, it can be expected that there
will be some deviation from the recommended auction. Let the players bid the hands in their own
fashion and play the resulting contracts. There are several interesting play concepts in the deals,
however, so you should discuss the play and defense after a discussion of the bidding puts everyone
in the recommended contract.
The deals involve some challenging play and defense concepts:
• Safety play.
• Uppercut.
• Avoidance (several variations).
The first deal has a potential uppercut for the defenders if declarer doesn’t handle the trump suit
correctly. There are a number of variations, so you might want to skip most of the discussion with
a basic group — saving time for other deals. With an experienced group, go through some of the
possibilities.
The second deal is very interesting for students at all levels. Knowing when to play second hand
high on the opening lead is a difficult concept. You could spend some time discussing the difference
between Q–x opposite J–x–x and Q–x opposite K–x–x. Even after handling this combination correctly,
it’s quite likely that most declarers will be defeated when they don’t guard against the unexpected
division of the cards.
The third deal provides a chance to discuss the Rule of Eleven from declarer’s perspective. Again,
most declarers will go down when they don’t take into consideration an unlucky lie of the defenders’
cards.
The fourth deal contains an interesting defensive possibility which declarer can counter through
good technique. This is a useful type of practice deal — with opportunities for both sides to shine. It
may be a bit much for a basic group, but there’s lots to discuss with a more advanced class.
General Introduction
Minor-suit opening bids can be unclear when the partnership uses a five-card major style. There’s
often a feeling that an opening bid in a minor suit isn’t a natural bid. That’s not the case. There may be
times when system dictates a minor-suit opening on a three-card suit, but the bidding is still natural.
There is also uncertainty when raising a minor suit: How many trumps do you need to support? Do
you count dummy points? Should you play in notrump rather than the minor suit? The objective of
this lesson is to put the students more at ease handling minor-suit openings and responses.
You might start like this:
“In this lesson, we will look at the minor suits, which tend to get ignored
because of the emphasis on major suits and notrump contracts. Handling
minor suits effectively, however, can often be the stepping stone to reaching
the best contract, even if that is a major suit or notrump. The partnership
needs to exchange information effectively after a minor-suit opening, and
that will be the focus of this lesson.”
Group Activities
Opening Bids of 1 and 1
Introduction
“Opening bids of 1 and 1 cover a wide range of hands. They can be
used when:
• You have an unbalanced hand with a long minor suit;
• You have a balanced hand that falls outside the 15 to 17 point range; or
• You can’t open 1 or 1 because you don’t have a five-card suit.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about an opening bid of 1. Because you
often hear terms such as ‘better minor,’ ‘convenient club’ and ‘short club,’
you might be under the impression that partner usually holds a three-card
suit for an opening bid of 1. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“What do you think is the most likely number of cards partner holds
in the suit for an opening bid of 1? (Four.) The most common number
is four.
“What do you think is the next most likely number? (Five.) The next
most likely number is five.
“What do you think is the next most frequent holding in the club suit?
(Six.) Partner is more likely to hold four, five or six clubs than three clubs.
It’s important to keep that in mind.
“Let’s get started by looking at the types of hands you would open with a
minor suit.”
Instructions
“The cards are sorted into suits. Give each player one suit and construct the
following hand for South.
“In spades: the king and a low card.
“In hearts: the king and three low cards.
“In diamonds: the ace, the queen, the jack and two low cards.
“In clubs: two low cards.
North South South

1 Kx
Kxxx
AQJxx
xx
“Remember, we want the cards in neat straight lines, with the high cards
toward the edge of the table.”
Check that each table has the correct starting hand set up dummy style in front of South.
“What would the opening bid be? (1.) This is a typical minor-suit open-
ing bid of 1. With an unbalanced hand, you open the longest suit.
“Change the South hand.
“In diamonds: take away the ace.
“In clubs: add the ace.
South
North South
Kx
1
Kxxx
QJxx
Axx
“What’s the opening bid? (1.) A balanced hand with 13 high-card points
is too weak to open 1NT when your range is 15 to 17 points. This is the type
of hand that would be opened 1NT if the partnership played a weak notrump
style. With no five-card or longer major-suit, open the longer minor suit,
1. Playing a four-card major-suit style, this hand might be opened 1.
However, even partnerships playing four-card majors sometimes prefer that
the major suit contain at least 4 points. So, they might also open 1.
“In spades: take away the king.
“In clubs: add the king.
South
North South
x
1
Kxxx
QJxx
AKxx
“Now what? (1/1.) When you have a choice of four-card minor suits,
the standard agreement is to open 1. However, some partnerships prefer to
open the ‘better minor’ in this situation and would start with 1. It doesn’t
matter too much which style you adopt. The important thing is for you and
your partner to agree on which suit you would open with this hand. We will
recommend 1 with four cards in both minors.
“In spades: add the king and two low cards.
“In diamonds: take away a low card.
“In clubs: take away the king and a low card.
North South South

1 Kxxx
Kxxx
QJx
Ax
“What’s your choice of opening bid? (1.) With no five-card major

suit, open the longer minor suit. That sometimes leads to an opening bid
on a three-card suit. You’re not planning to play in the minor suit. Maybe
partner will bid a major suit and you can show support on the next round
— or you might play in a notrump contract. Nonetheless, this hand might
be played with diamonds as trumps — if partner passes or raises the suit.
That’s fine.
“Some partnerships playing five-card majors also prefer that an opening
bid of 1 shows at least a four-card suit. In that case, they would open 1
with this hand. That is the actual short club convention, but it’s not standard
practice. An opening bid in a minor usually is assumed to be a three-card
or longer suit.”
For any students who do play the short club, you can point out that it requires an Announcement.
“In spades: take away a low card.
“In clubs: add a low card.
North South South

1 Kxx
Kxxx
QJx
Axx
“What’s the opening bid? (1.) The standard guideline is to open 1
with three cards in each minor. Some partnerships prefer to open the ‘better’
minor suit, but it would be difficult to say which is the better minor in this
hand. It’s easier to stick with the guideline.
“In spades: add the ace.
“In clubs: take away the ace and add a low card.
North South South

1 AKxx
Kxxx
QJ
xxx
“What do you open? (1.) With no five-card major, open the longer minor.
You’re stuck with 1 here — the worse case scenario. You hope you won’t
have to play with clubs as trumps, but you might. You also hope partner
won’t be on opening lead and lead your ‘suit’ — but that might happen
also. This is the type of hand that delights partnerships using a four-card
major style.

“In hearts: take away a low card.
“In clubs: add the king and a low card.
South
North South
AKx
1NT
Kxx
QJ
Kxxxx
“Now what’s the opening bid? (1NT.) Not all hands that have a minor suit
are opened 1 or 1. With a balanced hand and 15 to 17 points, open
1NT.
“In hearts: add two low cards.
“In diamonds: take away the queen.
“In clubs: add the queen and take away a low card.
South
North South
AK
1
Kxxxx
J
KQxxx
“What do you open with this hand? (1.) With two five-card suits, the
guideline is to open the higher-ranking suit, no matter the strength in the suit.
“In spades: add three low cards.
“In hearts: take away three low cards.
South
North South
AKxxx
1
Kx
J
KQxxx
“So, what do you bid? (1/1.) There isn’t universal agreement on the
best opening bid with five spades and five clubs. The guideline is to open
the higher-ranking suit, 1. That’s consistent, and you’ll have an easy time
if partner responds 1NT. You can show the second suit by bidding 2.
“It won’t be so easy if partner responds 2 or 2. To show the second suit,
you would have to bid 3, and that might get the partnership too high if no
fit can be found. If partner does respond 2 or 2, you might settle for a
rebid of 2, even though partner will expect a six-card suit.
“Some partnerships prefer to open 1 with this distribution. If partner re-
sponds 1 or 1, then the spades can be shown at the one level. Of course,
if partner responds 1NT, you will have to bid 2 to show the second suit, and
the auction may get out of control. It’s really a matter of partnership style.
Opening either 1 or 1 could work, depending on what responder has to
say. For consistency, we suggest opening 1, the higher-ranking suit.”
There’s no need to get into too much discussion of reverses at this point. That subject will be
covered in the next lesson.
“In spades: take away the king and a low card.
“In clubs: take away the king and add the jack, the ten and a low card.
North South South

1 Axx
Kx
J
 Q J 10 x x x x
“What’s the opening bid? (1.) Now you are back to a standard 1 open-
ing bid. With 11 high-card points plus 3 length points for the seven-card
suit, this hand is too strong for a preemptive opening bid of 3.
“After seeing what opening bids in a minor suit look like, let’s turn our
attention to responder. Turn the cards in the South hand face down, and
construct a hand for North, as responder.
“In spades: the jack and three low cards.
“In hearts: the queen and four low cards.
“In diamonds: three low cards.
“In clubs: one low card.
North North South South

