Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - August 30, 2021 -A reverse

Question: Opener has a strong, 19 hcp, hand. Should they jump shift or go to game (4S) ?

Vic:

A very difficult hand to bid to be sure. Hang on.

The classic way for Opener to show a balanced hand with 18-19 points would be to bid 2NT on their second call. In this case that would be a jump bid. But a second call of 2NT by opener shows 18-19 points (balanced) whether it is a jump bid or not. So usually, 2NT would be a no brainer. In this specific situation, however, 2NT poses a potential problem (more on this later). 

Since Responder's first bid of 1S guarantees only 4 spades (and only 6 points), there is a good chance NS does NOT have a golden fit (8 cards) in spades. They may also have barely enough points for game. A jump to 4S by Opener would fall into the realm of reckless bidding. In bridge aggressive is good - reckless is not.

What Opener needs to know to make 4S a sound bid is whether Responder has more than 4 spades or not. Opener needs to come up with a forcing bid, that might allow them to find that out. 

I suggest Opener’s second call should be 2H. That would be a “Reverse” which promises a stronger than standard opening hand (17 HCPs minimum) & at least a 4-card heart suit. It also implies that Opener’s first suit (diamonds) is longer than their hearts, but I see that as a forgivable lie in this case.  

Even though they have the minimum 6 points they promised, Responder should treat the Reverse as forcing. I suggest a good second call by Responder would be 3H. And now Opener has the opportunity they were hoping for. Opener should next bid 3S which says: “I did not raise your spades the first time partner, because I do not have 4 of them. But I do have 3 of them & a strong hand. I know you do not have 6 spades or you would have rebid them. But Is it possible you have 5? If so, take us to game in spades.”. Bingo. 

The potential problem with the “no-brainer” 2NT call you ask. Openers pitiful club suit I answer. If Responder really has only 6 points they are probably all in spades. If Opener makes a second call of 2NT, they may very well find themselves in a NT contract without a club stopper. Turns out that with any opening lead other than clubs Opener deserves 10 tricks in NT. With a club opening lead, however, they deserve only 8 tricks in NT. 

If you don’t have a clue what a “Reverse” is, you need to put your bridge hat on & find out ASAP. They are a very important part of modern day bidding. 

Ain’t bridge a great game?