In reality, the Rebid of the Opener is perhaps the most crucial bid in the auction process. In general, there are about 10 basic guidelines for the opener to follow, and these should be memorized in order that they come natural to the bridge player.
Before this bid is made
| 1. strategy |
| 2. judgment |
| 3. re-evaluation |
| 4. adherence to the guidelines |
all become factors in deciding what to bid. The following guidelines should help in mastering 13 cards, describing them quickly and accurately. This is the time to inform your partner as much about your distribution and strength as possible.
Let us take a look at a few examples of each basic guideline. They may seem confusing at first, but once they are put into practice, they will become second nature. They may seem to be many in number, but once they are mastered, then you and your Partner will bid with confidence and trust in each other.
If responder bids a new suit, opener MUST describe his hand further.
1. Rebid The Minimum Number Of No Trump
a. with 13-15 points and no second 4-card suit
b. this generally shows a 5-3-3-2 pattern; Opener does not have a second 4-card suit
c. this rebid also shows no 4-card support for the suit of the responder
Example 1:
Opener:
AKQ43 A76 43 754 1 Responder:
98 KQ94 KQ96 986 2 Responder is sending the message:
1. I am not denying 3-card Spade support; but I am too strong to bid 1 Spade and/or too weak to bid 2 Spades
2. I have no 5-card Heart suit
3. I have 10+ high card points and a 4-card Diamond suitOpener rebids: 2 No Trump
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have an opening hand and between 12-14 high card points maximum
2. I do not have 4 Diamonds as support
3. I do not have 4 Hearts to rebid
4. I do not have 4 Clubs to rebid
5. I only have 5 Spades and an opening
6. I am limiting my hand; you are the Captain
As you can see, the opener and the responder are both exchanging quite a lot of information. Keep in mind three things when bidding:
1. descriptive information being exchanged by both partners
2. visualizing what Partner does and does not have
3. as long as a partner has not limited his hand, the bidding remains alive, and the other partner should continue to bid
Understanding these three principles, especially "I have or I have not" are basic in reaching the correct contract.
Keep in mind also the fact, that once partner has limited his bid, he is blind, and his partner must direct him to the correct contract. Upon limiting his hand, a bridge player can no longer lead, but must be directed.
Information is exchanged through two means:
1. informing Partner
2. asking Partner
Example 2:
Opener:
AKQ KQ94 9843 754 1 Responder:
98 983 KQ76 KQ82 2
Responder is sending the message:1. Diamonds may be our suit; I do not know yet
2. I have no 4-card Heart suit
3. I have no 4-card Spade suit
4. I have 10+ high card points and a 4-card Club suit
5. Do we have a possible No Trump contract?Opener rebids 2 No Trump
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have an opening hand and between 12-14 high card points maximum
2. I do not have 4 Clubs as support
3. I do not have a second 4-card suit to show you
4. I do not have a Reverse Bid or Jump Shift as a rebid
5. I only have un-rebiddable Diamonds and an opening
6. At this moment I can not inform you whether I have stoppers in Hearts or Spades
7. I am limiting my hand; you are the Captain
2. Rebid In Your First Suit
In the above example, the responder could set the contract either at 3 No Trump because he has stoppers in all the other suits, or the responder could bid 4 Spades knowing that between them they have an 8-card Trump Suit and the necessary strength. With the Jack of Spades, the better contract would be 4 Spades.a. with 13-15 high card points and a 6-card suit. See: The Golden Rule
b. most of your Quick Tricks should be in that suit
Example 1:
Opener
AKQ985 A7 984 75 1 Responder:
J6 KJ96 KQ3 K862 1 Responder is sending the message:
1. I may/might not have support for your suit; I could be in that Gray Area
2. I have a 4-card Club suit and 10+ high card points
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 2
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have 12-14 high card points
2. I have a 6-card Spade suit
3. I have no other 4-card suit to bid
4. This is the length and strength of my hand; you are now the Captain
3. Jump In Your Long Suit
a. with 16-18 high card points, which suggests strongly an above average strong 6-card+ suit in length
Example 1:
Opener
AKQ985 AK7 J84 7 1
Responder:
J6 QJ96 KQ3 K862 2 Responder is sending the message:
1. I may/might not have support for your suit
2. I have a 4-card Club suit and 10+ high card points
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 3
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have 16-18 high card points
2. I have an excellent 6-card+ Spade suit
3. I can not support your Clubs
4. I have no other 4-card suit to bid
5. This is the length and strength of my hand; you are now the Captain
4. Jump One Level In No Trump
a. with 19-20 high card points and balanced pattern.