Jxxx 1 Axx
Qxxxx Pass Kx
xxx J
x  Q J 10 x x x x
“Imagine now that you hold the North hand. I’m your partner as South
and I open the bidding 1. What will you bid? (Pass/1.) With 3 high-
card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit, you don’t have enough
to make a bid as responder. The general guideline is that a new suit response
at the one level shows 6 or more points.
“What’s the reason you don’t want to pass partner’s 1 opening bid?
(Short clubs; better contract.)
“As mentioned earlier, just because the 1 opening bid is sometimes made
on a three-card suit is no reason to drastically modify your bidding to allow
for that possibility. Opener figures to have four or more clubs for an open-
ing bid of 1. The fewer clubs you have, the more likely that opener has
more than four. By bidding, you overstate your values and also risk getting
the partnership into trouble. A new-suit response is forcing, so partner must
bid again, even with minimum values.
“The 1 bid is not forcing. If partner insists that you respond holding this
type of hand, you should change to a forcing club system where the 1
bid can’t be passed. Systems of this type, such as Precision Club, use the
1 opening as a conventional bid on strong hands, replacing the standard
strong bids, such as the 2 opening.
“To see what might happen if you respond, turn opener’s cards — the South
hand — face up.
“What would happen if you passed South’s opening bid of 1? (Seven
tricks.) If left to play there, partner probably would take seven tricks and
make the 1 contract, taking five club tricks, one heart and the A. If the
opponents competed in a major suit, you would also be happy defending.
“What would happen if you bid over 1? (Get too high.) If you responded
1, partner would have to make a rebid and would bid 2. Now the part-
nership is too high. In fact, if the opponents competed, partner might bid
to 3 or higher, expecting some strength in your hand. Had you passed,
partner would not get too excited about the hand. By bidding, you take the
partnership out of a good contract and into trouble.
“Of course, opener’s hand doesn’t have to be so well arranged to make clubs
the best trump suit.
“In diamonds: add the queen and a low card.
“In clubs: take away two low cards.
North South
North South
Jxxx Axx
1
Qxxxx Kx
Pass
xxx QJx
x  Q J 10 x x
“These could be the combined hands. Now 1 isn’t an attractive contract.
If North responds, however, the partnership isn’t going to reach a better
spot. 1NT or 2 may fare worse than 1. Also, the partnership has only
16 high-card points between the combined hands. If North is silent, the op-
ponents are very likely to come into the bidding and play the hand. North
doesn’t mind defending.”
Summary
“Opening bids of 1 and 1:
• Usually show a four-card or longer suit.
• Can occasionally be made on a three-card suit when opener has no
five-card major and no four-card or longer minor.
“Responder shouldn’t be overly concerned with opener holding a three-
card suit. With a choice of four-card minor suits, open 1. With a choice of
three-card minor suits, open 1.”
Third and Fourth-Position Openings
Introduction
“In the discussion of opening bids of 1 and 1, light opening bids in
third and fourth position were considered. Drury is a conventional method
for keeping the partnership at a reasonable level after a major-suit opening
bid in third or fourth position. After a minor-suit opening bid, there’s no
convention comparable to Drury, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t oc-
casionally open light in third or fourth position.”
Instructions
“Pick up all of the cards in the North hand and put them back into suits.
“In hearts: take away the king and add two low cards.
“In diamonds: take away the queen and add a low card.
“In clubs: take away the ten and a low card and add the king.
South
North South
Axx
Pass 1
xxx
Jxx
KQJx
“Suppose North is the dealer and North passes. East also passes. South
is in third position. Would you open? (Yes.) There are 11 high-card points.
That’s not quite enough for an opening bid in first or second position, but
it’s quite reasonable to open 1 in third position.
“What are some advantages of opening? (Buy contract/lead/disturb op-
ponents.) It’s possible that your side can make a plus score. Partner could
have 10 or 11 points and not have opened the bidding. Since partner didn’t
open the bidding, it’s more likely that the deal belongs to the opponents.
Your bid, however, may cause them to bid too little or too much. If you do
defend, the 1 bid may get the partnership off to the best defense if North
is on lead.
“Are there any disadvantages to opening the bidding? (Yes.) It’s possible
to get too high. Partner won’t know that the opening is a little light and may
compete for the contract to too high a level. Also, you may run into difficulty
finding a suitable rebid. There is the advantage that partner is a passed hand,
so a new-suit bid is no longer forcing. If you decide to open light in third
position, you should feel comfortable passing whatever partner bids. If you
open light with an unbalanced hand and partner bids your short suit, you
will be poorly placed if you bid again.
“Most competitive players would open this hand in third position, since the
potential advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However …
“What if West is the dealer and there are three passes to the South hand?
(Pass.) With a borderline hand in fourth position, you have the choice of
bidding and trying for a small plus score or passing the deal out. You can
apply the Rule of 15. Add the number of spades you hold to the high-card
points. If the total is 15 or more, open the bidding; otherwise, pass. On this
hand, you have three spades and 11 high-card points — a total of 14. The
guideline recommends passing.
“In hearts: take away a low card and add the ace and the king.
“In clubs: take away the king and the queen and add a low card.
South
North South
Axx
Pass 1 (?)
AKxx
Jxx
Jxx
“This hand has a full 13 high-card points. What would you open in first
or second position? (1.) Playing five-card majors, open the longer minor.
With a choice of three-card suits, open 1.
“What if you are in third position? (1/1.) You could make the stan-
dard opening bid of 1, but many players might prefer an opening bid
of 1. Partner is a passed hand, so it’s unlikely that your side can make
game. It’s probably going to be a partscore battle between the two sides.
If East–West buy the contract, you would prefer that partner lead a heart
rather than a club. The 1 opening bid should get partner off to the best
lead. If partner raises with only three-card support, you don’t plan to go
any higher anyway, and your side’s bidding may push the opponents higher
than they would like to be.
“Although it is usual to open the longest suit, there are always exceptions.
“In spades: take away the ace.
“In hearts: take away the ace and the king.
“In diamonds: take away two low cards and add the ace, the king and the
queen.
“In clubs: add two low cards.
North South South

Pass 1 (?) xx
xx
AKQJ
Jxxxx
“With 11 high-card points plus 1 for the five-card suit, there’s nothing
wrong with passing in first position. If North and East both pass, how-
ever, what might you do in third position? (1.) If you do decide to open
this hand, 1 makes more sense than 1. You would definitely prefer a
diamond lead if you are defending, and it also leaves you better placed for
a suitable rebid if partner responds 1 or 1. You can bid 2 to show the
second suit. If you open 1, the situation is awkward if partner responds
1 or 1. Bidding 2 at this point would force partner to bid 3 with
equal preference for the two suits. Now you would be much too high.”
If the students are already familiar with the concept of reverses, this last point will be obvious.
If not, this is a topic that will be discussed further in the next lesson.
“What would you do in fourth position? (Pass.) 11 high-card points plus
two spades leaves this hand well short of satisfying the Rule of 15. Opening
it in fourth position will give the opponents an opportunity to back into the
auction in one of the major suits. Some things are best left alone.”
Summary
“You can open light in third or fourth position, but your hand should satisfy
the Rule of 15 to open in fourth position. With fewer than 13 points, you are
probably competing for partscore at best. For tactical reasons, therefore, you
might choose to open a four-card major or a suit which you want partner
to lead if you defend.”
➥ “Let’s do Exercise 1 in the student text to

review what we have just discussed.”
Exercise One — Opening Minor Suits

What is your opening call with each of the following hands in first or second position? What
would you call with the same hands if you have an opportunity to open in third or fourth position?
1)  4 2) 754 3) 2
 J 4  A Q 6 AKJ3
 K J 8 7 3  K 3 Q974
 A K 9 6 3 AQJ85 K862
________ ________ ________
4)  Q 8 7 3 5) QJ76 6) AJ873
 A 8 4  K J 6 3 A
 A 9 6  Q 8 4 KJ9653
 K 10 7  A 7 3
________ ________ ________
Exercise One Answer — Opening Minor Suits

1) 1st/2nd: 1. Open the higher-ranking of two five-card suits.
3rd: 1. Normal opening bid.
4th: Pass. The Rule of 15 — 12 high-card points plus one spade.
2) 1st/2nd: 1NT. With a balanced hand, open 1NT even with a five-card suit.
3rd/4th: 1NT. No reason to change the opening bid.
3) 1st/2nd: 1. Open the higher ranking of two four-card minor suits.
3rd: 1 or 1. You can open a good four-card major suit occasionally in third position.
4th: Pass or 1 or 1. The Rule of 15 suggests passing — 13 high-card points plus one
spade. If you do open, 1 might be the best choice.
4) 1st/2nd: 1. With a choice between three-card minor suits, open 1.
3rd: 1. Still open 1. The spades aren’t robust enough to warrant opening the four-card
suit.
4th: 1. The Rule of 15 — 13 high-card points plus four spades.
5) 1st/2nd: 1. Open the longer minor suit.
3rd: 1 or 1. It might be more effective to open a four-card major suit. Opening 1 gives
you the best chance of finding a major-suit fit.
4th: 1 or 1. The Rule of 15 — 13 high-card points plus four spades.
6) 1st/2nd: 1. Open the longest suit, even with a five-card major.
3rd/4th: 1. Nothing has changed.
Limit Versus Forcing Raises
Introduction
“The partnership must decide how to treat a jump raise to the three level
over a minor-suit opening. The style we will recommend is to treat the jump
raise as a limit raise — an invitational bid showing 10 or 11 points. That
leaves you with the dilemma of what to do when you hold a forcing raise,
so let’s look at some ways to handle those hands.
“Before getting to that subject, however, let’s review some issues related to
raising opener’s minor suit.”
Instructions
“Pick up all of the cards in the South hand and put them back into suits.
Construct a hand for North.
“In spades: two low cards.
“In hearts: two low cards.
“In diamonds: the ace, the jack and two low cards.
“In clubs: the jack and four low cards.
North North South
xx
1
xx
2
AJxx
Jxxxx
“Suppose South is the dealer and opens 1. If West passes, what do
you respond? (2.) With support for partner’s suit and enough strength
to raise to the two level, bid 2. There’s no need to mention the diamond
suit. You’ve already found a fit.
“Is there an eight-card fit? (Yes.) Even if partner opened with a three-card
club suit, you have an eight-card fit.
“What if partner opened 1, rather than 1? (2.) With this hand,
raise to 2.
“Are you guaranteed an eight-card diamond fit? (No.) Opener may have
three, but will usually have four or more diamonds.
“What’s the only exception? (Exactly 4–4–3–2.) With four cards in both
minors, opener bids 1. With three cards in both minors, opener bids 1.
Only if opener has precisely four spades, four hearts, three diamonds and
two clubs, would you be in a seven-card fit. Partner starts with the longer
minor. This situation is not worth worrying about. Besides, there’s no reason
that 2 couldn’t be a better contract than 1NT, even if it is a seven-card fit.
So, the guideline for raising partner’s minor suit is that you should have at
least five-card support for clubs and four-card support for diamonds.
“Change the North hand.

