First Lessons

General Advice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacoby 2NT Response

 

 

Your partner opens 1 of a major suit.  You have a good 'fit' (4 cards) and an opening or near-opening strength hand – what do you respond?

You can merely bid game directly, however this could be interpreted (rightly) as a semi-preemptive  bid on something like:

  84  Partner opens 1H – you would respond 4 H
KJ542
A953
J5

 So what do you do with:

  A5 

In old-fashioned ACOL you would have to bid 2D and follow up with a jump to 4H – a 'delayed game raise' in order to differentiate it from the type of hand above.  However, this is a clumsy method.
KQ63
QJ94 
Q74

The modern style is to play a response of 2NT as showing a good raise to 3 of the major or better. 

Opener with a minimum hand (one which would have passed a normal 3H bid) bids 3H.  With a better hand, opener bids a 'feature' (Ace or King) starting with the lowest.  If responder has a minimum ( a hand which holds a 'normal' 3H raise) she bid 3H.  With better than a minimum responder also bids a 'feature.'  With no feature she bids 3NT or may 'splinter' to a singleton or void at the 4 level.   

Examples:         Opener bids 1 spade,  On these hands respond 2NT

  1 2 3 4
KQ65 QJ83 AQ85 AK742
A    76 K1074 K3
QJ854  KQ54 6  A4
K43  Q54 AQ83 KQ76

   

On hand 1 If partner rebids 3S showing a minimum just bid 4S.  If partner bids 3C showing the club Ace you would cooperate with 3H  showing better than minimum with a heart feature.  Partner now knows you don't have either the A or K of diamonds and can proceed accordingly. 

On hand 2 If partner rebids 3S just pass.  It's unlikely you are missing game.  If partner bids a feature you rebid 3 spades showing a minimum.  Once partner has bid a feature you in a forcing to game situation so this won't be passed.

On hand 3 If partner rebids 3C showing the club King you jump to 4D (splinter showing a singleton or void diamond)  If partner now cuebids 4H you can bid 6S with some confidence.

On hand 4 you are going to slam.  If partner rebids 3S (likely) you cuebid 4C (feature) and if he cuebids 4D (diamond King) Blackwood confirms whether you have 2 Aces in which case 7S should be OK.  If he doesn't cuebid 4D you can settle for 6S.

 As well as bringing greater accuracy to the system it has another big benefit.  It enables responder to make a preemptive raise on limited values.

Holding

  QJ86

 Opposite a 1 spade opener you can bid 3 spades.  Partner knows you cannot have a genuine 3 spade raise as you would have bid 2NT.  This can make life difficult for the opposition.

 This should be alerted. 

  86  
  K764 
J43