b. with no support for the suit of the responder.
c. but remembering to find a Suit Fit first.
Example 1:
Opener:
AKQ A76 A843 Q95 1 Responder:
J98 J98 KQ9 KJ98 2 Responder is sending the message
1. I have no 4-card Heart suit
2. I have no 4-card Spade suit
3. I have 10+ high card points and a 4-card Club suit
4. Do we have a possible No Trump contract?Opener rebids 3 No Trump
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have a balanced hand and 18/19 high card points maximum
2. I am too strong for a 1 No Trump and too weak for a 2 No Trump opening
3. I do not have a 5/4-card suit to show you as a Reverse Bid
4. I am limiting my hand; you are the CaptainTake a good look at
Example 2:
AK5 A76 A843 965
Important Side note to Example Two: There are many bridge players who will use the above guideline incorrectly, unless they have included it in their partnership agreement. Opener has 15 high card points, perhaps balanced to semi-unbalanced distribution, and bids 1 Diamond. Responder bids 2 Clubs, showing 10+ high card points and no 4-card Major. Now, opener sees his chance. Opener realizes:
1. that he has stoppers in the unbid Majors
2. that he and his partner together have at least 25 high card points, and
3. will bid immediately 3 No Trump with only 15 high card points, and hope to make the contract
If there has been no prior partnership agreement, the problem with this bridge philosophy is the fact, that the responder may assume 19-20 high card points and the responder, with 13 high card points, will try for slam, since he might understand that opener has at least an Ace more than he actually has. Instead of 32-33 high card points, both partners have only 28-29 high card points, and slam is not a possibility. Therefore, it is desirable to have a full understanding of how this bid is used by the partnership.
Example 3:
Opener
AKQ A76 A843 Q75 2 Responder:
J87 KQ84 96 KJ98 1 Responder is sending the message:
1. I have 4-card Heart suit
2. I have 6+ high card points plus (unlimited bid)
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 2 No Trump
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have a balanced hand and 18/19 high card points maximum
2. I do not have a 4-card Spade suit to show you
3. I cannot support you with 4 cards in Hearts
4. I am too strong for a 1 No Trump and too weak for a 2 No Trump opening
5. I do not have a 5/4-card suit distribution to show you as a Reverse Bid or Jump Shift
6. I am limiting my hand; you are the Captain
In the above example, the responder knows that the opener has 19/20 high card points. Responder has 10 high card points. Together they have 29 high card points. Since there is a King or even an Ace missing in the two hands, slam is not possible. Therefore, the responder, after the opener limits his hand, takes control and directs the opener to the correct contract, which is 3 No Trump.
5. Jump Two Levels in No Trump
a. with 20-21 high card points and semi-balanced pattern
b. but remembering to find a suit-fit first
This guideline is used by those bridge players who play:
1 No Trump = 16 to 18 high card points and
2 No Trump = 22 to 24 high card points
Since many bridge players have lowered their Point Count for No Trump openings, this guideline has lost its practicality. Abandoning this guideline is also due in part to the popularity of the Weak Two Bid and the Strong Two Club Opening. However, if you and your partner wish to make it a part of your partnership agreement, please do, because you will then have a mutual understanding in your Bidding Process, which is essential.
As an example we can take the exact example above and simply add the Queen of Diamonds.
