Monday, June 12, 2006 4:18 AM

Hand Evaluation - Forcing NT ( 2♠ rebid )

PITBULLS:

The spade suit is the highest ranking suit in Bridge. This elementary fact quite often pre-empts partner. When you open 1♠ and partner responds 1NT beware of the 2♠ rebid. This bid virtually shuts out partner unless she has a good enough hand to bid at the 3 level. If you play the BART convention or have an understanding that 2♦ or 2♥ by the NT bidder is forcing one round you should avoid rebidding 2♠. Spades shut out hearts due to the rank difference. This can be fatal quite often. Use the 2♣ rebid as a tool of convenience which allows partner to use BART or other treatments. Opener should help the forcing 1NT bidder out when she can.

Holding ♠KQxxxx ♥Axx ♦Axx ♣x , you open 1♠ with partner responding a forcing 1NT. Since you have 3♥’s to the Ace , I would bid 2♦ . This gives partner a chance to bid 2♥ or otherwise describe her hand. Say you bid 2♠ and partner holds ♠x ♥KJ10xx ♦KJx ♣xxxx or similar hands. 4♥ has a play but two ♠’s probably goes down. Partner gives preference with two small spades anyway .

Playing BART like structures , let the system do the work for you. If you have clubs with heart tolerance do not “pre-empt” the bidding by rebidding 2♠. ♠AJxxxx ♥Kxx ♦Ax Kx You open 1♠ , partner responds 1NT . 2♠ has a high probability of ending the auction. You have 15 HCP but your suit is not good enough to jump to 3♠. Its these “in between” hands that you do everything in your power to keep the bidding open. Playing 2♦ forcing one round or BART allows you to bid 2♣ as a rebid. Partner is aware that your 2♣ rebid could show as little as two of them so allow partner to describe her hand. Partner does have hearts so you reach +620. A rebid of 2♠ and you play it there , down one.

I like a 2♠ rebid to mean a lack of heart tolerance with a decent spade suit. Game in the other major is shut out too many times by that rebid. I like playing a 2/1 in a minor , rebidding the minor as non forcing after a major opener. Therefore , by the negative inference if partner bids a minor after my 2♠ rebid , she is rescuing the partial , not showing any cards. ♠x ♥Kxx ♦QJ109xxx ♣xx is a 3♦ bid after a 2♠ rebid so probably says that 2♠ is not going to make.

Playing 3♣ as a multi-purpose jump shift clarifies these hand types. A 3♠ & 3♥ bid is invitational so can be done on lighter values . 6-4’s are always shown by rebidding the 4 card suit. Therefore , a 2♠ rebid is getting close to being a “picture” bid. A single suited minimum with no heart tolerance & a decent suit.