Lesson 6.
Opener's rebid other than limit bids.
1. Opener's rebid on single-suited hands.
By single-suited hands we mean hands containing only one biddable suit. This suit will normally contain 6 or more cards.
Assume that you have opened 1 Heart and Partners has responded 2 Clubs:
With 12 - 15 points rebid 2 Hearts. [This bid may be made on hands containing only 5 cards in the suit bid.]
With 16 - 18 points rebid 3 Hearts, guaranteeing at least 6 cards in the suit.
With 19+ points rebid 4 Hearts.
2. Opener's rebid with 2-suited hands.
Holding 2 biddable suits (i.e. a biddable suit is one containing 4 or more cards), you should, if possible, show the second suit on your rebid.
This guarantees at least 5 cards in the first-bid suit and at least 4 cards in the second.
With two 4-cards suits, either the opening bid or the rebid would have been in No Trumps.
However, it is not always possible to show both suits.
when you make an opening bid of 1 in a suit you are promising 4 things.
1. you have 12-19 points.
2. you have no suit longer than the suit mentioned.
3. your hand does not qualify for a bid of 1NT.
4. you will bid again if partner changes the suit.
One of the consequences of opening in a suit is that the opening bid sets a ceiling to your rebid. That ceiling is a bid of 2 IN THE SUIT YOU OPENED.
Now, unless you are supporting partner s suit, if your hand is in the minimum range for an opening bid (13 - 15 points),
then your rebid must be NO HIGHER THAN YOUR CEILING. So if you open 1 Diamond on a hand in that point range, the highest rebid you may make is 2 Diamonds.
And if you open 1 Spade, then your highest rebid is 2 Spades. For example, after opening 1 Club, the ceiling for your rebid is 2 Clubs:
so, if partner responds “1 Heart” you may rebid “1 Spade”, “1 No Trump” or “2 Clubs”
You must NOT rebid “2 Diamonds” or “2 Spades” (Of course, “2 Hearts” would be permissible since it is a raise of partner s suit and shows a minimum opening bid.)
And, as a corollary to that, if you hold 16 points or more, then your rebid MUST be higher than your ceiling,
otherwise you will be deceiving your partner about the strength of your hand! So if you open 1 Heart and Partner responds 2 Clubs, you must bid at the level of 2 Spades or higher when you show your second suit.
&A Q 10 7 ` A Q J 7 4 ~ 8 5 | 5 2. You open 1 Heart and Partner has responded 2 Clubs. Your ceiling is 2 Hearts. You have 13+2=15 points.
Therefore the highest rebid you can make is your ceiling, 2 Hearts. You have a second biddable suit and would like to bid 2 Spades, but that would be above your ceiling.
Therefore your only possible rebid is 2 Hearts.
& A Q J 7 4 ` A Q 10 7 ~ 8 5 | 5 2. This hand, too, has the same point count, but this time the suits are reversed.
The opening bid is 1 Spade, therefore the ceiling that marks the highest rebid possible is 2 Spades.
Again, partner responds 2 Clubs. You still have 15 points, but YOU CAN show your second suit without going above your ceiling. So you must bid 2 Hearts.
Partner, as we shall see later, now has to choose which of your two suits he prefers.
&A Q J 7 ` A Q J 7 4 ~ 8 5 | A 2. This hand is stronger version of the first hand above. Again you open 1 Heart and Partner responds 2 Clubs.
Your ceiling is 2 Hearts, and since you have 18 points you MUST make your rebid HIGHER than your ceiling. Now you MUST bid 2 Spades.
Your partner will then know you have over 16 points, at least 5 Hearts and at least 4 Spades.
Further action by the responder.
- When opener's rebid is NOT higher than his ceiling. 12 -15 points.
Showing preference.
As responder your first consideration is to show preference , i.e. to show in which of opener's suits you hold most cards.
The rank of the cards you hold in opener's suits is unimportant. If you hold the same number of cards in BOTH suits, you always prefer the FIRST-BID suit,
since this must be at least as long as the second-bid suit (and probably longer).
You can also show your point count at the same time.
Since you know that opener has at least 5 cards in his first suit, then you need only 3 cards to support that suit. With 6 -10 points you bid 2 of his first suit.
This is called simple preference since it doesn't raise the level. With 11 - 12 points bid 3 of his first suit. This is called jump preference .
With 13 - 15 points bid 4 bid 4 of his first suit. This is called double jump preference .
With MORE cards in the second suit than the first
With less than 10 points. PASS. This, too, is simple preference.
With 11 - 12 points consider (a) a rebid of 2NT, or b) with 4 cards in the second suit, JUMP preference to the 3 level.
With 13 - 15 consider (a) a rebid of 3NT, or (b).again with 4 cards in the second suit, a DOUBLE JUMP preference to the 4 level.
2. When opener's rebid is ABOVE his ceiling. 16+ points.
If opener makes his rebid ABOVE the level of his ceiling, his bid is said to be forcing. When partner makes a forcing bid, you MUST bid again,
irrespective of the value of your hand. In this case, responder knows that opener has at least 16 points, but he might have 19 or 20 and wish to be in a game contract however weak responder's hand is.
With 0 - 8 points
(a) Show simple preference by putting him to 3 in his first suit if you have at least as many cards in that suit (since his rebid was above the level of 2 in his opening suit you are forced to bid 3)
(b) Raise his second suit with at least 4 cards in it.
( c) Rebid your own suit if neither of the of the above is possible.
(d) Bid No Trumps at lowest level (as a last resort!)
With 9 + points (a) With 3-card support, give jump preference to his first suit, which will be at the 4 level. (b) Raise the second suit to 4 level with 4-cards support. (c) Otherwise bid 3 NT as last resort.
In making yours rebid, you should remember that opener has shown at least 9 cards in the two suits he mentioned and so has a maximum of 4 cards in the other 2 suits put together..
Therefore you should try to support one of opener's suits, if at all possible. Other bids should only be made after considering those facts.
Opener will usually be able to decide the final contract after responder's rebid.
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