Example 1:
Opener
AKQ A76 AQ84 Q75 1 Responder:
J87 KQ84 96 KJ98 1 Responder is sending the message
1. I have 4-card Heart suit
2. I have 6 high card points plus (unlimited bid)
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 3 No Trump
Opener is sending the message
1. I have a balanced hand and 20-21 high card points
2. I do not have a 4-card Spade suit to show you
3. I cannot support you with 4 cards in Hearts
4. I am too strong for a 1 No Trump and too weak for a 2 No Trump opening
5. I do not have a 5/4-card suit distribution to show you as a Reverse Bid or Jump Bid
6. I am limiting my hand; you are the Captain
6. Raise the Suit of the partner One Level
a. with 13-15 high card points and 4-card support in the Minors
b. with 13-15 high card points and 4-card support in the Majors
Example 1:
Opener
AKJ A765 9843 J9 1 Responder:
987 KQ84 76 KQ86 1
Responder is sending the message:1. I have a 4-card Heart suit
2. I have 6+ high card points (unlimited bid)
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 2
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have 4 hearts to support you
2. I have 13-15 points ( high card points plus distribution points)
3. We have found a suit - do not mess with it
4. I am limiting my hand; you are the Captain
7. Raise the Suit of the partner Two Levels
a. with 16-18 high card points and 4-card support in the Minors.
b. with 16-18 high card points and 4-card support in the Majors.
7. Raise the Suit of the partner Two Levels
a. with 16-18 high card points and 4-card support in the Minors.
b. with 16-18 high card points and 4-card support in the Majors.
We can take the above example and give opener the Queen of Diamonds, and the opener would then raise the suit of the partner two levels.
Example 1:
Opener
AKQ A765 Q843 J9 3
8. Raise the Suit of the partner to Game
a. with 19-20 high card points and 4-card support in the Major suit.
b. for the Major suits, the suggested Point Range is 25-26 high card point.
b. please remember, by responding, the responder is showing a minimum of 6 high card points.
c. for the Minor suits, the suggested Point Range is 28-29 high card points; caution is therefore advised.
Example 1:
Opener
AKQJ AK76 J843 J 1 
Responder:
9853 Q95 Q95 K97 1 Opener, by bidding game or 4
, is sending the message:
1. I have a 4-card Spade support
2. I have 19-20 high card points in strength
3. If you have more strength, let us try for Slam
9. Bid Your Second Suit
a. as cheaply as possible with 12 to 18/19 high card points
b. remember: the more information you are able to exchange, the more information about the hand of your partner you receive
10. Jump In Your Second Suit
a. with 18-19 high card points or more. This is known as a Jump Shift and is a forcing bid
b. remember not to confuse this guideline with the Jump Shift bid by the responder
Example 1:
Opener
5 AQ4 AQJ106 KQJ9 1 Responder:
AQ76 KJ86 983 54 1
Responder is sending the message1. I have a 4-card Heart suit
2. I have 6+ high card points (unlimited bid)
3. What is your rebid?Opener rebids 3
Opener is sending the message:
1. I have at least a 5-card Diamond suit
2. I have at least a 4-card Club suit
3. I have 18-19 high card points
4. A No Trump Contract is not likely with my distribution
5. You know 9 of my 13 cards; you are now the Captain; you decide.Side Note: it is possible that the opener sometimes will have a fit for the suit of the responder. After the opener shows his distribution and strength, which is forcing, he may plan to support the suit of the responder.
We can continue with examples and more examples, but the basic concept should be demonstrated. The trick is to remember the Basic Guidelines for the Rebid by the Opener and apply them correctly, and to remember the difference between high card points and distributional points after finding a fit. This means that both partners must learn to re-evaluate their hands after finding a suit-fit.
The Basic Guidelines may seem overwhelming to you, but once they become established in your Bidding Auction, they will be recalled with clarity and certainty. It is important to review the Basic Guidelines every now and then. In this manner, both partners develop the habit of bidding correctly, begin to describe their hands accurately and fall gradually into a definite bidding tempo.
| Accepting these Guidelines also builds an essential element of Trust, and should become part of your written Partnership Agreement. |
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.