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Vu-Bridge | Play like a Champion!

Opener's Rebids (Unbalanced Hands) by Paul Bowyer

In the last quiz we looked at opening bids followed by a rebid in No-trumps. Here we are looking at how to plan the bidding of a hand that is not balanced and is going to bid a suit (or suits).

Remember - once you have opened the bidding with a suit bid and partner has responded with a suit bid you are obliged to bid again. There is no such bidding as (f'rinstance) 1 - 1 - Pass.

Whenever you open the bidding you must anticipate your partner's response and be prepared for it. The opening bidder guarantees a rebid.

Anticipation is the name of the game!
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Question 1

  South
 A Q 3 2
 4 2
 5 2
 A Q 10 8 5
 
Q: 1 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your opening bid? (This is the easy bit - what you should be doing is asking yourself what you would do if partner responds with various suit bids).
SouthWestNorthEast
?


 Your choice:
A: 1 (of course!) However, in your mind you should be saying to yourself... "If partner responds 1 or 1 I will rebid 1. If partner responds 1 I will raise him to 2". That covers the most likely responses so you are primed and ready to go.

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Question 2

  South
 10
 K Q J 9 8 5
 A 7 6
 J 10 8
 
Q: 2 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass1Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. A rebid in the same suit shows a minimum hand and a long suit - of at least five cards and often six. Here you have opened with only 11 points but you could hardly Pass this hand as opener with such a magnificent Heart suit. After 1 - 1 - 2 partner knows that you only have Hearts.

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Question 3

  South
 K J 6 4 3
 Q 10 8 5
 A J 9
 Q
 
Q: 3 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. You must show your second suit where it is convenient to do so. Some players get confused a little here. Having heard that "a rebid in the same suit shows a minimum hand" (which is true!) they believe that you MUST rebid your own suit when you are minimum. Here they rebid 2 with the comment that they are "too weak to change the suit". This, frankly, is rubbish.

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Question 4

  South
 A J 6 5 4 3
 K Q 8 2
 4
 Q 3
 
Q: 4 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. Some players believe that is right to rebid a six-card suit before introducing a four-card suit. On some hands that might be right (it depends on the suit quality) but here it is clear-cut to bid 2. You simply must show your Hearts in an attempt to locate a fit in that suit.

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Question 5

  South
 A J 6 5 4 3
 Q 3
 4
 K Q 8 2
 
Q: 5 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. One of the great principles of early-round bidding is that you don't venture to the three-level without a fit. Here, 3 commits your side to a high-level contract (in practice a game contract) when you may have insufficient values and no trump fit. This is dangerous ground! Here, you must rebid 2 and let partner bid on if he has a good hand. If he has a minimum 10 points (or a misfit) then 2 is as good a spot as any.

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Question 6

  South
 A J 6 5
 A K 9 8 4
 4 2
 J 5
 
Q: 6 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. You may think that you should bid 2 here but that would be a mistake. You are inviting preference at the three-level and that needs a good hand to justify this. If partner hates Hearts and Spades he will either bid No-trumps (unlikely to be a success) or go back to 3, leaving you precariously placed at the three-level. Any bid that invites preference at the three-level is called a REVERSE and always indicates a good hand (say 16+ points). A rebid of 3 on Hand 5 would also have been a reverse.

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Question 7

  South
 9
 Q 10 6 5 3
 J 2
 A K Q 10 4
 
Q: 7 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your opening bid? (This is the easy bit - what you should be doing is asking yourself what you would do if partner responds with various suit bids).
SouthWestNorthEast
?


 Your choice:
A: 1 (of course!) With 5-5 hands it is generally best to open with the higher ranking suit (especailly if that suit is a major). This can lead you into difficulty but you have little choice. If partner responds 1 (which is what you hope he'll do) then you have an easy rebid of 2. If, on the other hand, partner responds 2 you have no option but to rebid 2 as a rebid of 3 would be a strength-showing REVERSE.

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Question 8

  South
 A Q 7 6 4
 9
 A Q 10 6 2
 5 3
 
Q: 8 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 2. And hope the sun shines. It's always depressing to "bury" a good five-card suit but you have little choice. 3 would be a REVERSE, hoisting the auction to the three-level on what might be a combined 22-point misfit. You just have to rebid 2 and hope partner makes another call.

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Question 9

  South
 A Q 7 6 4
 A Q 10 6 2
 6
 5 3
 
Q: 9 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 4. What a difference a fit makes! Now, with ten trumps between you you should bid game with a song in your heart. True, you may only have 22 points between you but with ten trumps (partner's response shows five Hearts) you must have a stab at game. This illustrates the difference between MISFIT hands (which produce few tricks) and FIT hands (which produce a lot of tricks). When you like each other's trump suit the sky's the limit.

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Question 10

  South
 A Q 9 4
 Q 9 6 5 3
 2
 A J 8
 
Q: 10 - In this example you are the opener, South. What is your rebid?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: 3. A horrible hand with only two choices. A raise to 3 (just about the least repulsive bid) or a rebid of 2. 2 is out of the question (to beat the drum - it would be a strength-showing REVERSE) and 2NT a wild distortion. Rebidding 2 on Q 9 6 5 3 is not pleasant.

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What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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