“In spades: add a low card.
“In clubs: take away two low cards and add the queen.
North North South

xxx 1
xx 1
AJxx
QJxx
“What would you bid if partner opened 1? (1.) Rather than raise
clubs on only four-card support, you have the alternative of bidding 1,
showing the four-card diamond suit. You shouldn’t be afraid to raise partner’s
club suit with four-card support, but here there is another option.
“There are actually some advantages to raising directly to 2. What
might they be? (Limit strength; harder for opponents to compete.) By raising
to 2, you immediately limit the strength of the hand to 6 to 9 points, so
opener is in a good position to judge the level of the contract. If you respond
1, that’s a forcing bid and your hand is unlimited. Opener has to bid again,
and you may never get an opportunity to show your exact strength or club
support — especially if the opponents interfere. That’s another reason for
raising to 2 right away. If you respond 1, East has a chance to enter
the bidding at the one level — overcalling 1 or 1, for example. If you
raise immediately to 2, West may not be as eager to enter the auction at
the two level. There’s not much danger in raising to 2 with only four-card
support. Remember. The most common number of clubs for opener to hold
is four, and opener is more likely to have five or six clubs than three.
“In competitive auctions, be even more ready to raise opener’s minor
with less than ideal support. If partner opens 1 and West overcalls
1, for example, what should North bid? (2.) North doesn’t have to bid
over the overcall, but it would be very timid not to compete for the contract.
Most players would raise to 2 with this hand. If opener has a three-card
suit, tough luck, but the auction isn’t over. A raise may push the opponents
too high. In addition, when West overcalls in a major suit, it reduces the
likelihood that partner has four cards in that major and, therefore, increases
the probability that partner has four or more clubs.
“The same would be true if partner opened 1 and West overcalled 1.
You would certainly raise to 2 with this hand and, if one of the low dia-
monds were a low club, you might raise on three-card support as well. You
might land in a 3–3 fit, but that just makes for an interesting play problem
for partner. You can’t be perfect in competitive situations.
“Enough about the trump support needed to raise opener right away. Let’s
look at the strength required.

North
North South
xxx
1
x
2/3
AJxx
QJxxx
“A raise to the two level shows 6 to 9 points. Since we’re using limit raises,
a raise to the three level shows 10 or 11 points.
“What do you bid if partner opens the bidding 1? (2/3.) It all
depends on what is meant by ‘points.’ When planning to raise opener’s ma-
jor suit, you count dummy points — points for shortness instead of length.
You usually use a scale of 5 points for a void, 3 points for a singleton, and
1 point for a doubleton.
“If you count dummy points, how much is the hand worth in response
to the 1 bid? (11 points.) There are 8 high-card points plus 3 dummy
points for the singleton. That’s 11 points, enough to put the hand into the
category for a limit raise to 3.
“Can anyone see a problem with that? (Opener might expect more high-
card strength.) Provided the partnership plays with clubs as trumps, the
singleton heart is likely to be of value, but what if the partnership finishes in
notrump? That rarely happens when the partnership has found a major-suit
fit, but it is quite common when the partnership doesn’t have a major-suit
fit. If North makes a limit raise showing 10 or 11 points, South is likely to
accept the invitation with a little extra strength — 14 or 15 points perhaps.
With a reasonably balanced hand, however, South is likely to choose the
nine-trick contract of 3NT rather than the 11-trick contract of 5. In that
case, North’s lack of high-card strength will be a disappointment, and the
singleton heart will be a liability instead of an asset.
“There’s no perfect solution to this dilemma. Most players do count dummy
points when deciding between a single raise and a jump raise, but prefer to
be on the high side on the range, rather than the low side. It never hurts to
have a little in reserve. If opener does decide to play game in the minor suit,
the partnership will need about 28 or 29 combined points anyway.
“This hand would be borderline for a limit raise to 3. With 8 high-card
points, many players would pull back a little and raise to only 2, plan-
ning to compete further if the opposition gets into the auction. However,
there are advantages to jumping to 3 with this hand. It makes it difficult
for the opponents to get into the auction. A raise to 2 gives them more
room. There’s no right answer, but if you raise to 3 with this hand, don’t
be surprised when partner bids 3NT and struggles to make the contract.

“In hearts: add the jack.
North North South

xx 1
Jx
AJxx 3
QJxxx
“South opens 1. What do you bid? (3.) This is more like a sound limit
raise to 3. There are 9 high-card points plus 1 for the five-card suit. If
partner bids 3NT, this should be an excellent dummy. If you count dummy
points, you would come to a similar conclusion. The hand is worth 11
points — 9 high-card points plus 1 for each doubleton — the right sort of
strength for a limit raise. If partner can’t make a move over an invitational
raise, you’re probably high enough.
“What if partner opened 1, instead of 1? (2/3.) It would be rea-
sonable to make an immediate limit raise to 3. However, there’s enough
strength to bid a new suit at the two level, 2, planning to show the diamond
support on the next round. That will be more descriptive, but it may lead
to a more complicated auction. If partner raises to 3 or rebids 2NT, for
example, many partnerships would treat a 3 bid as forcing. If the partner-
ship hasn’t discussed sequences like this, the straightforward approach of
treating this hand as a limit raise in diamonds may be best.
“Minor suits present more of a challenge than major suits because of the
notrump aspect. If you stop in a partscore, there’s nothing much wrong
with playing in a good minor-suit fit. If you’re going to the game level, you
prefer to play in 3NT rather than 5 or 5 whenever possible. Nine tricks
are easier than 11 unless you have a lot of extra strength or some suitable
distribution.
“The difficulty with minor suits is even more apparent when you have enough
strength for a forcing raise.
“In hearts: take away a low card and add the ace.
North
North South
xx 1
AJ 1 (?)
AJxx
QJxxx
“If partner opens 1, what will you respond? (1.) With 13 high-card
points and 1 point for the five-card suit, you are too strong to make a limit
raise to 3, showing 10 or 11 points. Over a major suit, you can use 2NT as
a forcing raise — the Jacoby 2NT convention — because you never intend
to play in notrump after finding a major-suit fit. The same isn’t true over
a minor suit. Most partnerships prefer to use the jump to 2NT or 3NT as
a natural bid — showing a desire to play in notrump — over a minor suit.
We’ll talk more about that later. You don’t want to immediately suggest
notrump, since you have nothing in the spade suit. You want to tell partner
about the club fit and your strength.
“Playing standard methods with limit raises, there is no easy way to show
a forcing raise in a minor suit. Start by bidding a new suit. Here, you can
bid 1. Opener’s rebid may make the next bid easier.
“Suppose North responds 1 and opener rebids 1NT. What now? (3NT.)
If opener has a minimum balanced hand, it sounds as though 3NT will be
the best spot. You don’t have to mention your clubs at all. They’ll come as
a surprise for partner — and the opponents.
“Unfortunately, the auction may not proceed comfortably at all.
“Suppose opener rebids 1 instead of 1NT. Now what? (3NT.) You still
can’t conveniently show club support. A jump to 3 at this point — an old
suit at the three level — would be invitational, showing 10 or 11 points. So
would a jump to 2NT. Probably the best choice is to jump to 3NT and hope
that works out. You do have all of the suits stopped, and there’s no reason
to believe that 5 would be any better, or that you have a slam.
“It would be even more difficult if partner rebid 1 over 1. Now it
would be dangerous to jump to 3NT with no expectation that your side has
any length or strength in spades. You could jump to 4 — that would be
forcing — but you would miss any chance of playing in 3NT. To keep the
bidding going, you might have to resort to the ploy of bidding a new suit,
1, as a forcing bid. We’re going to discuss the bid of the fourth suit as a
forcing bid in the next lesson. The point here, however, is that the auction
can become complex when the partnership has no immediate forcing raise
of a minor suit.
“There are some conventional ways around this dilemma, however, most
partnerships usually manage quite well without a forcing raise. It won’t be
that often that you are stuck for a bid. We’ll look at some other options for
responding to 1 and 1 in a moment.”
You may want to skip the next example with a basic class. Even a more experienced group may
have some difficulty with the concepts involved.
“Sometimes you have to be a little inventive when responding to a minor
suit with a game-going hand.

