In this situation with no H support it is now Responder's responsibility to find the right game contract. 2 is artificial and forcing to game and checks for 3 card Spade support. 2and 2NT would be natural with invitational values. 2/1NT rebid; 3 over a minor rebid are GF as discussed in Lesson 27A.

Before Opening Opponents hand Plan to make 4 with 6 of club lead.

These Bridge Clinic Lessons follow the School of thought: "DONT look for a 2nd Major fit UNLESS going to game; Go to highest level when weak or invitational and showing support for Opener's major". Therefore 1/ 1 EITHER denies 3 card heart support OR is the Forcing to Game. With 3 card support, limit raise values and 4+Spades, Respond 1NT planning to bid 2 over opener's minimum (11- 15) response: So the following sequences apply when Responder holds 4+Spades:

1. 5- 9 hcps & 3hearts: 2
2. 10-12 hcps & 3hearts: 1NT. When Responder now bids Spades over Opener Rebid he is GUARANTYING 3 card support, limit raise values and 4+Spades.
3. 5-12 hcps & 4+hearts: Use Bergen/Other raises that show 4card support
4. 13+hcps GF 3+ card Support  bid 1 then show Heart support as follows:
1. Over Opener's 1NT bid 2. thus the sequence 1 - 1  -1NT - 2 is a GF in Hearts 
2. Over Opener,s rebid in another suit a jump in Hearts shows 3+ H's and 13+hcps
3. Over Opener's support of Spades, Reponder may choose to take over or show slam interest 17+hcps by showing Heart support.
5. GF Values and 2-hearts: 1 then use NMF style 2 over Opener's 1NT rebid to show 5 Spades, 4thSuit GF or Jump to game.

The bidding goes as shown. What is North's Second bid?  Open South's hand and complete the bidding in the hand Above.

Rebids by Opener below 2NT show 11-14hcps and a rebid of the major does not promise a six card or longer suit. Bids 2NT up to 3 of the major show 13+hcps. A single jump shift show 4Card support for reponder and singleton/void in suit bid.  A jump to 3 of the major and bids beyond show 16+ hcps. 3NT is 18-19 balanced.

Therefore Opener show additional strenght by higher level bids. In contract Responder's policy is "Fast Arrival". That is after a minimum rebid by Opener a Jump to game shows a "minimum" Game Force, whereas slow rebids below game show additional strength.

BEFORE LOOKING AT OPPONENTS HAND PLAN TO MAKE 10TRICKS IN HEARTS WITH 6 of Spades Lead

As Reiterated in previous Lessons, the 2/1 Game Force convention only applies after an Opening Bid of a Major in the 1^st and 2^nd Seat.In this hand when West opens 1, reponder immediately sees that he will force to game with 3card support and 13 hcps, and responds 2, from this point the partnership is obliged to contiue bidding up to th 4 Level. Obviously this would not be actually Game in a minor. So here again there is another exception in that this convention may not guarauntee game in a minor. Some players attempt to include this but this program advises against it since to get to a total of 28+ hcps necessary  to take 11 tricks reduces the effectiveness of the Convention widening the range of the 1NT forcing.

In this hand West Opens 1 and East Responds 2. Open West's hand and complete the bidding.

 Rebids by Responder after a minimum 2 level reponse by Opener to forcing NT:

1. 5 - bad10  hcps < 3 Hearts
   1. Pass with better fit in second suit; that is 4+Cards
   2. Return to Opener's Major with 2 Card support
   3. Bid new suit with 6+Cards. So that 1 - 1NT - 2 - 2 is a drop dead sequence showing a relatively weak hand with 6 diamonds.
2. Good 10 - Bad 13 hcps < 3Hearts
   1. 2NT with stoppers in other 2 suits
   2. Raise Opener's 2nd suit with 4+card support
   3. Jump in 6 card suit
   4. Raise Opener's Rebid of 6C suit with 2 Card Support

The objective in 1 is to play in the best partial. 1NT is not an option once not a passed hand; but this is more often an advantage. 2 describes invitational bids which cannot be mis-interpreted as any thing else since the original 1NT response limited values to invitational strenght.

Before looking at Defender's Hands, Plan to make 10+ Tricks

North Opens 1. How would you bid this hand. You want to invite to game with 3 Card support. In 2/1 Game Force the 1NT response to a Major opened in the 1st or 2nd seat is forcing for 1 round showing 5 - 12 (even 13 if responder has 0-1 of Major opened). With 12-14 balanced Opener rebids the longer or lower minor. Responder jumps in the major to show invitational values (10 - 12) with 3 card support.

Open North's hand and complete the bidding.