Reply to Partner's Opening Suit Bid

Responding to Partner's Opening Bid

In a bridge game if you don't have enough of your partner's suit, it isn't  possible to support your partner's' opening bid.  Sometimes you need to explore by bidding, looking for a better 'fit'. (A fit means that you have 8 cards between you and your partner in a particular suit.)

Supporting Partners Suit

If you have four cards in partner's opening bid, your first responsibility is to show partner and bid according to the points you have. Raise partners bid one level with 6-9 points and 2 levels with 10-12 points. Your bid is not forcing on opener.

A New Suit as a Force

If you bid in a new suit this is forcing on your partner to keep bidding going (a "forcing" bid) for one round. You promise by a bid that you have at least 4 cards in the new suit bid.

New Suit at the 1 Level

If you bid a new suit at the 1-level -this shows your partner you have at least 6 HCP.

1NT

Many partnerships reserve the 1NT response to and opening level 1 bid to show 6-9 points and a hand of any shape, not necessarily a balanced hand.

Negative Double

If you have 8-9 points and do not have the space to bid your suit at the 1 level you can make a negative double. This bid says to your partner, "I have some values and 8-9 points but I cannot bid my own suit at the 1 level and I don't have enough points to bid at the 2 level

New Suit at the 2 Level

If you have 10 or more points you can bid a different suit from openers at the 2 level. With a major suit you will need to have 5 cards in that suit, with a minor suit you only need 4 cards and 10+ points

Keep the bidding as low as you can to leave more room to explore for a fit.

Showing Preference

If your partner opens a suit and on their second bid shows another suit, it is your responsibility to look at your hand and tell them which of the suits your hand is better suited for playing in. This is known as showing 'preference' if you have equal numbers of cards in both suits (as you will have in the practise game below) you should return partner to their first bid suit because it will be longer.

Summary

• Bid (show) a suit at the 1-level if possible
•  Bid 1NT to show you have 6-9 HCP and no 4 card majors
• If you have two four card major suits and 6+ points bid the lower ranking suit first (your heart suit)
• A negative double keeps the bidding going so opener can rebid their hand. It shows 8-9 points
• If you change the suit and bid at the 2-level, you will need at least 10+ HCP and a 5 card major suit
• If you change the suit and bid at the 2-level, you will need at least 10+ HCP and a 4 card minor suit
• Bid 2NT with 11-12 HCP and a balanced hand
• If you raise your partner's suit to the level of 3 you promise 10-12 TP and 4-card suit support 
• When partner bids two different suits - even with no points you should show preference by either leaving them in the second bid suit or returning them to their first bid suit (its longer)