 | Major Suit Raises |
How to raise partner’s major suit with poor, fair, and good hands.
Introduction
This article discusses the standard methods used to raise partner’s major suit opening bid (i.e., an opening bid of 1♥ or 1♠) with the following types of hands:
- Poor: Five to nine points.
- Fair: Nine to twelve points.
- Good: Twelve points or more.
Warning: This article includes some conventional bids that must be alerted. Bids that require alerts will be highlighted in the text.
Note: When raising partner’s major suit opening bid, be sure to add points for short suits (see Counting For Short Suits).
Poor Hands
When partner opens 1♥ or 1♠, raise partner’s suit to the two level with a poor hand that has three or four card trump support.
Raise even if your right–hand opponent has made a takeout double or an overcall.
- Advanced Tip: If your right–hand opponent makes a takeout double or an overcall, raise to the two level with three card support and raise to the three level with four card support. In both cases these bids show poor hands (five to nine points).
If you have a poor hand with five card support for partner’s major suit opening, raise partner directly to game.
Example 1
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ Q 10 7 ♥ A 9 3 2 ♦ 10 9 7 5 ♣ 8 6 | Raise to 2♠, even if your right–hand opponent intervenes with a takeout double or an overcall. |
Example 2
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ Q 10 7 6 ♥ A 9 3 2 ♦ 10 9 5 ♣ 8 6 | Raise to 2♠. If your right–hand opponent intervenes with a takeout double or an overcall, raise directly to 3♠. |
Example 3
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ Q 10 9 7 6 ♥ A 9 3 2 ♦ 10 5 ♣ 8 6 | Raise to 4♠ directly. |
Fair Hands
When partner opens 1♥ or 1♠, raise partner’s suit to the three level with a fair hand that has at least four card trump support. Do not raise directly to the three level with only three card trump support; make a forcing response in a new suit instead, then show support later if the auction warrants.
When your right–hand opponent intervenes with a takeout double or an overcall, you cannot show a fair hand by raising partner directly to the three level, since this shows a weak hand with four card support (see the Advanced Tip above). Use one of the following bids instead:
- After A Takeout Double: Bid 2NT to show a fair hand with at least four card trump support. This is a conventional bid (usually called “Jordan” or “Truscott”), and must be alerted.
- After An Overcall: Cue bid the opponent’s suit to show a fair hand with at least four card trump support.
Use the two bids given above only with fair hands that have at least four card support. With only three card support, make a forcing response in a new suit instead, then show support later if the auction warrants.
Example 4
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K 10 8 7 ♥ A K 8 ♦ 10 9 7 3 ♣ 8 6 | Raise to 3♠ directly. |
Example 5
Partner opens 1♠, your right–hand opponent intervenes with a takeout double, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K 10 8 7 ♥ A K 8 ♦ 10 9 7 3 ♣ 8 6 | Bid 2NT to show a fair hand with at least four card trump support. |
Example 6
Partner opens 1♠, your right–hand opponent intervenes with a 2♦ overcall, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K 10 8 7 ♥ A K 8 ♦ 10 9 7 3 ♣ 8 6 | Bid 3♦ to show a fair hand with at least four card trump support. |
Example 7
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K 10 7 ♥ A 9 8 ♦ K 10 9 7 3 ♣ 8 6 | With only three card spade support, start by bidding 2♦. Show spade support on the next round if warranted by the auction. |
Good Hands
A “good hand”8 is defined as a hand which will force to game in partner’s major suit. There are two bids that show a game forcing raise of partner’s major suit opening:
- Jacoby 2NT: This is a game forcing raise with at least four card support and a balanced hand (no singleton or void).
- Splinter: This is a game forcing raise with at least four card support and an unbalanced hand (containing a singleton or void).
Both the Jacoby 2NT and the splinter bids must be alerted.
Jacoby 2NT
Use the conventional Jacoby 2NT raise of partner’s opening 1♥ or 1♠ with a hand that is worth an opening bid of its own (at least twelve points) and has no significant distributional feature (i.e., no singletons or voids).
You must have at least four card trump support to use the Jacoby 2NT raise. With three card trump support, start with a forcing bid in a new suit, then raise partner to game in his opening major on your second bid.
Example 8
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K Q 10 7 ♥ A J 8 ♦ K 10 9 3 ♣ 8 6 | Respond 2NT to show an opening hand with at least four card support for partner’s major suit. |
Example 9
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K Q 7 ♥ A J 8 ♦ K 10 9 7 3 ♣ 8 6 | With only three card support, respond 2♦ and then raise to game in spades on the next round. |
Opener’s Responses To Jacoby 2NT
The Jacoby 2NT forcing raise is most helpful when responder has a flat hand (no distributional feature), but opener may (in which case a slam may be possible). Opener’s response to the Jacoby 2NT bid will tell responder if opener has a distributional feature (or extra values):
| Opener’s Rebid | Meaning |
| New suit at three level | Singleton in the suit bid |
| New suit at four level | Void in the suit bid |
| Original suit at three level | No singleton or void, 16+ points |
| Original suit at four level | No singleton or void, minimum opening, no slam interest |
After opener’s response to the Jacoby 2NT bid, responder judges whether to try for slam or not.
Splinter
Use a splinter bid with a hand that is worth an opening bid of its own (at least twelve points) and includes a singleton or void. A splinter bid should not be made on a hand that is good enough for a strong jump shift response (i.e., 18-19 points or more).
Splinter bids are used for slam exploration. If opener has worthless cards opposite responder’ singleton or void, slam is more likely. On the other hand, if opener has significant high card strength opposite responder’ shortness, slam is unlikely.
You must have at least four card trump support to make a splinter bid. With three card trump support, start with a forcing bid in a new suit, then raise partner to game in his opening major on your second bid.
A splinter bid is an unusual jump in a new suit. It is a jump of two levels in the bidding (in other words, one level higher than a jump shift). The following table illustrates the possible splinter bids over a major suit opening:
| Opening Bid | Possible Splinters |
| 1♥ | 4♣: singleton or void in clubs 4♦: singleton or void in diamonds 3♠: singleton or void in spades (note that this is the only splinter at the three level) |
| 1♠ | 4♣: singleton or void in clubs 4♦: singleton or void in diamonds 4♥: singleton or void in hearts |
After a splinter bid, opener decides whether to investigate slam possibilities or not (either through cue bids or Blackwood). If opener simply bids game in his original major suit, he is not interested in slam.
Example 10
Partner opens 1♠, and you hold the following hand:
| ♠ K Q 8 7 ♥ A J 8 3 ♦ 3 ♣ K J 8 6 | Make a splinter bid of 4♦ to show opening values, at least four card support, and a singleton or void in diamonds. |
Advanced Splinter
Warning: This section, while useful, can lead to problems in an inexperienced partnership. Be sure that you and your partner both understand splinter bids as discussed in this section.
Splinters can also be used by the opening bidder when responder bids a new suit at the one level (typically a major). Here is an example:
Example 11
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | Pass |
| ?? |
In this bidding sequence, North can make a splinter bid in support of partner’s hearts provided North has a suitable hand. North must have:
- At least four hearts.
- A singleton or void in an unbid suit.
- 19+ points (since partner could have as few as 5 or 6).
In this sequence, North could bid 4♦ as a diamond splinter, or 3♠ as a spade splinter, showing a singleton or void in the suit bid. Like regular splinters, these bids must be alerted.
Conclusion
With poor or fair hands, you normally raise partner’s major suit opening with appropriate support to the correct level based on your point count. There are some adjustments made if your right–hand opponent intervenes with a takeout double or an overcall.
With good hands (opening strength or better), you show a game forcing raise with either the Jacoby 2NT response (balanced hand) or a splinter (unbalanced hand, containing a singleton or void).