Wednesday, February 07, 2007 7:51 PM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( 3 card Major Support )

PITBULLS:

For years in the Bridge World’s master solvers club , one bidding problem came up time & time again with a 1♦ or 1♥ opener. You have a 5-4-3-1 or 6-3-3-1 , 6-3-2-2 or even 7-3-2-1 distribution , a strong hand with a 3 card fit for partner’s major. Since you should not make a jump raise or a leap to game with only 3 of partners major , there were many creative answers but none of them really suitable. You essentially make a guess that partner responded with a 5 card suit & when you guess wrong & 3NT is right , you have blown 12 IMPS.

When you have a balanced hand with 3 card support ( or even 4 card support ) , there is no problem as you can bid 2NT . Partner now investigates for the 5-3 major fit. It is the distributional strong hands with a 3 card fit that are the problems. With a 4 card fit , you can always splinter but splintering with a 3 card major fit is poor bidding. What is the solution ? This is one of the main reasons for the existence of the 3♣ multi strong jump shift !!

Define the multi 3♣ strong jump shift followed by supporting partner’s major as showing 3 card support with a non balanced hand in the 17-20 HCP range. You have ♠AQJ ♥AJxxxx ♦AKx ♣x , you open 1♥ with partner responding 1♠. You bid 3♣ , partner bids 3♦ which you follow up with 3♠. Partner is now aware of the 3 card support & the strength of your hand under 3NT. The relay prevents partner from getting into the way when you chose say a 3♦ SJS bid as your rebid. When partner now bids 3NT after a 3♦ jump shift, you still have the same guess whether to support spades. Guessing is repugnant to Bridge experts. Tell partner you have 3 card major support below 3NT via the 3♣ SJS !!

Another example. ♠AQJ ♥xx ♦AKxxxx ♣Ax you open 1♦ , partner responds 1♠. You have an impossible rebid. You are too strong for 3♦ , supporting partner immediately does not seem right & a 2NT rebid is a distortion. Enter the 3♣ strong jump shift so after the relay to 3♦ , support spades. You have your diamond suit in , your 3 card support described along with your 18 HCP’s by the 3 level. Not bad !

I go as far as suggesting bypassing jump shifts into diamonds , when you have 3 card support for partners major. ♠AKx ♥AKxxx ♦AJxx ♣x . I open 1♥ , partner bids 1♠. I would bid 3♣ & after partners relay support spades. Same with “natural” strong jump shifts into clubs with 3 card support for partner. Far more important to show the strong major fit than finding a secondary club or diamond fit , in my opinion anyway. ♠x ♥AKx ♦AKxxx ♣KQxx

1♦-P-1♥-P

3♣-P-3♦-P

3♥-P-3♠-P

4♣ You brought your clubs into the picture anyway by patterning out.

When partner bids 3NT , you may “pattern out” as a slam try if you are strong enough to play 4NT as a contract. Also if partner is slam orientated you may be able to describe your hand further.

You now have all your strong major raise hands covered. With a balanced hand with soft values, keep 4 & 3 card major support in the NT family. With a balanced strong hand with controls bid 3♣ & jump in partners major. With strong 4 card support with distribution , use the splinter. With a strong hand , 3 card major support use the 3♣ strong jump shift. This treatment frees the 3 level jump raise of a major & the leap to game in a major to show distributional values with good suits. Gone is the Goren HCP mentality of the more HCP’s you have , the higher you immediately drive the major fit auction. This dogma drove many , many people to artificial club systems. Fast arrival pre-empts partner so should be distributional & lacking HCP’s in my mind anyway.

A standard strong 1♣ opener & 3 card major support is still a problem. Most experts make a phony reverse & then support partners major. When standard bidding does not do the job , you need a work around.