Weak Jump Shift

Situation: Partner opens with 1 Heart and you hold:

ª AKJxxx
© x
¨ xxx
§ xxx

If you bid 1 Spade, he'll probably rebid No Trump and then what will you do ? If you rebid Spades, he will figure you for more points and he may bid on.

The answer is the Weak Jump Shift. [1© - P - 2ª* ] in this example. It says

"Partner, I can't support your suit -- I have a one suited hand worth nothing except in my suit. Don't count on me for anything else."

Strength: A misfit hand where you are very short in partners suit and very weak - 0 to 6 or 7 points max.

Usage: Not very common. Alertable. Sometimes weaker than a Weak Two opener. With 8+ points, simply bid the suit once. Also, with more strength, you might use the Forcing 1NT to bid your suit.

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Example Weak Jump Shift Sequences

 N        E         S        W

1§        P         2¨*         . . .      "No majors, just 6 weak Diamonds.

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1ª        P         3§ *        . . .        "Not Spades, Not NT, just Clubs"

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1§         P        2¨*         . . .      A weak South with Diamonds.

3¨         Dbl      P         ???       North advances Diamonds; East doubles, realizing N/S is stealing                                                    the hand, but what can West do?

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1©         P         1NT*    P

2§         2¨        . . .                  Showing a weak Diamond hand by South but too good to bid 3¨ on the                                              first call.