PASSED HAND BIDDING

By Larry Matheny

 

 

You passed at your first opportunity to bid and now you must respond to your partner’s opening bid.  The most important thing to remember is that without special agreements, your partner may now pass any natural bid you make.  This means you must change your action with many hands.  For example, holding:    S9765  HK32  DQ87  CK732,  is it safe to respond 1S when it may be passed by a partner who has opened light?  To answer this and other similar questions, let’s first take a look at opening light in third or fourth seats.  Then we will set some rules for responder and opener.

 

WHY OPEN LIGHT?

 

Experience has shown that active players get better results than passive players.  An effective tactic is to open in third seat with hands not strong enough to open in first or second seat.  You may benefit from this by (1) obstructing the opponents, (2) making an effective lead-directing bid, or (3) buying the contract for a plus score.  Your objective when opening light in fourth chair is to make a plus score for otherwise you could simply pass and go to the next hand.  Let’s set some rules for these light openers.

 

OPENING LIGHT IN THIRD SEAT

 

  1. Third seat openers can be very light according to partnership agreements.
  2. If light, opener should not open unless he is prepared to pass partner’s response.
  3. If you want to open but are afraid partner may get you too high, consider a weak-two bid.
  4. A weak-two in third seat can by very undisciplined and your partner must show restraint.   

 

RESPONDING TO A THIRD SEAT OPENER.

 

  1. A one over one response is not forcing on opener.
  2. A 1NT response shows six to ten instead of six to nine.
  3. A two over one shows a five-card (or longer) suit and is not forcing.
  4. A 2NT response shows eleven or twelve points.
  5. A limit raise shows eleven or twelve points.  With ten, make a single raise.

 

 

 

 

OPENER’S REBIDS

 

  1. If opener passes responder’s one-level response in a new suit, he shows a tolerance for partner’s suit.  This will usually be three small or better, but in a pinch can be AX, KX, or QX.  (Again, this is partnership agreement.)
  2. If opener passes responder’s two-level response, he does not promise a tolerance.  A singleton in partner’s suit is possible.
  3. If opener rebids any number of notrump, he promises full values.
  4. If opener raises, he promises full values.
  5. If opener bids a new suit, he suggests, but does not promise, full values.

 

OPENING LIGHT IN FOURTH SEAT

 

Opener will not open bad hands in fourth seat.  When you open in fourth seat, you should expect a plus score.  It’s also good to hold the spade suit to reduce the chances of being outbid.  Weak two’s in fourth seat are more constructive than in any other seat.  Responder can count on opener having a good hand in the ten to thirteen range.

 

RESPONDING TO A FOURTH SEAT OPENER

 

Responder’s bids show the same values as when responding to a third seat opening bid.  The one change is that responder can bid more aggressively because opener should have decent values.

 

OPENER’S REBIDS

 

Opener’s rebids are about the same as after having opened in third seat.  One important distinction is that when opener passes a one over one or two over one response, he still has a fair hand. 

OTHER RESPONSES TO THIRD OR FOURTH SEAT OPENERS

 

1.  JUMP SHIFT

 

The jump shift in response to a third or fourth seat opener may be used in at least four different ways.  Pick the one your partner agrees to and stick with it. 

 

  1. The most common is to show a maximum passed hand with a five-card suit.  This probably isn’t necessary for if game is possible, opener will generally rebid over your normal response.
  2. A more specific jump shift makes sense.  It is worthwhile to use it to show a hand with a good suit, a super fit, and a maximum hand.
  3. You may also use the jump shift as preemptive.
  4. The jump shift may also be used to show a singleton, a super fit, and a maximum passed hand.

 

2.  USEFUL CONVENTION

 

When partner opens one of a major in third or fourth seat, a new suit bid by you may be passed so you must raise with support for opener’s major.  The simple raise to the two-level remains the same but a difficulty emerges when you have a hand with 10-12 points in support of the major.  Without a helpful convention or other agreement, the answer is that you must jump to the three-level.  This means you may be often be too high if partner has opened light and the two hands don’t fit well.  Here is an easy convention to solve this problem:

 

DRURY – This convention is used after a third or fourth seat major-suit opening bid.  An artificial response of 2C shows 10-12 support points and asks partner if he opened light.  In the most commonly used version, opener will rebid two of his major to show a light opener.  I highly recommend using this convention.  The only downsides are the loss of a natural 2C response along with the need to remember the convention.  Take a look at these hands:

 

       RESPONDER

                                         S1032   HAQ103   DKQ54   C98

 

                  OPENER A                                                         OPENER B

       SAK987   HKJ2   DJ7  CKQ3                         SKQ876   H87   DJ9   CAJ76

 

As responder you pass with the above hand and your partner opens 1S in third seat.  If you must jump to 3S to show your strength you better hope your partner holds hand A rather than hand B.  Using Drury, you respond 2C and opener will jump to game with A and sign off in 2S with B.  As with many conventions, the 2C bid and responses must be Alerted. 

 

 

Now let’s look at some examples of the material we’ve covered:

 

 

PARD  OPP  YOU  OPP

    P        P       ??    

 

 

1.  SAKQ87   H1094   D764   CJ10     Open 1S and pass any natural response by partner.  Some partnerships allow a weak 2S bid with this hand.

 

2.  SQ1063   HKJ4   DJ98   CA109     Open 1C and pass any natural response by partner.

 

3.  SQ6  HKJ   DJ982   CKJ876          Pass.  You have no good rebid over one of a major plus it’s likely the opponents will outbid you.

 

 

 

YOU  OPP  PARD  OPP

   P       P       1S        P

  ??

 

 

1.  SKJ3   HKJ   DK10986   C876     Bid 3S.  Remember partner can pass a two- level response.  This is a good hand for the Drury convention.

 

2.  SK4   HA98   DQ8743   CJ76       Bid 1NT.  Your partner may pass a two-level bid and your diamond suit is not good enough to play opposite a weak holding.

 

3.  SQ943   H82   D9   CAQJ872      Bid 3C if you use fit-showing jumps.  Otherwise bid 3S or use Drury.  Remember you can’t bid a natural 2C because partner can pass. 

 

 

OPP   PARD   OPP  YOU

   P         P          P       ??

 

1.  SAKJ1082   H1093   DKJ6   C2   Open 2S.  You hope to buy the contract and go plus.

 

2.  SJ8   HQJ86   DKQ32   CK65                Pass.  The opponents may outbid you or you may go minus.