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Hand evaluation - Barrier-Reversing
- Question 1
(of 18 on this page)
What is your barrier?
1. a contraceptive
2. your level of tolerance for poor bidding
3. 16 points
4. a means by which opener rebids, in order to show his partner how many points he has more accurately than he showed in the first bid
5. the limit of bidding given the maximum possible number of points your partner has
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- Answer 1
(of 18 on this page)
What is your barrier?
( 4 ). a means by which opener rebids, in order to show his partner how many points he has more accurately than he showed in the first bid
Your first suit bid showed 12-19 HCP. That's a wide range. The barrier breaks this into two parts. Rebid above the barrier and you are in the upper half.
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- Question 2
(of 18 on this page)
What is the barrier?
1. 2C
2. 2D
3. 2H
4. 2S
5. 2NT
6. 2C if you bid 1C first time
7. 2D if you bid 1D first time
8. 2H if you bid 1H first time
9. 2S if you bid 1S first time
10. 6-9 above, inclusive
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- Answer 2
(of 18 on this page)
What is the barrier?
( 10 ). 6-9 above, inclusive
Whatever suit you opened with, say 1D, defines the barrier to be in the same suit, but at the 2 level, eg 2D
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- Question 3
(of 18 on this page)
If you have fewer than 16 points, what does it mean if you go through the barrier on your second bid?
- Answer 3
(of 18 on this page)
If you have fewer than 16 points, what does it mean if you go through the barrier on your second bid?
( 0 ).
It means you are misleading your partner, who mistakenly will now think you have 16-19 points, when you might only have 12. He'll probably therefore raise the bidding to an unsustainable level, and it will all be your fault.
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- Question 4
(of 18 on this page)
Are you obliged to go through your barrier on your second bid if you have 16 points or more ?
1. yes
2. no
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- Answer 4
(of 18 on this page)
Are you obliged to go through your barrier on your second bid if you have 16 points or more ?
( 2 ). no
Sometimes's you'll need to go through your barrier to describe your 5-4 distribution, sometimes you won't.
If you need to, but lack the strength - don't do it.
But if you go through it when you DON'T need to, then your partner will notice that instead of just "shifting" suit, you've given him a "jump-shift". That's a game-forcing promise of 19 points (if his response had been at the one level).
Don't forget that if your partner had responded at the TWO level, then any new suit that you re-bid will be forcing for one round - so no need to jump shift!
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- Question 5
(of 18 on this page)
Can I include shortage points in calculating my barrier ?
1. yes
2. no
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- Answer 5
(of 18 on this page)
Can I include shortage points in calculating my barrier ?
( 2 ). no
Strictly no, because you don't have suit agreement. But you can count your length points, which sometimes amounts to the same thing.
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- Question 6
(of 18 on this page)
Is a rebid in a new suit forcing?
1. yes
2. no
3. yes, if you go through your barrier
4. yes, at the 3 level
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- Answer 6
(of 18 on this page)
Is a rebid in a new suit forcing?
( 3 ). yes, if you go through your barrier
It's not forcing in other situations, for example when your partner is simply expressing a suit preference from your earlier bids
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- Question 7
(of 18 on this page)
If you go through your barrier in your forcing rebid in a new suit, to what level is the bid forcing?
1. for one round
2. all the way to game
3. neither of these
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- Answer 7
(of 18 on this page)
If you go through your barrier in your forcing rebid in a new suit, to what level is the bid forcing?
( 3 ). neither of these
Well, both in a way. If your barrier breaking bid was at the 2-level, e.g. 2H after 1C opening, it's forcing for one round. If it was at the 3-level, e.g. 3C after 1S, then it's forcing to game (Acol).
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- Question 8
(of 18 on this page)
What if I've bid my 5-card suit, say 1H, and now I want to bid my 4-card suit which is Spades. I'll have to go through my barrier to bid 2S. Should I do this if I have fewer than 16 points ?
1. yes
2. no
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- Answer 8
(of 18 on this page)
What if I've bid my 5-card suit, say 1H, and now I want to bid my 4-card suit which is Spades. I'll have to go through my barrier to bid 2S. Should I do this if I have fewer than 16 points ?
