Responding to Major Suit Openings

Responding to Major Suit Openings with Fit

The beauty of the five card majors bidding system is that when partner opens one heart or one spade we know for certain that they have at least five cards in that suit. So when, as responder, we have at least three cards in partner’s suit, we have an eight card major suit fit and we have found our trump suit. In this step, we will see how you can tell your partner both about the fit and the strength of your hand in these situations.

Try some hands

Hand 1

Here, you must decide the best response after your parter opens a major suit. Once you switch seats so that you’re playing the hand, you must find a crafty way to avoid a spade loser.

Hand 2

Once again, you must decide on the best response to your partner. In the play, see if you can figure out the best way to stop yourself from losing any heart tricks.

Hand 3

This time, you will be opening and must decide the best course of action after your partner shows support for your suit. You should be trying to find a way to ruff a loser in dummy again, but will need to be a bit more careful about the order in which you do things this time.

Hand 4

Once more, choose the level at which you think you belong after partner’s response to your opening bid. You will have spotted a theme in the play of these hands. If you’re struggling, don’t worry! Have a look at the card play module on ruffing losers.

Back

Responding to Major Suit Openings with Fit

See how to describe your hand in a single bid in the happy situation where you have fit with partner’s major suit.

Question 1/4

Penelope has opened 1♠. What should Walter respond?

Walter has three spades, so with Penelope showing 5 when she opens 1♠, he knows that they have an eight card fit and should tell her that right away by bidding spades. He only has eight points - a weak hand opposite a one level suit opening, so he should raise spades at the lowest level available - two spades. This two level response in partner’s major shows 6 to 10 points, as well as at least three cards in the suit.

Penelope has opened 1♠ again here. How should Walter respond?

Although Walter has an extra spade here - nice four card support for Penelope’s suit - he should not bid to a higher level. With seven points, his hand is still weak. He cannot see the points for game between them, based on what he knows so far, so he should still bid 2♠. Remember that this shows 6 to 10 points and at least three card support.

For the sake of variety, Penelope has opened 1♥ this time. How should Walter respond?

Walter has great support for his partner’s suit - he can see at least a nine card fit. How about strength though? With 11 points, he calculates that the partnership might have enough for game (if Penelope has 14) but they might not. His hand is invitational. He can show this by bidding 3♥. Better than the weak hand that 2♥ would show, but not enough to force to game.

Here again, Penelope starts by bidding 1♥. Which bid best describes Walter’s hand?

Walter has the three hearts that he needs to know that the partnership should play with that suit as trumps. He also has a nice 14 points, so he knows that they have enough strength between them to play in a game contract, so he tells Penelope this by bidding 4♥.

These links will take you to the Bridge Training website. Some hands you will have to pick the best response after partner opens a major, while on others you will get to practice both opening and figuring out partner’s hand before deciding what level you should play at. You will then be able to play the contracts – have as many goes as you like if you don’t succeed the first time.