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Bidding Conventions LESSON 38 Power 2♣ Game Try & 2♦ Game Force Responses Showing points first The two Game Force Responses The 2♣ Game Try Response Other Game Try Responses Weak Responses of 6-10 HCP Solo bidding Quiz - Quiz Answers Facts sheet - Bidding Guide

In the auction period a Partnerships needs to find out two things :

1. Do we have an 8+ card trump fit, preferably in a major suit

2. Do we have enough combined strength to bid Game or even Slam

In traditional natural bidding systems (like Standard and Acol) the Partnership first tries to establish a trump suit and only after that determines the combine strength.
This works fine when the Opponents refrain from bidding, but when they start interfering (with a Overcall or Take-out Double) it can become much more difficult for the Opening Partnership to determine their combined strength.

The Precision system (introduced in 1969) countered this difficulty with its artificial 1♣ Opening bid which shows all hands with 16 HCP or more. Consequently all other Opening bids are within the range of 11-15 HCP.
This was a great innovation, however it had its Achilles Heel. It is easy for a relatively weak Opponent to make an Overcall over 1♣, requiring a number of additional new bids by Responder and opener to overcome such interference.

Ron Klinger adopted the principle idea of showing points first (in 1981 in his Power System), but switched the artificial points defining bid to the Responder rather than the Opener.

After a one in a suit Opening

the 2♦ response shows any hand with 13+ HCP (or distributional hands with 11-12 pts and ≤ 7 losers)

the 2♣ response shows 11-12 points (or 10 pts and 8 losers)

The 2♦ response is forcing to Game, while the 2♣ response is a Game Try.
This simple element can easily be adopted in any bidding system, giving it considerably more punch.

The 2♦ Game Force Response covers all hands with 13+ points (except Splinter raise, see below).
After the first response bidding proceeds naturally, where :

a suit raise to the 3-level (→ 3♥ or 3♠) = 16+ points

a raise to Game (→ 4♥ or 4♠) = 13-15 points

Splinter raises are also forcing to Game
After a 1♥ Opening a response of

3♠, 4♣, 4♦ or 4♥ shows 11+ HCP, 4+card ♥ support plus a singleton or void in the bid suit.

After a 1♠ Opening a response of

4♣, 4♦ or 4♥ shows 11+ HCP, 4+card ♠ support plus a singleton or void in the bid suit.

With 11-12 points (or 10 points and 8 losers) usually respond with 2♣ straight away, but

bid a new 4-card major suit (1♥ or 1♠) at the 1-level first, then rebid 2♣

do not raise Opener's suit if you have trump support : bid 2♣ first, show trump support next turn.

There is one exception :

after Opener's 1♠ → 2♥ shows 5 hearts and also 10-12 points

After the 2♣ Response

Opener's artificial rebid of (2♣ →) 2♦ = 11-13 points.

All other rebids by the Opener promise 14+ points !

Here follow some examples.

When a Responder with 10-12 points, bids his 4-card suit first it may occur that Opener makes a rebid at the 2-level. In such case Responder would be unable to rebid 2♣.

By not bidding 2♦ immediately Responder has already defined his hand in the range of 6- 12 points.

Responder can show his 10-12 points by :

making a Game invitation bid by raising a previously bid suit to the 3-level suit

bidding 2NT, or

bidding a fourth suit, where Fourth suit forcing applies.

After Partner's Opening bid of 1 in a suit :

1. All direct suit raises show 6-10 points (10 pts with ≥ 9 losers)

1♥ → 2♥   or   1♠ → 2♠   show 3-card support and 6-10 HCP

1♥ → 3♥   or   1♠ → 3♠   show 4+card support, a semi-balanced hand, 6-10 HCP and 8 losers

1♥ → 4♥   or   1♠ → 4♠   show 4+card support, 6-10 HCP and a singleton or void

2. The 1NT Response shows 6-10 points and no 4-card major

3. The immediate Response of a new suit at the 1- level initially promises 6-12 points.

If Responder does not follow this up with a rebid of 2♣ (or any other Game Try bid shown in the previous Chapter) Responder's point range is 6-10 points (10 points with ≥ 9 losers).

4. Responder's jump-shift to a new suit

at the 2-level : 1♣ or 1♦   →  2♥ or 2♠   shows 6-10 points and a 6-card suit

at the 3- or 4-level : 1♣ or 3♦   →  3♥ or 3♠   shows 6- 10 points and a 7+card suit.
Apply the Rule of 2 and 3

5. The immediate Response of 2NT shows 5-5 in the minor suits

1♠ → 2NT   shows 6-10 points and 5-5 (or longer) in the minor suits

Solo bidding : Deal 1 | Deal 5 | Deal 9 | Deal 13 | Deal 17 |