“In diamonds: take away the jack.
North North South

xx 1
AQ 1 (?)
Axx
QJxxxx
“If partner, South, opens 1, you don’t have a good first response. Bidding
notrump with no stopper in spades is taking a big risk.
“What might you respond if partner opens 1? (1.) You can manu-
facture a response of 1 and wait to see what opener does next. Hopefully,
you’ll then be in a better position to know what to do. You don’t intend to
play in diamonds. You’re using the 1 response as a forcing bid. If partner
raises to 2, you plan to show club support — probably by jumping to 4
to make sure that partner doesn’t pass. You don’t mind playing with clubs as
trumps if partner has an unbalanced hand with clubs and diamonds. There
might even be a slam.”
With an experienced group you can discuss whether 3 in this sequence would be forcing
(1–1–2–3). Without a specific agreement, most partnerships would play it as non-forcing,
but the partnership should discuss such sequences.
Summary
“Over a minor-suit opening:
• You should ideally have four-card or longer support to raise diamonds and
five-card or longer support to raise clubs.
• When deciding how high to raise, be cautious about using dummy points.
If opener chooses a notrump contract, your short suits won’t be of any
value.
• Most partnerships use a single raise to show 6 to 9 points and a jump raise
as a limit raise showing 10 or 11 points. In this style, there is no immediate
forcing raise.
• You usually start by making a forcing bid, by bidding a new suit, hoping
to be able to determine the best contract after hearing opener’s rebid.”

Exercise Two — Raising Opener’s Minor

Partner opens the bidding 1, and the next player passes. What do you respond with the fol-
lowing hands?
1)  10 8 2 2) 95 3) K85
 Q 9 3  7 4 3 Q62
 J 8 7 5 2  A 8 2 J95
 4 2  K J 6 5 3 K842
________ ________ ________
4)  10 4 5) 96 6) 76
 K Q 9  J 9 8 2 A8
 6 5 3  K 5 A963
 A J 8 7 5 AQ863  K Q 10 8 2
________ ________ ________
Exercise Two Answer— Raising Opener’s Minor

1) Pass. You don’t have enough strength to respond. Don’t be afraid that partner is short in clubs.
2) 2. With no major to bid, show the club support.
3) 1NT. With only four-card support for clubs and a balanced hand, 1NT is probably a better
choice than 2.
4) 3. A jump raise is invitational, showing 10 or 11 points.
5) 1. Despite the good club fit, look for the major-suit fit first.
6) 1. You are too strong to make a limit raise of 3. Start with a new suit, intending to show
the club support later.
Suit Responses to 1 and 1

Introduction
“Having discussed the challenges associated with raising opener’s minor
suit, it’s fortunate that you usually have other options. When the partnership
uses a style of five-card major-suit openings, opener often will have a four-
card major suit when the opening bid is 1 or 1. Before raising opener’s
minor or bidding notrump, responder’s priority is to look for a major-suit fit.
A new suit response is forcing — unless responder has already passed.
“If responder has a choice of suits to bid at the one level, the guidelines
are to bid the longest suit first, to bid the higher-ranking of two five- or
six-card suits and to bid the lowest-ranking of four card suits. Bidding the
lowest-ranking of four-card suits is called bidding suits up the line. Let’s
look at some examples.”
Instructions (If last example on pg.232 wasn’t used, make changes in parentheses.)
“In hearts: add two low cards. (Add two low cards.)
“In diamonds: add a low card. (Take away the jack and add a low card.)
“In clubs: take away the queen, the jack, and a low card. (Take away the
jack and the queen.)
North North South
xx 1
AQxx 1
Axxx
xxx
“Your partner, South, opens the bidding 1. What do you respond?
(1.) Although you have support for diamonds, the priority is to look for
the major suit. Respond 1. If you can’t find a fit in hearts, you can always
show diamond support later. If you were to raise diamonds first, the partner-
ship might never find a fit in hearts.
“In diamonds: add a low card.
“In clubs: take away a low card.
North North South

xx 1
AQxx 1
Axxxx
xx
“Does this make any difference if partner opens 1? (No.) You still want
to look for a major-suit fit, so respond 1.
“What if partner opens 1? (1.) Now the situation is a little different.
With a choice of suits to bid at the one level, bid the longest first, 1. There’s
not much danger of missing a heart fit. With a four-card heart suit, partner
can rebid 1 over the 1 response, and the fit will be found.
“In hearts: add a low card.
North
North South
xx
1
AQxxx
1
Axxxx
x
“What does North respond if partner opens 1? (1.) With a choice
of five-card suits, bid the higher-ranking, 1. It’s similar to opening the
bidding in the higher-ranking of two five-card suits.
“In spades: add the ace and a low card.
“In hearts: take away the ace.
“In diamonds: take away the ace.
North North South

Axxx 1
Qxxx 1
xxxx
x
“What does North respond if partner opens 1? (1.) With a choice
of four-card suits, bid the suits up the line. The idea is that, if you bid 1,
you’ll immediately find the heart fit if partner has four hearts. Partner will
raise hearts. If partner doesn’t have four hearts, partner can bid 1 to show a
four-card spade suit. The partnership has then found the spade fit. By bidding
the four-card suits up the line, you’ll eventually find a fit if there is one.
“If you were to bid 1, that would be fine if partner has four spades, but you
might miss a heart fit if partner doesn’t have four spades. With a balanced
hand, partner will rebid 1NT over 1. Now you don’t know whether there
is a heart fit. You can’t afford to bid 2 to find out. That will get you too
high if partner has neither four spades nor four hearts.
“Let’s change the situation slightly. Suppose partner opens the bidding
1, rather than 1. What do you respond? (1/1.) Technically, you
should respond 1, bidding the four-card suits up the line. In practice, many
players bypass the diamond suit in this situation, since finding a major-suit
fit is such a priority. This is technically unsound because a diamond fit
might be lost if, for example, partner has five clubs and four diamonds. In
practical terms, however, it will be better to bid 1 immediately to show
one of the major suits. If you don’t, the suit might get lost if the opponents
interfere in the auction. If you respond 1 and East overcalls 1 or 2,
for example, neither opener nor responder may be strong enough to intro-
duce the heart suit.
“You should only consider bypassing the diamond suit when you have a
weak hand. With a hand like this, you may get to make only one bid. With
a stronger hand, you can afford to bid the diamonds first. If necessary, you
can probably show the major suit later, even if the opponents interfere.
“In spades: add the king, the queen and the jack.
“In hearts: take away two low cards and add the ace.
“In diamonds: take away two low cards.
North
North South
AKQJxxx
1
AQx
xx 2
x
“What would you respond if partner opened the bidding 1 or 1?
(2.) With a very strong hand, responder can jump shift. The jump shift
by responder is forcing to game and shows strong interest in reaching a
slam contract.
“That’s fine, but what would a jump to 3 show? (Preemptive.) The
standard approach is that a jump response that skips two or more levels is
preemptive, showing a weak hand with a long suit.
“In spades: take away the ace and add a low card.
“In hearts: take away the ace and the queen.
North
North South
KQJxxxx
1
x
xx 3 (1)
xxx
“What would you respond if partner opened the bidding 1 or 1? (3.)
Over an opening bid of 1 or 1, this is the type of hand with which you
might respond 3. It’s a hand that would have been opened with a preemp-
tive bid of 3, if partner had passed — a good seven-card suit with no
outside strength. You could respond 1 with this hand, but a jump to 3 is
more descriptive. It’s not forcing, but partner can raise with the same kind
of hand that partner would have to raise an opening preempt to game.

North
North South
KQJxxxxx 1
x 4
xx
xx
“What would North respond over 1 or 1? (4.) With a good eight-
card suit and nothing outside, you can jump to the four level. Opener won’t
expect a strong hand, since you could have started with 1 or made a jump
shift to 2.
“In spades: take away the king, the queen and three low cards.
“In diamonds: add the queen and four low cards.
North North South

Jxx 1
x Pass
Qxxxxxx
xx
“If partner opened 1, what would North respond? (Pass/1/3.)
With only 3 high-card points, it’s probably best to pass. If you respond 1,
partner may expect a little more in the way of high cards. If you jump to
3, partner will expect a better suit. Pass for now. You may get a chance
to show the diamonds if East comes into the auction.
“What if partner opens 1? (4.) A jump to 4 is a preemptive raise.
A raise to 2 shows 6 to 9 points and a raise to 3 shows 10 or 11, but
a double jump shows a very weak hand with six-card or longer support.
Since it takes the partnership past 3NT, you make this bid only when the
tactical advantage of keeping the opponents out of the auction outweighs
the likelihood that your side can make 3NT. Like the other double jumps,
4 isn’t forcing. Opener should bid again only with a strong hand, since
responder will hold little in the way of high cards.”
Summary
“When responding to 1 or 1:
• The search for a major suit takes priority.
• With a choice of suits, bid the longer suit first.
• Bid the higher-ranking of two five-card or six-card suits.
• Bid the lowest-ranking of four-card suits.
• When responding to 1 with a weak hand, you can consider bypassing
diamonds to give priority to bidding a four-card major suit.
• Responder can jump shift with a strong hand and slam interest.
• A jump response that skips two or more levels — either a raise or a new
suit — is a preemptive bid with a weak hand and a long suit.”

