Raises

Premi qui per la versione in Italiano

One of the fundamental principles of the system is that which governs the raises. The system, in fact, uses, to investigate slam, a method that tends to verify, before anything else, the presence of 2 major honors in trumps. In this way one avoids beginning a cue-bidding sequence, that, often, determines the controls in all the suits, but that ends at the 5-level, or worse even slam, without adequate strength in trump.

Naturally not all sequences allow verification at a low of the strength of trumps, but in all GF situations below 3NT the following rules are used:

  1. the immediate simple raise below 3NT, in a GF situation, guarantees at least one major honor in trump
  2. the immediate jump cue-bid guarantees instead at least 2 major honors while setting the suit as trump

When the raise must be given above the level of 3NT another rule instead is used: 

  1. above the level of 3NT the immediate raise denies a major honor, but a cue-bid followed by a raise guarantees at least a 3-card fit with one major honor.

Examples

In the sequence 1 - 2; 2 the situation is GF (reverse after a positive). South raises to 3 with a major honor in spades, but bids 2NT (describing her distribution), 3 (followed by a raise) or raises to 4 with just small cards. The immediate 4, 4 or 4 (spade fit; with a diamond fit South first bids 3) guaranteeing instead 2 major trump honors and slam aspirations.

In the sequence 1 - 1SA; 2 (no 5-card suit except clubs)-2 (no 5-card major);3 (no 4-card major)-3(suit), an immediate 4 would show a diamond fit with no major honor, but 3 (cue-bid, as North already denied 4 spades) followed by 4 guarantees 3-card support to a major honor.

With 1 - 2; 2 (just 4 hearts)- 4(cue-bid) South guarantees at least a 4-card heart fit with at least 2 major honors. With a weaker fit South can bid 4 or can instead continue 2 in order to, after 2NT by opener, bid 3, which is forcing but with a maximum of one major heart honor.

Raises of 1M openings

After the openings of 1 and 1 use the following table of raises:

  (xxx), or (Hxx) raise (HHx) raise (xxxx) raise (Hxxx) raise (HHxx) raise
Four-card opening     Splinter

2  x  2NT x raise

 Splinter

2 x raise

1/ 2/ 2 x relay x cue-bid

 Splinter

1/ 2/ 2 x  cue-bid
Five-card opener 2 x 2NT x raise 1/ 2/ 2 x  cue-bid 2 x 2NT  x raise 1/ 2/ 2 x relay x cue-bid 1/ 2/ 2 x relay x cue-bid

From the table comes the following guidelines:

A splinter, immediate or delayed (slammish), says nothing about strength in trumps; though not part of the base system, here one can use 4NT as RKCB or Turbo to determine the number of keycards held.
The sequence 2 x raise (immediate if 4-card opener, else delayed, forcing with 2NT) showing no more than a weak trump holding, with at most a top honor. The cue-bid can be made only with abundant aces and at least a major trump honor, better if accompanied by the fante. 
If the opener's suit is a 4-carder the immediate cue-bid shows a raise with at least 2 major honors; but if opener has 5 trumps, it guarantees at least 4 cards with a major honor.
If opener doesn't guarantee 5 cards in the major, the system always provides an asking relay, which when used and followed by a raise forces to game and denies 2 top trump honors.

Raises after opening 1

After opening 1

Ex. 1 - 1; 2 - 3 shows at least 3-cards to a major heart honor and a long side suit (weak). The opener can ask for this side suit with the relay 3.

The immediate raise by opener in responder's suit also shows a fit with a major honor.

Ex. 1 - 1; 2 - 2; 3 shows 5+ clubs and at least 3 hearts to a major honor.

With a fit, but not a major honor

When one wants to raise, but doesn't have the required trump honor, one can:

bid a normal suit and then give a delayed raise
bid NT and then raise
jump-raise to game directly