It’s vital to have clear agreements about auctions that start with a third- or fourth-seat one heart or one spade opening:
- Is it ever OK to open with a four-card suit?
- Which of your conventions are ‘on’ versus ‘off’?
- Do you play Drury? If so:
- How does opener sign off? In “standard Drury”, two diamonds is the weak rebid.In “reverse Drury”, two of partner’s suit is the weak rebid. Make sure you agree what it means if partner does something other than signing off or bidding game in partner’s suit.
- What if responder has clubs (or diamonds, if you are playing Two Way Drury)?
It’s vital to have clear agreements about which of your conventions are ‘on’ versus ‘off’ when the opponents enter the auction with a double or overcall.
Playing a major-suit raise approach, such as Bergen Raises, that differentiates between three- and four-card support, wins matchpoints in the long run.
Your decisions about types of game tries aren’t particularly important, but it is important to have very clear agreements about what sorts of hands for opener are strong enough, and not strong enough, to offer a game try. It’s also important to have very clear agreements about what sorts of hands for responder are strong enough, and not strong enough, to accept a game try.
After a major-suit opening bid, the following types of agreements are essential:
- Whether responder can make a two-over-one response when holding four-plus-card support for opener’s suit.
- Whether an auction such as one spade – two clubs, two hearts – two spades does or does not promise three-card support.
- After an auction such as one spade – two clubs, two hearts – two spades, the meanings of each of: three spades, four spades, two notrump, and three notrump.
- Some form of artificial strong four-plus-card-support raise that allows the partnership to explore for slam accurately.
When partner opens one of a major, and RHO makes a takeout double:
- It’s important to agree on the requirements for responder’s redouble, and on how the auction develops after a redouble.
- It’s important to agree on the requirements for responder’s one notrump call.
When partner opens one of a major, and RHO makes a non-jump overcall, it’s important to agree on the requirements for responder’s negative double.