Exercise Three — Bidding Up the Line

Partner opens the bidding 1, and the next player passes. What do you respond with the fol-
lowing hands?
1)  Q 7 4 2 2) AK94 3)  K 10 8 7 3
 8 4  J 6 5 2 QJ942
 A J 8 6 3  9 7 3 8
 7 6  Q 2  10 5
________ ________ ________
4)  10 7 3 5) Q874 6) KQ63
 K 9 4  Q 3 2 Q4
 J 2  2 87
 A 10 8 7 4  K 10 7 6 2 AQ964
________ ________ ________
Exercise Three Answer — Bidding Up the Line

1) 1. Showing the four-card major takes priority over raising diamonds.
2) 1. Bid four-card suits up the line. The quality of the suits is not important.
3) 1. With a choice of five-card suits, bid the higher-ranking.
4) 1NT. Not strong enough to bid a new suit at the two level.
5) 1. Although you aren’t strong enough to bid 2, you can still show the four-card major.
6) 2. With enough strength to bid a new suit at the two level, bid the longer suit first; you can
show the spades later.
Notrump Responses to 1 and 1
Introduction
“The priority is to look for a major-suit fit when partner opens 1 or 1,
but you won’t always have a four-card or longer major suit to bid. Your at-
tention should then turn to bidding notrump.”
Instructions
“In spades: take away the jack and add the ace.
“In hearts: add the queen and a low card.
“In diamonds: take away the queen and four low cards and add the king.
North North South

Axx
1
Qxx
1NT
Kxx
xxxx
“South is the dealer and opens the bidding 1. What do you respond
? (1NT.) A response of 1NT shows 6 to 9 points.
“What else does the 1NT response imply? (No major.) The 1NT response
to a minor suit denies a four-card or longer major suit. If responder has a
major suit, showing the major suit takes priority over bidding 1NT.
“Does the 1NT bid promise a balanced hand? (No.) Responder isn’t neces-
sarily balanced for a response of 1NT to a 1 opening bid. Responder could
have an unbalanced hand with a long club suit, too weak to bid 2.
“Suppose partner opens 1 instead of 1. What does South respond?
(1NT.) You still respond 1NT with 6 to 9 points.
“What does South know about your hand when you respond 1NT? (No
major; balanced; club support.) Partner knows you have no four-card major,
since you would have bid 1 or 1. Also, partner can expect that you have
at least four-card support for clubs. You could have bid 1 with a four-card
suit. That implies that you have a balanced hand. With an unbalanced hand
and support for clubs, you would raise clubs.”
The class might find the above point a bit difficult to follow.
“When partner opens 1 and you have no four-card or longer suit other
than clubs, you will have a choice between bidding notrump and supporting
clubs. You usually bid notrump with a balanced hand, since you prefer to
have five or more clubs to raise partner’s club suit.

“In spades: take away the ace.
“In clubs: add the queen.
North North South

xx 1
Qxx 2
Kxx
Qxxxx
“What would North respond with this hand over 1? (2.) Although
the hand is balanced, a raise to 2 seems more descriptive than a response
of 1NT with no stopper in spades.
“In spades: add the king.
“In hearts: take away a low card and add the ace.
North North South

Kxx 1
AQx 2NT (3NT)
Kxx
Qxxx
“Before you can open the bidding, partner beats you to the punch and
opens 1. What now? (2NT/3NT.) What you respond with this hand is a
matter of partnership style.
“The standard response is 2NT, showing a balanced hand with 13 to
15 points. Would that be a forcing bid? (Yes.) Logically, opener must bid
again, since the partnership has at least 26 combined points.
“We will use the standard approach that a jump to 2NT over a minor suit
shows a balanced hand of 13 to 15 points and a jump to 3NT shows a bal-
anced hand of 16 to 18 points. Some partnerships prefer to treat the jump
to 2NT as an invitational bid, showing 11 or 12 points. In duplicate, a bid
of 2NT as an invitational response is very popular.
“The jump to 2NT also denies a four-card or longer major suit. Some players
occasionally ignore this guideline and bypass a four-card major suit, showing
balanced pattern and strength instead. That’s not standard practice, however,
and opener will usually assume that there’s no eight-card major-suit fit. Over
the 2NT response, opener will generally raise to 3NT, except with a very
unbalanced hand or interest in slam.
“The jump to 2NT doesn’t deny four, or sometimes five, cards in either
minor suit. If partner were to open 1, rather than 1, you would still
jump to 2NT. You could respond 2 over 1, but the 2NT response paints
a better picture of the hand. With a balanced hand, you don’t want to play
in a minor suit unless partner has a very unbalanced hand.
North North South

Kxx 1
AQ 2NT
Kxx
Qxxxx
“What would North respond if partner opened the bidding 1? (2NT.)
You could respond 2, but a response of 2NT is probably a better choice.
A contract of 3NT is likely to be safer than 5 unless partner has an unbal-
anced hand. With an unbalanced hand, opener can rebid something other
than 3NT.
“The 2NT response can sometimes resolve the earlier dilemma when you
have a forcing raise of opener’s minor suit.
“Suppose partner opened 1, rather than 1. What would North
respond? (1/2NT.) Since North is too strong for a limit raise to 3, the
practical choice is to respond 2NT. Otherwise, North would have to manu-
facture a forcing response such as 1.
“What if the opening bid were 1? (2.) Careful. If the partnership is
using 2NT as a forcing major-suit raise — Jacoby 2NT — then you can’t
bid 2NT. You would have to respond 2. If you aren’t using 2NT as a con-
ventional bid in response to a major suit, you could respond 2NT.
“In diamonds: add the queen.
North North South

Kxx
1
AQ
3NT
KQxx
Qxxx
“What would you respond over an opening bid of 1? (3NT.) A jump
to 3NT shows a balanced hand of 16 to 18 points. Again, it tends to deny a
four-card major suit, but not a four-card or five-card minor suit.
“Is 3NT forcing? (No.) Since the partnership is already in a game contract,
there’s no need for opener to bid again with a minimum balanced hand. Open-
er might choose to bid again with an unbalanced hand or interest in reaching
a slam contract, but the 3NT response is not forcing. It’s descriptive.
“Would it make any difference if the opening bid were 1, rather than
1? (No.) The most descriptive response would still be a jump to 3NT.
That is likely to be the best contract unless opener has other ideas. Again,
this solves the problem of what to do with a hand worth a forcing raise in
diamonds.
“In diamonds: take away the queen.
North
North South
Kxxx
1
AQ
1
Kxx
Qxxx
“What does North respond with this hand over 1? (1.) The prior-
ity is to look for the major-suit fit ahead of showing the balanced hand.
Respond 1. If you don’t find a spade fit, you can bid notrump at the next
opportunity.
“In hearts: take away the queen and add the jack and a low card.
“In clubs: take away the queen.
North North South

Kxx 1
AJx 1
Kxxx
xxx
“What will you bid if partner opens 1? (1.) A response of 1NT would
show 6 to 9 points and a response of 2NT would show 13 to 15. With 10 to
12 HCP, start with a new suit, planning to make an invitational rebid of 2NT
at the next opportunity. If you respond 1 and partner rebids 1 or 1,
for example, you can jump to 2NT. If partner responds 1NT, you can raise
to 2NT. If partner rebids 2 or raises to 2, you can rebid 2NT, inviting
partner to game.
“What if partner opened 1? (3/2.) With four-card support for dia-
monds and 12 high-card points, you can make a limit raise to 3. That’s
not ideal with such a balanced hand and so much strength in hearts and
spades. Nevertheless, there’s no attractive alternative.

“In hearts: take away the jack and add the queen.
North North South

Kxx 1
AQx 2
Kxx
xxxx
“There are often hands where nothing is ideal. Suppose you hold this hand
and partner opens 1. With 12 high-card points, you could respond in a
new suit, 2. That overstates the club suit somewhat, but you don’t plan
to play there anyway. If partner raises to 3, for example, you’ll probably
take a chance in 3NT. Some players might overbid a little and respond 2NT
right away with this hand.
“What if partner opens 1? (1/2NT/3.) The hand is too strong for
a limit raise to 3. A jump to 2NT is an overbid, although it may work out
well. Perhaps the best choice is to respond 1, treating the diamonds as a
four-card suit. You plan to bid notrump next anyway, so it won’t matter if
partner raises diamonds. Incidentally, if you’re going to manufacture a bid,
it’s better to pick a minor than a major. With a fit for the major suit, partner
is likely to insist on playing with that suit as trump. With the minor suits,
there’s less danger of that happening.”
Summary
“Over a minor suit:
• A response of 1NT shows 6 to 9 points.
“All of these responses deny a four-card major suit. With 10 to 12 points,
responder can bid a new suit, planning to invite with a 2NT rebid at the
next opportunity.”