( 2 ). no
You'd be seriously misleading your partner regarding your strength. Find another bid, such as rebidding your hearts. Beware a NT rebid, which would be interpreted as a strong balanced hand. If your partner has 4 Spades, he'll rebid those and you'll find your match, so don't worry.
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- Question 9
(of 18 on this page)
Does responder also have a barrier for his second bid on a change of suit?
1. yes, 16+ HCP
2. yes, 12+ HCP
3. yes, 10+ HCP
4. no
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- Answer 9
(of 18 on this page)
Does responder also have a barrier for his second bid on a change of suit?
( 2 ). yes, 12+ HCP
you can read about it on page 62
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- Question 10
(of 18 on this page)
Can responder "go through his barrier" to show strength after you have switched suit?
1. yes
2. no
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- Answer 10
(of 18 on this page)
Can responder "go through his barrier" to show strength after you have switched suit?
( 2 ). no
That would be a bid of the 4th suit, which has a totally different meaning (see "4th Suit Forcing"). He should think about his barrier if you either repeated your first suit or switched to No Trumps
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- Question 11
(of 18 on this page)
What's the difference between a "reverse" and "breaking your barrier" ?
1. that's hard to explain
2. one important thing
3. .
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- Answer 11
(of 18 on this page)
What's the difference between a "reverse" and "breaking your barrier" ?
( 3 ). .
no difference
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- Question 12
(of 18 on this page)
When you first look at your hand, is it desirable to plan your second bid before you make your first ?
1. desirable
2. unimportant
3. essential
4. can't do it until having heard partner's first bid
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- Answer 12
(of 18 on this page)
When you first look at your hand, is it desirable to plan your second bid before you make your first ?
( 3 ). essential
But you may have to think about the interaction of the two bids, to avoid misleading your partner.
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- Question 13
(of 18 on this page)
You opened 1 Diamond. Your partner responded 1 Spade. The opponents made no bids. You have this 17-HCP 4-loser hand
3
A Q 9 4
K Q 8 6 5
A Q 2
What should you rebid?1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 clubs
4. 2 diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 NT
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- Answer 13
(of 18 on this page)
You opened 1 Diamond. Your partner responded 1 Spade. The opponents made no bids. You have this 17-HCP 4-loser hand
( 5 ). 2 Hearts 3 A Q 9 4 K Q 8 6 5 A Q 2
What should you rebid?
You have a 5-4 distribution (that's 5 diamonds and 4 hearts), so you should try to describe it - open the bidding as you did with the longer 5-card suit (bidding 1 diamond) and then rebid the 4-card suit (bidding the 2 Hearts).
Luckily you had sufficient points, namely 16 or more, allowing you to to go through your "barrier" of "TWO diamonds" which was created by your first bid of ONE dimaond.
You see, your partner might be weak (having as few as 6 points with his 1 Spade response), and so if he hates Hearts, and therefore wants to select your first-bid but lower-ranking suit of diamonds then he'll have to raise the bidding to the 3-level, which is quite high if partner is weak.
The possiblity of requiring a 3-level bid from your partner is why, if you want to bid a "reverse bid" you should have 16 points or more. You partner might only have 6 points! (A reverse bid is bidding the lower ranking suit first - diamonds in this case).
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- Question 14
(of 18 on this page)
You opened 1 Diamond. Your partner responded 1 Spade. The opponents made no bids. You have this 14-HCP 5-loser hand
3 K J 9 4 K Q 8 6 5 K Q 2
What should you rebid?1. pass
2. 1 NT
3. 2 clubs
4. 2 diamonds
5. 2 Hearts
6. 2 NT
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- Answer 14
(of 18 on this page)
You opened 1 Diamond. Your partner responded 1 Spade. The opponents made no bids. You have this 14-HCP 5-loser hand
( 4 ). 2 diamonds 3 K J 9 4 K Q 8 6 5 K Q 2
What should you rebid?
You don't have enough point strength to bid your second suit, Hearts. That's because bidding 2 Hearts would take you through your barrier of 2 Diamonds, and force your partner to the three level if he preferred Diamonds to Hearts. The only way here that you'll find any 8-card Heart fit is if your partner has the strength to bid Hearts on his second bid.
