Minors Box

Opening Minor Suits

The convention card section for Minor Suit Openings:

MINOR OPENINGS

Length Promised

        4+      3+     Shorter

1 § [ ]      [ ]          [ ]

1 ¨ [ ]      [ ]         [ ]

RESPONSES

Double Raise

Forcing [ ] Limit [ ] Preempt [ ]

Single Raise Forcing [ ]

1NT/1§ ______ to ______ HCP

1 ¨ Resp. Cov. _____________

Other _________________________

What do your minor suit openings mean ?

· Do you always have at least three Clubs or Diamonds? Four ? Do you open 1 Club with less than three ? Check the appropriate box and Alert your bids if they may be short, i.e., fewer than three Club or Diamond cards.

· What does [1 § - Pass - 3 § ] mean in your bidding system ?

· What does [1§ - Pass - 2 § ] mean ?

· When your partner bids 1NT over 1§ , how many points does that show?

· If you respond 1¨ over 1§ , does that mean you have no four+ card majors ?

These are the things to think about in this section, and to check off in the boxes.

Our card in the Minor Openings section

MINOR OPENINGS

Length Promised

        4+      3+     Shorter

1 § [ ]       [X ]         [ ]

1 ¨ [ ]       [ X ]        [ ]

RESPONSES

Double Raise

Forcing [ ] Limit [ ] Preempt [X ]

Single Raise Forcing [ X ]

1NT/1§ __6_ to __10__ HCP

1 ¨ Resp. Cov. ___Denies 4+ card major__________

Other ___Inverted Minors______

We don't open 1§ or 1¨ with less than three cards. (Some open Diamons only with 4+, so they have to alert their Club openings as "May be Short", as those hands with a 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 distribution).

For us, a double raise of a minor suit opener is preemptive, not strong. This treatment is called Inverted Minors, and is intended to pressure the opponents like all preemptive bids. Consequently, a single raise of 1§ /1¨ is forcing, showing 10+ HCP. This is the other half of Inverted Minors. Both deny any four card major. If we respond 1¨ over 1§ , we deny having any four card major. (There are other styles of bidding this situation - - good ways, but not our way. Either is OK, but you must be 100% consistent.)

A bid of 1© over 1§ or 1¨ doesn't deny a nice Diamond suit, so it is alertable as standard practice assumes we bid up the line.

Our minor openings are often 'short', meaning the bid is actually 'one banana' until further bidding clarifies it. It denies a five card major or opening Notrump strength. Some play One Club as the only short opening, in which case they must alert all opening One Clubs, explaining that it "may be short" - shorter than the three + cards which is considered standard.

We don't play 'convenient minor' or 'better minor', where you open the stronger of the minor suits. We bid the longer - not necessarily the stronger - suit, with Clubs always the bid if they are both 3 cards long, regardless of strength.