Exercise Four — Responding in Notrump

Partner opens the bidding 1, and the next player passes. What do you respond with the fol-
lowing hands?
1)  K J 9 2) AQ 3) QJ7
 Q 10 4  K 10 5 AJ5
 K 8 3  K 9 7 3 Q63
 A J 8 3  K Q 6 5  J 10 8 4
________ ________ ________
Exercise Four Answer — Responding in Notrump

1) 2NT. In response to a minor suit, 2NT is a forcing bid showing 13 to 15 points and a balanced
hand.
2) 3NT. This shows a balanced hand with 16 to 18 points; it’s more descriptive than starting with
1.
3) 2. With 11 points and a balanced hand, start by bidding a new suit, intending to make an
invitational bid of 2NT at your next opportunity.
Handling Interference
Introduction
“If the opponents come into the auction with an overcall or takeout double
after the opening bid of 1 or 1, the methods for handling interference
are similar to those used when the opening bid is a major suit.”
Instructions
After an Overcall
“If there is an overcall after a 1 or 1 opening:
• Responder’s 2NT bid is only invitational, showing 11 or 12 points.
• Responder can cuebid the opponent’s suit to force to game when holding
a fit with opener’s suit.
“Keep the North hand as it is.
North West North East South
Kxx 1
AQx 1 2NT
Kxx
xxxx
“Suppose partner, South, opens 1, and West overcalls 1. What do
you bid? (2NT.) With 12 high-card points and strength in the opponent’s
suit, jump to 2NT. In a competitive situation, 2NT is not forcing. 2NT is
more descriptive than bidding a new suit, 2.
“In hearts: take away the ace and the queen and add a low card.

Kxx 1
xx 1 2
Kxxx
xxxx
“If partner opens 1 and West overcalls 1, what do you bid? (2.)
The overcall doesn’t prevent a normal raise to 2.
“What if South opens 1 and West overcalls 1? (2/Pass.) If West
had passed, you would have responded 1. You can no longer do that and
don’t have enough strength to bid 2. You don’t have to bid, but you don’t
want to give up too easily in a competitive situation. You want to avoid bid-
ding 1NT with no strength in hearts, but could try raising to 2. You would
prefer to have five-card support, but four-card support will have to do.
“In diamonds: add the ace.
“In clubs: take away two low cards and add the ace.

Kxx 1
xx 1 2
AKxxx
Axx
“If partner opens 1 and West overcalls 1, what does North bid?
(2.) North would have bid 1 if West had passed. With 14 high-card
points, there is more than enough to bid 2 after the overcall.
“What if partner opened 1 and West overcalled 1? (2.) This hand
is too strong for a limit raise to 3. The standard approach is to cuebid the
opponent’s suit in this situation. The cuebid is forcing to game and implies
a fit with partner’s suit, since you didn’t take some other action such as bid-
ding a new suit. You hope partner can bid notrump with some strength in
hearts. If not, you can show diamond support at the next opportunity.
“However, many experienced players use the cuebid to show a limit raise
or better in opener’s suit. This frees up the immediate jump raise as a pre-
emptive bid. This is a popular style among competitive players, but it’s not
the standard approach.
“Also, many of you use negative doubles, and they should be included in
your bidding arsenal.”

Exercise Five — Responding after an Overcall

As East, what do you bid with each of the following hands after the auction starts:
West North East South

1 1 ?
1)  J 8 5 2)  Q 10 8 3) A82
73  K J 7 94
 A Q 6 2  K Q 8  K 10 9 7 4
 K J 8 3  10 8 4 2 AQ6
________ ________ ________
Exercise Five Answer — Responding after an Overcall

1) 3. The opponent’s interference doesn’t prevent you from making a limit raise. A 2 cuebid
is appropriate if the partnership plays that cuebids show a limit raise or better.
2) 2NT. After the overcall, this is an invitational bid showing a balanced hand with 10 to 12
points and strength in the suit overcalled.
3) 2. The cuebid shows a game-forcing hand, usually with support for opener’s suit.
After a Takeout Double

“When the opponent doubles for takeout, instead of overcalling, the partner-
ship can use the same methods used after a double of a major suit:
• A new suit is still forcing.
• A single raise of opener’s minor shows 6 to 9 points.
• A jump raise of opener’s minor is (usually) treated as a preemptive raise
rather than a limit raise.
• A jump to 2NT in competition is used to show 11 or 12 points instead of
a balanced hand of 13 to 15 points. This is the Jordan convention.”
Use of the redouble is left for the next course. With an experienced class, you can mention that
responder can redouble with 10 or more high-card points and a hand unsuitable for any of the above
actions.
“Let’s see some examples.
“In spades: add two low cards.
“In diamonds: take away the king.
“In clubs: take away the ace.
Kxxxx 1
xx Double 1
Axxx
xx
“What would you do if partner, South, opened the bidding 1 and

West doubled? (1.) The double hasn’t taken away any bidding room, so
you can make the same response as if there were no double. A new suit by
responder is still forcing. If partner doesn’t have a fit for spades, you can
show diamond support at the next opportunity.
“In spades: take away two low cards.

Kxx 1
xx Double 2
Axxx
xxxx
“South opens 1, and West doubles. What do you bid? (2.) Make a
normal raise to 2, showing 6 to 9 points.

“In spades: take away the king.
“In diamonds: add the jack.
North
xx
1
xx
Double 3
AJxxx
xxxx
“How about this hand after partner, South, opens the bidding 1 and
West doubles? (2/3.) You could just raise to 2 but most competitive
players prefer a preemptive jump to 3 with this sort of hand. It’s more
likely to keep the opponents out of the auction or make it difficult for them
to find their best contract. You can do this if you play the Jordan 2NT con-
vention. Partner won’t expect you to have too much for this bid. With 10 or
more points and diamond support, you would jump to 2NT.
“In hearts: add the king.
“In diamonds: take away two low cards.
“In clubs: add the king.

xx 1
Kxx Double 2NT
AJx
Kxxxx
“Suppose partner, South, opens 1 and West doubles. What would

you respond? (2NT.) Playing the Jordan 2NT convention, a jump to 2NT
shows 11 or 12 points or better in opener’s suit over the takeout double. It
doesn’t show a balanced hand with 13 to 15 points. With that type of hand,
you would redouble.
“What will opener do over the 2NT bid? (Depends.) Once you have
described the hand, opener can decide what to do. With a minimum hand,
opener can retreat to 3, or jump to 4 or 5 with long clubs. Opener
can raise to 3NT or bid a new suit to search for the best contract.”
Summary
“If there is an overcall after a 1 or 1 opening:
• Responder’s 2NT bid is not forcing, showing 10 to 12 points.
• Responder can cuebid the opponent’s suit to force to game when holding
a fit with opener’s suit.
“If opener’s 1 or 1 bid is doubled for takeout:

• A jump raise is preemptive.
• A jump to 2NT is a conventional bid and shows the strength for a limit
raise of 11 or 12 pointsor better.”

Exercise Six — Responding after a Takeout Double

As East, what do you do with each of these hands after the auction begins:

1 Double ?
1)  7 4 2) AQ8 3) 76
 3  10 2 K96
 Q 8 6 3 2  8 4 3 8543
 K J 8 7 5  A 10 8 7 6  K J 10 8
________ ________ ________
Exercise Six Answer — Responding after a Takeout Double

1) 3. After the takeout double, this is a preemptive (weak) raise. With a stronger hand, you
would redouble or bid 2NT. A 2 cuebid is appropriate if the partnership plays that cuebids
show a limit raise or better.
2) 2NT (Jordan). After the takeout double, this shows a limit raise in partner’s minor suit.
3) 2. This is likely to be a better choice than 1NT when you have so little strength in two suits.
You’d prefer to have five-card support, but nothing’s perfect.
Note: Sample Deals Review the instructions on page 44.

SAMPLE DEALS – LESSON 5
Guidelines for Teachers: Since these four deals focus on minor-suit open-
ings and responses, it can be expected that there will be some deviation from
the recommended auction. Let the students bid their hands in their own
fashion and play the resulting contracts. There are several interesting play
concepts (i.e., safety play, uppercut, avoidance) to discuss after you review
the bidding and get everyone in the recommended contract.
Bid and Play — Deal 1 Minor Suit Openings
Guidelines for Teachers: On this first deal, opener has a minimum hand
without a five-card major and starts by bidding a minor suit. The auction
should end at 3, but some students will probably overbid. Let them play
the contract they reach and then put them in the recommended contract.
There is a potential uppercut situation for the defenders if declarer doesn’t
handle the trump suit correctly. There are a number of variations in the
play of this deal that you might want to discuss only if your students are an
experienced group.
Introduction
“Let’s play a deal where opener starts with a minor, holding a minimum
hand.”
Instructions
“North is the dealer. Take your hands and start the bidding. Play out the
final contract when you have completed the auction.”
(E–Z Deal Cards: #5, Deal 1 — Dealer, North)
Dealer: North A754

Vul: None 62
AK65
Q54
 Q 10 2 98
N
QJ74  10 9 8
W E
 J 10 8 Q942
S
972 AKJ6
KJ63
AK53
73
 10 8 3
Suggested Bidding
“Turn up all of the cards and put each hand dummy style at the edge of the
table in front of each player. Let’s review the bidding first and agree on a
final contract.
1 Pass 1
Pass 1 Pass 3
Pass Pass Pass
“With a hand too weak to open 1NT and with no five-card major suit, North
opens 1. With a choice of four-card suits to bid at the one level, South
responds up the line by bidding the lower-ranking suit, 1. North continues
bidding up the line by showing the four-card spade suit. South has uncovered
an eight-card spade fit and has a hand of invitational-strength — 10 or 11
points. To invite opener to game, South jumps to 3. South makes a judg-
ment decision not to count a distribution point for the doubleton diamond,
since 1 was partner’s opening bid. With a minimum for the opening bid,
North declines the invitation, and the partnership rests in partscore.”
Suggested Opening Lead