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- Question 15
(of 18 on this page)
You open 1C and your partner replies 1D.You have this 14-HCP 7-loser hand
A Q 5 3 Q J 7 5 Q J 6 5 4
What should you rebid? Can you bid the higher ranking suit?1. pass
2. 1 Heart
3. 1 Spade
4. 1 NT
5. 2 clubs
6. 2 diamonds
7. 2 Hearts
8. 2 NT
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- Answer 15
(of 18 on this page)
You open 1C and your partner replies 1D.You have this 14-HCP 7-loser hand
( 3 ). 1 Spade A Q 5 3 Q J 7 5 Q J 6 5 4
What should you rebid? Can you bid the higher ranking suit?
It's fine to rebid 1S because, although spades are the higher ranking suit, it doesn’t take you past the barrier of 2Clubs and so partner will be able to stop the bidding at the low level of 2 Clubs if he is weak.
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- Question 16
(of 18 on this page)
You open 1 Heart, and your partner bids 2 Diamonds, promising around 9 or 10 points. The opposition do not interfere.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
A Q J 4 K 8 7 6 5 Q J 3 5
You know that your partner's hand is not a weak 6 point hand. What should you now bid?1. pass
2. 2 Hearts
3. 2 Spades
4. 2 NT
5. 3 Diamonds
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- Answer 16
(of 18 on this page)
You open 1 Heart, and your partner bids 2 Diamonds, promising around 9 or 10 points. The opposition do not interfere.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
( 2 ). 2 Hearts A Q J 4 K 8 7 6 5 Q J 3 5
You know that your partner's hand is not a weak 6 point hand. What should you now bid?
You should NOT bid the higher ranking Spade suit above your barrier, since this can push your partner to the 3 level and deceive him about your strength. You are too weak to reverse, having only 13 points, and he CAN have as few as 8 points. The correct rebid is 2 Hearts. The Hearts cards aren't excellent and if partner has a poor hand and leaves you in 2 Hearts you may struggle, but it's better than overbidding on a misfit, and getting far too high.
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- Question 17
(of 18 on this page)
You opened a Heart and your partner bids 2 diamonds.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
K 4 A Q 7 6 5 6 5 K J 7 2
What should you now bid?1. pass
2. 2 Hearts
3. 2 Spades
4. 2 NT
5. 3 Diamonds
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- Answer 17
(of 18 on this page)
You opened a Heart and your partner bids 2 diamonds.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
( 2 ). 2 Hearts K 4 A Q 7 6 5 6 5 K J 7 2
What should you now bid?
A 3-level reverse is called a ‘high-level reverse’ and needs about 16 points. If you show your second suit by bidding 3 clubs, then you take your side past the barrier of 2 Hearts, deceiving your partner into believing that you have good hand.
A high-level reverse is forcing to game, since partner has shown 9+ points by responding at the two level. (A normal reverse is forcing, but just for one round.)
Important: when you make a reverse bid, partner isn’t allowed to pass.
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- Question 18
(of 18 on this page)
Which is the right suit to open with in this example of a hand with two 5-card suits?You have this 11-HCP 6-loser hand
J 7 6 4 3 A 4 7 K Q J 9 2
1. pass
2. Clubs
3. Spades
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- Answer 18
(of 18 on this page)
Which is the right suit to open with in this example of a hand with two 5-card suits?You have this 11-HCP 6-loser hand
( 2 ). Clubs J 7 6 4 3 A 4 7 K Q J 9 2
It is normally best to open in the higher ranking suit, but if you open Spades here, how would you rebid after your partner replies 2 diamonds? A 3 Club bid is a high ranking reverse and forcing to game! Not with this weak hand.
And a Spade rebid would seriously mislead your partner: you have neither 6 spades nor any good ones!
Here you should open 1 Club, allowing your partner to bid 1 Diamond, and you can then rebid 2 Spades, giving your partner the choice of going back to Clubs if he's short in Spades, or insisting on Diamonds if he's got 6.
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