Bid a new 4-card suit
If your second suit is 4+ cards, and it ranks lower than your first suit, bid it on the two-level:
You
♠ A Q 10 9 7 You LHO Partner RHO
♥ 5 3 1♠ 2♣ Pass Pass
♦ A K 8 5 2♦
♣ 4 2
You have a two-suited hand, and though you have a minimum point count, you should bid. Partner will be forced to take a preference between spades and diamonds.
Bid Notrump
Believe it or not, if the opener rebids 1 NT after his partner has passed, opener needs 18+ points! Contrast this with opener’s rebid of 1 NT if responder bid: 12-14 points. We don’t fool around with NT.
You
♠ K Q J You LHO Partner RHO
♥ A K Q 1♦ 1♠ Pass Pass
♦ J 10 9 6 1 NT
♣ Q 10 9
There are two explanations for this. First, it’s too dangerous to bid notrump opposite a partner with few or no points unless you have a strong hand - keep in mind, partner could have zero points. And second, you would have opened 1 NT with 15 to 17 points, hence the 18+ point count.
Cue Bid
If you opened with 21 points, probably just shy of a 2♣ opening bid, you may choose as your rebid a cue bid - that is, bid the overcaller’s suit. This is a very strong takeout double to your partner.
You
♠ A You LHO Partner RHO
♥ A K J 9 8 1♥ 1♠ Pass Pass
♥ K Q J 2 2♠
♣ Q 10 6
This announces b-i-i-i-i-i-i-g!
Here are some extra things to think about:
1. If your partner will not be forced to bid higher than the two-level, you can reopen with 13 points.
2. If you bid on the three-level or force partner to bid on the three-level, you need 17+ points.
3. Avoid reopening balanced hands unless you are strong.
4. If your RHO bids, be very careful. Your partner will have another chance to bid even if you pass, so don’t strain to make a bid.
© 2013 Roberta Salob