“Now that we have agreed on a contract of 3 by North, let’s review the
play and defense.
“East is on lead and should select the A, top of a broken sequence.”
Suggested Play
“Declarer has two diamond losers, three club losers and at least one poten-
tial spade loser. There’s not much that can be done about the club losers if
the defenders are careful, but declarer can plan to ruff two diamond losers
in the dummy.
“In the spade suit, with eight cards in the combined hands, the percentage
play to avoid a spade loser is to play the A and then take the spade finesse
if the Q doesn’t appear — following the guideline “eight ever, nine never.”
On this deal, however, declarer can afford a spade loser, and declarer has
another use for dummy’s spades — ruffing diamond losers. After winning
a trick, North should play the A and K. When the spades divide 3–2,
declarer can go about ruffing the two diamond losers in the dummy — ruff-
ing dummy’s hearts to get entries back to North’s hand. Declarer loses one
spade trick and three club tricks.
“If the missing trumps were divided 4–1, declarer still would have a chance
after taking the A and K. With two diamond tricks and two heart tricks
to go along with the two top spades, declarer would have to hope to get three
more spade tricks through ruffing diamonds and hearts.
“On the actual deal, the defenders can defeat the contract if declarer tries the
spade finesse. Taking the A and K is a form of safety play in a contract
of 3. If North–South reach a contract of 4, declarer has little choice but
to try the spade finesse and will likely be defeated two tricks.”
Suggested Defense
“The defenders must be careful to avoid letting declarer make 10 tricks in
a spade contract. If East takes the first two tricks with the A and K,
North’s Q will be established, and the defenders will end with only one
more trick, West’s Q. To prevent this, West should play the 2 on the first
club trick — a discouraging signal — and East should respect West’s signal
and switch to another suit. The 10, leading through dummy’s strength,
would be a good choice for East.
“After the heart switch, the defender’s can’t defeat the contract if declarer
simply takes the A and K. West eventually will get a trick with the Q
and can lead a club to give the defenders the tricks they are entitled to in
that suit. If declarer takes the A and then tries the spade finesse by play-
ing a low spade to dummy’s J, the defenders can defeat the contract. For
example, West can return a third round of spades to prevent declarer from
getting enough tricks by ruffing losers. West also can lead back a club to
defeat the contract. After the defenders win two more club tricks, East can
lead the fourth round of clubs to promote West’s 10 — if declarer doesn’t
ruff with dummy’s K, West can win the trick by ruffing with the 10;
if declarer ruffs with dummy’s K, West gets the 10 later. Even if East
returns a diamond, rather than the fourth round of clubs, the defenders will
get another trick. (If East leads a heart after taking the club tricks, declarer
can take the remainder of the tricks by ruffing a heart, ruffing a diamond,
ruffing a heart and taking the last trick with dummy’s K.)”
Bid and Play — Deal 2: When It Looks Too Easy
Guidelines for Teachers: On this second deal, explore the idea that when
a hand looks easy to make, you might want to use a safety play to ensure
against a possible (even if not probable) holding. Most students will be
defeated in 3NT for failure to ensure against the unexpected division of the
diamonds. The play should be interesting for students at all levels. Knowing
when to play second hand high on the opening lead is a difficult concept.
Take some time to discuss the difference between Q-x opposite J-x-x and
Q-x opposite K-x-x.
Introduction
“Let’s play a deal where it looks like it will be easy to make the contract,
but looks may be deceiving.”
Instructions
“East is the dealer. Take your hands and start the bidding. Play out the final
contract when you have completed the auction.”
(E–Z Deal Cards: #5, Deal 2 — Dealer, East)
Dealer: East QJ95

Vul: N–S KQ9
Q96
J94
K6  A 10 3
N
642  A 10 5
W E
 K J 10 7 5 2 A843
S
K3 Q72
8742
J873
—
 A 10 8 6 5
Suggested Bidding
final contract.

1 Pass
3 Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
“After East’s opening bid of 1, West has a hand worth about 12 points
— 10 high-card points plus 2 for distribution. Technically this hand is too
strong for a limit raise, but not strong enough to bid 3NT, especially without
a heart stopper. West makes the best of the situation by bidding 3. With
14 points and high cards in all of the other suits, East accepts the invitation
by bidding 3NT. It should be easier to take nine tricks in notrump than 11
tricks in diamonds.”

“Now that we have agreed on a contract of 3NT by East, let’s review the
play and defense. South is on lead and should lead the 6, fourth highest
from the longest and strongest suit.”
Suggested Play
“The opening lead will establish a club trick for declarer and there should
be nine more winners to take — two spades, one heart, and six diamonds
— if the diamonds break 2–1, as one would normally expect. When the
contract looks easy, however, declarer should be careful to guard against
bad breaks. After winning the first club trick, if declarer leads the A, the
contract can no longer be made. With the diamonds dividing 3–0, North
will get a trick with the Q and can lead back a club. South will take four
club tricks to defeat the contract.
“East’s first challenge comes at trick one. On the lead of the 6, declarer
should play West’s K. This wins the trick and leaves East with the guarded
Q. It will now be safe to lose a trick to South, because South can’t lead
clubs again without giving East a trick with the queen. North has become
the dangerous opponent, because if North gets the lead, East’s Q can be
trapped. Since the only real danger now is that one of the opponents holds
all three of the missing diamonds, declarer should start the diamond suit
by playing dummy’s K. On the actual hand, South discards on the first
round of diamonds and declarer can take a finesse against North’s Q. East
ends up with 10 tricks.
“If both opponents had followed suit to the first round of diamonds, taking
10 tricks would be easy, since the diamonds would have divided 2–1. What
if South had all three of the missing diamonds? After winning the first trick
with dummy’s K, East would now have to lose a trick to South’s Q. But
that would be okay, since South isn’t the dangerous opponent. South can’t
effectively lead clubs after winning the trick. The contract is still secure.
Playing the K first is a safety play, since it guarantees the contract.
“If declarer had played the 3 from dummy on the first trick, North would
play the J to force East to win the trick with the Q. With only the
singleton K left in dummy, now both opponents would be dangerous. If
declarer loses a diamond trick to either opponent, the defenders are in a
position to take all of their club tricks.
“What if North held the A rather than South? Dummy’s K would be
taken by North’s ace, and North would lead another club. Now East would
have to hold up with the Q until the third round of the suit. South would
now become the dangerous opponent, so declarer should start diamonds by
leading the A to guard against South holding all three diamonds. If North
has all three diamonds, there’s no harm in losing a trick to North’s Q. North
will probably have no clubs left to lead. If North did have a fourth club, the
clubs would have divided 4–4, so the contract would still be safe.”
Suggested Defense
“South gets the defenders off to the best start by leading a low club. If de-
clarer subsequently loses a trick to North’s Q, North can return a club to
defeat the contract. If declarer plays the hand correctly, there’s nothing the
defenders can do except be careful to hold on to the right cards to prevent
East from taking more than 10 tricks.”
Bid and Play — Deal 3: Beware the Dangerous Opponent

Guidelines for Teachers: South opens with a minor and most tables will get
to a contract of 3NT. This deal provides a chance to discuss the Rule of Eleven
from declarer’s perspective. Depending on the heart selected as the lead by
West, you might be able to discuss second hand high on the opening lead
and/or the hold-up play. In the play, declarer needs to consider what could
go wrong in establishing the club suit to prevent the contract from making
and then take precautions against that probability. If declarer handles both
the heart suit and the club suit correctly, the contract will be made.
Introduction
“Let’s play a deal where declarer needs to be aware at all times of the dan-
gerous opponent in order to make the contract..”
Instructions
“South is the dealer. Take your hands and start the bidding. Play out the
final contract when you have completed the auction.”
(E–Z Deal Cards: #5, Deal 3 — Dealer, South)
Dealer: South K94

Vul: E–W J4
A83
 A J 10 8 4
Q8  J 10 6 2
N
 A Q 10 8 5 2 96
W E
QJ72  10 6 4
S
7 Q532
A753
K73
K95
K96
Suggested Bidding
final contract.”

1
1 2 Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Pass
“Playing five-card majors, South has to open the longer minor suit. With
a choice between two three-card minor suits, South bids 1. West has a
good six-card suit which can be overcalled at the one level. North has a
fit with partner and enough strength to take the partnership to game. This
can be shown by cuebidding the opponent’s suit. North’s cuebid shows the
strength for a limit raise or more in opener’s suit.
“With a minimum-strength balanced hand and a stopper in the opponent’s
suit, South rebids notrump at the cheapest available level. North now raises
to game in notrump. It should be easier for the partnership to take nine
tricks than 11.”

