Rebids By Minor Suit Opener

Find a Major.   After a minor suit opening, opener must join the search for a major suit fit of 8+ cards.

We raise any major suit bid by responder with four trumps, but not with only three. If partner subsequently rebids his major, we then raise with three as partner has 5 or more. Rebid 1 Spade over a response of one Heart (assuming you don't have 4 Hearts) as a one Heart response doesn't deny 4 Spades.

Without any 4 card major fit, the rebid will often be Notrump, unless the minor suit is rebidable or a second minor is biddable.

N	E	S
1§	P	1©
1NT . . .  .			Shows a minimum opener with less than four Hearts, denies four Spades, and is not interested in a Club contractor can't bid a Diamond reverse.

This sequence is in no way the same as an opening Notrump bid. There is no guarantee of all suits stopped or three suits stopped, etc. It simply suggests 1 NT is likely to be the best contract.

Bidding One Notrump in Competition

Do It.   When you can sense that your LHO is about to bid One Notrump, consider bidding it yourself.

It's very important in competitive bridge to be the first side to bid one Notrump, as it's difficult for non-bidding opponents to enter the bidding at the two level. To beat you at one Notrump, the opponents have to make one Notrump themselves.

Also, their easiest balancing call is 1NT, so don't make it easy for them - bid it yourself, and first.  Otherwise, you are faced with bidding at the two level when you don't really want to.

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