Responding Hands
Three Types of Responding Hands
Once your partner has opened at the 1-level, doubled
for takeout OR overcalled, your hand instantly becomes one
of three types: (1) Game-Forcing, (2) Invitational or (3) Weak.
Each category is subdivided into two sub-types.
Game-Forcing hands may be Game-Only or Slammish, the distinction being that the latter can, at the very least, consider a small or grand slam. Because partner might open 1-of-a-suit light in 3rd seat, a passed hand cannot be a Game-Forcing one, unless partner opens 1NT or makes strong rebid (e.g., 1♦:1♠:2♥, reversing).
Invitational hands may be strongly or weakly
invitational.
The former can make game unless partner
has a minimum.
The latter can only make game, if partner
has a full-blown maximum.
A limit raise of 1♥:3♥ would
be strongly Invitational, while 1♥:2♥ would be weakly
Invitational.
Weak hands are either Super-Fitting (aka "pre-emptive") or Non-Super-Fitting. This distinction only matters, if the Super-Fitting Weak hand has enough trumps to consider a Pre-Emptive action.
Your first task should be to decide which category best describes your holding. Subtract the Least your partner could have from 26 points. If you have that many or more, you have a Game-Forcing hand. Subtract the Most your partner could have from 26 points; if you have Less than that your hand is Weak. Otherwise, you have an Invitational holding. This is why we should respond with 6 HCPs opposite a 13-21 HCP 1-of-a-suit opening bid; we may yet have game !
Your bidding approach will be determined by which of these types you hold. It is a good idea to stop an auction after one or two bids and ask yourself: "What might I (or partner) do with a game-forcing hand here ? With an invitational one ? With a weak one ?"
With a Game-Forcing hand, you would like to make
as many descriptive, forcing bids as necessary until game is reached.
The "forcing bids" are usually either
new suit bids or, if the opponents have entered the auction,
a cuebid of the opponents' suit.
Other options include 4NT (Blackwood), 4th-Suit Forces, jump shifts
in an Unbid suit, etc.
The Principle of Fast Arrival
applies here: if you are NOT slammish, (make one
strength-showing bid if necessary and then) bid game
(once you know in which denomination you want to play).
Do NOT "torture" partner unnecessarily ! Only if you
are slammish should you make subsequent strength-showing
bids and then, perhaps, settle in game.
In the following examples, we see Responder distinguishing between a pre-emptive raise of Opener's Spades (#1) and a strong-showing raise (#2). In the 2nd example, Responder could have 4-3-3-3 and may be "temporizing" with the 2♣ bid, in order to make this distinction.
| #1 | West | North | East | South | |
1
| Pass | 4
| – Pre-emptive. 5+ Spades, 0-5 pts. |
| #2 | West | North | East | South | |
| 1
| Pass | 2
| – 10+ pts, 3+ (usually 4+) Clubs | ||
| Pass | |||||
| any | Pass | 4
| – 13-16 pts., 3+ Spades. |
Invitational hands will eventually sign-off
below game.
1NT:2NT is the simplest such example.
One hallmark of an invitational hand is a 1NT, or non-jump 2NT bid.
Another hallmark is a bid below
Game of a suit previously shown by the partnership.
1♥:3♥ qualifies,
as does 1♥:1♠:1NT:3♠.
Note: even Jumps in previously bid suits are NOT forcing.
Strongly Invitational hands can cuebid an opponent suit ONCE, but only with support for partner's suit. Hence, 1♥-2♣-3♣ (cuebidding the opponent's Clubs) can be done on a strongly invitational (or better) hand. Opposite such a cuebid, partner can rebid hir suit to show weakness.
| #1 | West | North | East | South | |
| – | 1
| 2
| 3
| – 11+ pts., 3+ Hearts ... | |
| Pass | 3
| Pass | Pass | – ... and nothing more. (-: |
| #2 | West | North | East | South | |
| – | 1
| 2
| 3
| – 11+ pts., 3+ Hearts ... | |
| Pass | 3
| Pass | 4
| – 13-18 pts., 3+ Hearts. |
But, what if the strongly invitational hand CANNOT
support partner's suit over interference ?
Then, 2NT, Negative Doubles and Free bids in a new suit are options here.
Similarly, one can Redouble a Takeout Double of our partner's opening bid with a strongly invitational (or better) hand. In this case, the Redoubler can make a limiting bid later with the strongly invitational hand, and force with the game-going holding.
| West | North | East | South | |
| – | 1
| Dble | Rdbl | – 10+ pts. |
| Pass | Pass | 2
| 2
| – 10-12 pts, 3+ Spades. |
| 3
| – 13+ pts, 3+ Spades. | |||
| 2NT | – 10-12 pts, natural. | |||
| 3
| – 13+ pts, Game-forcing. |
Invitational hands should remember to do TWO things
as soon as possible:
LIMIT your hand quickly (with
a non-forcing bid or rebid),
SUPPORT partner quickly
(if you have support).
Partner's love to hear you support
their suits ! :-)
Weak hands are easy to bid. Most often you PASS. If you happen to have lots of trumps for partner, you might make a pre-emptive jump (if one is available).
Another case where Weak hands do not pass is when partner's Takeout Double has been passed by RHO (in which case you bid your longest suit cheaply).
| #1 | LHO | Pard | RHO | You | |
| 1
| Dble | Pass | 1
| – 0-8 pts., 3+ Spades. |
| #2 | West | North | East | South | |
| 1
| Dble | 1
| 1
| – 6-12 pts, 4+ Spades. |