“Now that we have agreed on a contract of 3NT by South, let’s review the
play and defense.
“West is on lead and would lead the 8, fourth from the longest and stron-
gest suit.”
Suggested Play
“Declarer has two sure tricks in spades, two in diamonds and two in clubs.
With the heart lead, declarer is certain of a trick in that suit. Two more tricks
are needed. The obvious source of the additional tricks is the club suit. It
may be possible to take all five tricks in the club suit with the help of a suc-
cessful finesse. Even if a trick is lost to the Q, two additional tricks will
be established in the suit.
“There’s the danger, however, that if a trick is lost to the Q, the opponents
can take enough heart tricks to defeat the contract. On the surface, it looks
as though South will have to play the club suit by guessing which opponent
has the Q.
“In situations like this, declarer should plan the play carefully before play-
ing to the first trick. It may not appear to matter which heart is played from
dummy — since declarer is sure to get one trick with the K — but it
makes all the difference to the play. Declarer should play dummy’s J on
the first trick, with every expectation that it will win the trick! West has led
the 8, fourth highest. With a holding such as A 10 9 8 x or Q 10 9
8 x, West would lead the 10, top of an interior sequence. Declarer can
expect that the lead is from some holding such as A Q 10 8 x or A Q
9 8 x. If East doesn’t have the A or Q, dummy’s J will win the first
trick. This doesn’t gain anything directly — declarer was always entitled to
one, and only one, heart trick — but it secures the contract.
“When the J wins the first trick, East — not West — becomes the
dangerous opponent. If East gets the lead, East can lead a heart, trapping
declarer’s remaining K. West is no longer dangerous. If West gets the
lead, West can’t lead hearts without giving declarer a trick with the K.
That determines how declarer handles the club suit. After winning the J,
declarer should lead the J from dummy. When East produces a low club,
declarer should play a low club from the South hand, taking the finesse. On
the actual layout, the finesse succeeds. Declarer now can play a low club
to the 9, repeating the finesse. The K is played, and South can cross to
one of dummy’s winners to take the A and remaining club winner. South
finishes with 10 tricks.
“If the Q had been in the West hand, the finesse would have lost but the
contract would have been safe. West can’t lead hearts without giving South
a trick with the K. If West leads something else, declarer has four club
winners to go with the other five winners, and South makes at least nine
tricks.
“The finesse should be taken on the first round of the suit. If the A is
taken before finessing, declarer gets only three club tricks because of the
unfortunate break in the suit. Declarer will have a difficult time taking nine
tricks without giving East the lead.”
Suggested Defense
“After an opening lead of the 8, the defense can’t defeat the contract if
declarer handles both the heart and club suits correctly. If East does get a
trick with the Q, a heart return will defeat the contract two tricks.
“It may be interesting to speculate what would happen if West led a differ-
ent heart at trick one. If West leads the A and continues with the Q
after seeing dummy, declarer can make the contract with the hold up play.
Now West becomes the dangerous opponent, and a club trick can safely be
lost to East’s Q. More spectacular is the imaginative opening lead of the
Q. Declarer can still hold up on the first trick and make the contract, or
declarer can make the contract by guessing where the Q lies. If West is
up to making such a sensational lead, then declarer may be up to finding
an appropriate reply.”
Bid and Play — Deal 4: Variety is the Spice of Life
Guidelines for Teachers: This deal will probably result in a variety of final
contracts as the students compete in the auction. This is an interesting hand
with opportunities for both sides to shine. There is a lot to discuss with an
advanced class. It may be difficult for a basic class.
Introduction
“Let’s play another deal where all of the players may have something to say
during the auction.”
Instructions
“West is the dealer. Take your hands and start the bidding. Play out the final
contract when you have completed the auction.”
(E–Z Deal Cards: #5, Deal 4 — Dealer, West)
Dealer: West AJ7

Vul: Both K962
KQ85
73
K63 842
N
AJ85  Q 10 7
W E
432 A7
S
KQ8  A 10 9 6 4
 Q 10 9 5
43
 J 10 9 6
J52
Suggested Bidding
final contract.

1 Double 2NT Pass
3 Pass Pass Pass
“West has enough to open the bidding but no five-card major suit. With a
choice of three-card minor suits, West opens 1. After West’s opening bid,
North has a reasonable hand for a takeout double — a hand worth an open-
ing bid with support for all of the unbid suits. With 10 high-card points,
East can redouble, but that may give North–South room to find their best
contract. With five-card support for opener’s minor and a hand worth a limit
raise, East can make a conventional jump to 2NT — a jump to 3 over the
takeout double would be preemptive.
“South, who would have responded 1 to the takeout double if East had
passed or redoubled, doesn’t have enough to come into the auction at the three
level. West has a minimum-strength hand for the opening bid and returns
to the agreed trump suit by bidding 3. Even with a balanced hand, West
shouldn’t pass partner’s 2NT bid, since it’s a conventional bid and doesn’t
guarantee stoppers in the other suits.
“North has nothing further to say, and East respects partner’s decision to
stop in partscore. The final decision is with South. Having passed over 2NT,
South might consider competing at this point, but will probably be dissuaded
by the vulnerability. If South guesses to compete with 3, North–South
will land on their feet, since that contract can be made. If South tries 3,
the result will not be as cheerful, since East–West can defeat that contract
at least one trick, and likely two tricks or more. North–South might have an
easier time finding their best contract if the auction had proceeded a little
differently. For example:
1 Double Redouble 1
Pass Pass 2 2
Pass Pass 3 Pass
Pass 3 ?
“Aggressive bidding by North–South, but now East–West are likely to end

with a poor result.”

“Now that we have agreed on a contract of 3 by West, let’s review the
play and defense.
“North doesn’t have a particularly attractive choice of leads, but will prob-
ably start with the K, top of touching honors.”
Suggested Play
“In 3, West has three potential spade losers, one heart loser and two
diamond losers — assuming the club suit behaves reasonably. One of the
diamond losers can be ruffed in dummy, and one of East’s spade losers can
be discarded on West’s extra heart winner after the K has been driven
out. In effect, West hopes to take five club tricks, a diamond trick and three
heart tricks. There’s also the possibility that South holds the A, but that’s
unlikely in light of North’s takeout double.
“There is a danger. If South can gain the lead, the defenders may be able
to take three spade tricks — by trapping West’s K — to go along with a
heart trick and a diamond trick. The only suit in which South might get the
lead is diamonds. To prevent this, West should duck the opening lead of the
K, letting North win the trick. Now the contract is safe, since North can’t
profitably attack spades. Assuming North leads another diamond, West wins
with dummy’s A, draws trumps and leads the Q. If North doesn’t win
the first heart trick with the K, declarer continues with the 10. North
must take the K on the first or second round of the suit, or the defenders
won’t get a heart trick. After winning the K, North still can’t play spades
without giving West a trick with the K. Whether North leads a diamond
or a heart, declarer wins the trick and discards one of dummy’s spades on
the fourth round of hearts. Declarer’s only losers are two spade tricks, one
heart trick and one diamond trick.”
Suggested Defense
“If North leads the K against West’s 3 contract, the defenders have a
chance if declarer takes the first trick with East’s A. On this trick, South
should play the J. Signaling with an honor in this situation tells partner
that you don’t have the next higher-ranking card — the Q — but do hold
the next lower-ranking card — the 10. This is valuable information for
North. Suppose declarer now draws trumps and takes the heart finesse. North
wins the K and, with the knowledge that South holds the 10, leads a
low diamond. South wins this trick and can lead a spade — the 10, top of
an interior sequence — trapping West’s K. The defenders get three spade
tricks, a heart trick and one diamond trick.
“If declarer ducks North’s K, the best North–South can do is defend care-
fully to hold declarer to nine tricks. If East–West end in a notrump contract,
the defenders can hold declarer to seven tricks by leading a diamond. If
declarer tries to develop an extra trick, the defenders can trap West’s K
after taking their diamond winners.”

Commonly Used Conventions Lesson 5

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LESSON 5

Minor-Suit Openings and Responses

Opening Bids of 1 and 1

Third and Fourth Positions

Limit versus Forcing Raises

Suit Responses to 1 and 1

Notrump Responses to 1 and 1

Play & Defense

Opening Bids of 1 and 1

North South South

North South South

“What’s your choice of opening bid? (1.) With no five-card major

North South South

North South South

“Change the South hand.

North South South

North North South South

Third and Fourth-Position Openings

North South South

➥ “Let’s do Exercise 1 in the student text to

Exercise One — Opening Minor Suits

Exercise One Answer — Opening Minor Suits

Limit Versus Forcing Raises

“Change the North hand.

North North South

“Change the North hand.

“Change the North hand.

North North South

“Change the North hand.

North North South

➥ “Let’s do Exercise 2 in the student text to

Exercise Two — Raising Opener’s Minor

Exercise Two Answer— Raising Opener’s Minor

Suit Responses to 1 and 1

North North South

North North South

“Change the North hand.

North North South

➥ “Let’s do Exercise 3 in the student text to

Exercise Three — Bidding Up the Line

Exercise Three Answer — Bidding Up the Line

Notrump Responses to 1 and 1

North North South

“Change the North hand.

North North South

North North South

North North South

North North South

North North South

“Change the North hand.

North North South

➥ “Let’s do Exercise 4 in the student text to

Exercise Four — Responding in Notrump

Exercise Four Answer — Responding in Notrump

North West North East South

North West North East South

➥ “Let’s do Exercise 5 in the student text to

Exercise Five — Responding after an Overcall

West North East South