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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday
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Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT 0029). Benji Strong 2s
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse 0063). After 1NT rebid
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

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Quick summary

Use only when responding to opener's repeat of the same suit, or when he switches to NT on his second bid.

Rebid above the barrier with:

12+ HC Points

The 'barrier' is at the same suit as responder's first bid, but one level higher.

Usually forcing to game.

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0062 »

Responder rebids. Responders reverse

Hey partner ! I've got game going points

Please pay attention to the order of my bids

Responder can "reverse" his bid order too, sometimes known as "breaking his barrier", to show he has 12 points or more. The bid is usually forcing to game, for fairly obvious reasons. It's an important bid, because the 2-level new suit 1st response showing 10+ is not enough for opener to bid game if he has 12-14 HCP.

By bidding 2 different suits starting with the lower denomination suit at the one level, and the higher denomination suit at the 2 level, (e.g. 1 followed by 2), responder says he's quite strong (12+ HCP). He has gone through the barrier of 2 that he set with his first bid of 1.

Bid them the other way round (i.e. 1 followed by 2), and you are telling partner you might not have more than 12 HCP. Maybe you'll need to jump to 3 if you're strong enough for game?

Useful. Let's hope partner was paying attention !

Example

Suppose the opener bids 1, and then follows with a NT rebid. Responder has two biddable major suits (), containing 4 cards each. The order and level in which he bids these two suits will, among other things, tell his partner if he has 12+ plus HCP (go through barrier), or fewer than 12 HCP.

1 (by opener) – 1(by responder) – 1NT (by opener) – 2 (by responder - this bid is the "reverse"). Here, responder has shown 12 points or more. If he wanted to show the same suits but fewer than 12 points, he would have bid the other was around as follows:

1 (by opener) – 1(by responder) – 1NT (by opener) – 2 (by responder). Here, the responder has not gone through the barrier set by his first bid at the 2 level.

A caveat
Note: If the opener's rebid were in a different suit from his first bid, then responder's rebid in a new suit would not imply any particular number of points (in fact, that would be "4th suit forcing"). Also, if opener's rebid had been to support responder's first bid, then again a change of suit by responder has quite a different meaning, probably a cue bid). To put it another way, a responder's "reverse" can only be made after opener has re-bid his first suit, or has switched to No Trumps after his first suit bid.

Suit lengths

You need to think about the impact of differing suit lengths of the two suits you want to bid. The most common combinations to worry about of course are 5-5, 4-4, and 5-4. 6-6 should be treated like 5-5

You should also bear in mind that your suits need to be bid in the order longest first, or according to denomination if they are of the same length. After you've had a little read of that section, which you should definitely do, and not forgetting to read about "delayed support", let's have a look at the consequences of all this with an example. . .

Example 2 a, b, c

(a) 1 – 1 – 2 – 2. Here the responder has said: I have 2 biddable suits, the distribution is 4-4 or 5-4, and I have 12+ HCP (1) .

(b) 1 – 1 – 2 – 3. Here the responder has said: I have 2 biddable suits, the distribution is 4-5 or even 5-5, and I have 12+ HCP. The distribution cannot be 4-4 or I would have bid the diamonds first, example (a). . ...

(c) 1 – 1 – 2 – 2. Here the responder has said: I have 2 biddable suits, the distribution is 4-4 or 4-5 (or even 5-5), and I have fewer than 12 HCP. The distribution can be 4-4, even though I started with the Hearts. Responder normally starts with the lowest denomination first ( in this example). However, starting with the diamonds would have forced me to break my barrier when I then went on to mention Hearts, as in case (a). That would not be good ! Telling my partner that we have game going points would have misled the poor chap considerably more than a slight uncertainty over my number of Hearts. Always assuming he was paying attention to my "reverse" in the first place.

footnote: (1) A problem comes up in a case similar to example 2 (a). Say you have fewer than 12 HCP. Let's say the distribution is 5-4, so you have to bid the diamonds first, or course. How can you now bid the hearts without breaking your barrier ? Answer is, you can't. So don't. You will now have to pass or think of something else. The alternative is to bid according to example (c) below, which is probably just about acceptable with a 4-4 distribution, but not with 5-4 the wrong way round.

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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday