[jillybean]

I'm cleaning out my forums inbox and cam across a question I sent to Mike in 2003


Hi there Mike,

---

You open a moth eaten 1♥ partner responds 2♦

What now please, is 2♥ a 'Ive got a poor hand, lets tread carefuly?'

Thanks

(I was fresh out of learn to play bridge lessons and we were taught you had to have 6 to rebid your suit. I am not sure if I had even heard of 2/1)

Mike's reply at the time

I agree with the 1♥ opening. There are two schools of thought on the rebid.

Some would raise to 3♦... Doug Fraser, a Grand Life Master and multiple CNTC champion, with whom I play a lot, would raise to 3♦ and think it to be a non-problem. This is within a 2/1 method, btw, which is important.

If not playing 2/1, then the usual approach is that 3♦ is forcing for one round, and hence should promise more than a minimum hand.. altho the 'more' may and often will be in the form of shape rather than hcp.. thus to raise on a minimum requires 4 card support. If playing that method, I would rebid 2♥.

Of course, bridge players being what we are, you will undoubtedly find some who say that you cannot rebid such a suit... and some of them will also say (not on this hand, but if you independently asked them what 3♦ shows) that 3♦ shows extras.. in other words, they will have an incoherent, unplayable set of rules.

And still others will say.. well, bid 3♣ (if any of them approach you...run! Unless they are playing a strong club method, where the 1H bid is limited, they don't know what they are doing)

My own preference is to rebid 2♥ within either a SA or a 2/1 method.. this is the 2nd of the 2 mainstream schools of thought.

[pescetom]

I would be happy to raise to 3♦ on this particular hand, but only because in our flavour of 2/1 2♦ rigorously promises 5 cards.
Otherwise our general approach is to rebid 2♥ not promising 6 rather than bid 3♣ without extras.