This picture currently

 reflects my mood

 as today, everything

 is going wrong. (10 Feb 05)

Opener's second bid after an initial suit bid with a balanced hand of 15+ points (continued)

Don't forget that all the bidding on this page assumes no part-score. With one, you would make the most economic bid to get game and rebids that may be theoretically correct go out of the window.

A reminder that we were about to look at the situation where  sometimes, your intention to rebid no-trumps is confounded by partner supporting your suit or responding in no-trumps herself.

SUIT SUPPORT

Consider suit support first ie 1H-2H.

with 15-16 points, pass

with 17-18 points, encourage to game by bidding 3H.

with 19 points, bid 3NT yourself.

If partner raises you to the three level in your major suit, you can go to 4H or 4S immediately.

Minor suit support is unfortunate, and not something you want to hear. After 1D-2D, you must decide if you will be conservative, or overbid.

with 15-16 points, leave it

with 17-18 points, bid 3D or 2NT or even 3NT.

with 19 points, bid 3NT.

If partner raises you to the three level in your minor suit, ie 1C-3C, or 1D-3D, you might just as well try 3NT. Sometimes you might even make it.

AFTER NO-TRUMP RESPONSES FROM PARTNER

Now consider a no-trump response from partner. Remember we are still contemplating balanced hands with 15+ points. After a 1NT response to 1D, 1H or 1S:

with 15-16 points, pass

with 17-18 points, bid 2NT

with 19 points, bid 3NT

1C-1NT is meant to show 8-10 points (as you have bypassed 1D, 1H and 1S) so if you partner is on this wavelength, you are entitled to 'up' your rebids ie

with 15-16, bid 2NT

with 17, 18 or 19 bid 3NT.

If partner responds in no-trumps at the two level, you can bid 3NT direct with anything like 15+ You need 33 points for a small slam in no-trumps, so even with a massive hand, 1H-2NT is unlikely to yield more than a game.

You'll find a short quiz here to test yourself against.