Lesson 6(a) - Opener's rebid

Opener's rebid when responder has made a limit bid

How opener takes charge and is 'the master of the auction'

We next look at what happens after an opening and a response - at opener's rebid. 

You have already learned that when the opening bid is 1NT or 2NT (both limit bids because they have narrowly defined limits - either 15-17 or 20-21), the responder takes charge either by making terminal bids or by requesting further information from opener.  After notrump openings, responder is the master of the auction because opener made a limit bid. 

When the auction starts with a one of a suit opening, working out who takes charge, and how, requires closer analysis.  But as soon as one partner makes a limit bid, the other is in charge.

 

Opener takes charge on the rebid after responder has made one of the two following sorts of limit bid: 

(1) raising the opened suit to show either 6-9 or 10-12 or a 0-7 weak freak

(2) bidding notrumps to show either 6-9 or 13-15 or 16-17 HCP

  

How opener revalues the hand

After hearing responder's first bid, opener first of all reassesses the opening hand based on whether there is a definite suit fit or not.

 ¨    If there is no suit fit, the opener counts only HCP + length points in good suits. 

¨    If there is a suit fit, opener adds distributional points for shortage - 5 for a void, 3 for a singleton and 1 for a doubleton. 

If this reassessed total is:

12‑15 TP  the opener has a minimum opening, from now on called a mini

16‑18 TP  the opener has a medium strength opening, from now on called a midi

19+ TP      the opener has a maximum opening, from now on called a maxi

  

Opener's job, as master of the auction,

is to work out the combined strength and decide the final level and strain.

 ¨    When the final contract is definite, opener makes a terminal bid which re­sponder passes.

 ¨    When game may or may not be there, depending on responder's strength within the range shown by the limit bid, opener makes an invitational bid.

 ¨    Sometimes there will be game-going strength between the two hands but the best choice of final strain is unclear. In such cases the opener makes a forcing bid to enable further exploration