Rebids Without a Fit for Responders Major Suit

NT First.   With a five card minor, a minimum hand and no fit for responders major, rebid the minor only if there is good reason to believe 1 NT shouldn't be the contract. Usually this will occur in hands with 9+ cards in the minors and a singleton major:

All such bidding depends on the distribution among the minor suits, and, to a lesser degree, stoppers in the majors.  Except for a reverse (1 § followed by 2¨'s), this limits openers hand, and responder should choose the contract.

Rebid Table

ª 

© ¨ §

2

1 5 5

3

1 4 These two hands should rebid in the minors

   

2

2 4 5 1NT with major suit stoppers, otherwise 2§'s

3

3 5 2 1NT with major suit stoppers, otherwise 2¨'s
   

2

4 2

1

3 5 4 These two should rebid 1 NT over 1 Spade

Subsequent Bidding. Any further bid by responder over 1 NT or a (non-reverse) minor suit rebid indicates a strong hand by responder because opener has limited his hand.  Opener will stretch to bid 1NT in preference to 2 of a minor, even with poor 'stoppers', so responder should be careful about carrying on depending on major suit stoppers from opener. 


(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998  All Rights Reserved