BERGEN RAISES RESPONDING TO PARTNER’S FIVE CARD MAJOR SUIT OPENING AND! REMEMBERING THE LAW OF TOTAL TRICKS

SOME DEFINITIONS PARTNER OPENS 1H NO SUPPORT SMALL DOUBLETON H PARTIAL SUPPORT 3 SMALL H’s PARTIAL SUPPORT Ax, Kx, Qx H’s PRIMARY SUPPORT QXX H’s OR BETTER SUPERFIT ANY 4 CARD H SUPPORT

THE LAW OF TOTAL TRICKS THE PRINCIPLES OF BERGEN RAISES COMPLY WITH THAT IS; IN COMPETITIVE SITUATIONS BELOW GAME WE ARE BIDDING TO THE NUMBER OF TRUMPS WITH 3 CARD SUPPORT FOR THE KNOWN 5 AND MINIMUM WE BID FOR 8 TRICKS; 2 LEVEL WITH 4 CARD SUPPORT AND MIN, WE BID TO THE 3 LEVEL WITH 5 CARD SUPPORT AND NOTHING ELSE – BID GAME!!!

NOW FOR HAND EVALUATION REMEMBER – WE ARE DEALING WITH SUIT CONTRACTS. COUNT UP YOUR TOTAL POINTS IN PARTNER’S SUIT AS FOLLOWS SMALL DOUBLETON DEVALUE BY 1 POINT Ax/Kx/Qx NO ADJUSTMENT Jxx or less ADD SHORTAGE POINTS AS USUAL Qxx or better PRIMARY SUPPORT, BUT AS ABOVE xxxx or better ADD 1 POINT FOR SUPERFIT xxxxx/xxxxxx or better ADD 2 POINTS

PARTNER OPENS 1H HEREWITH YOUR BERGEN RAISES BASED ON TOTAL POINTS 3 CARD SUPPORT 0-5 T P PASS 6-9 BID 2H 10+ BID YOUR 4+ SUIT 4 CARD SUPPORT 0-5 TP 3H! alertable 6-9 3C, alertable 10-12 3D, alertable 13+ 2NT, alertable; GAME FORCE 13-15 3NT IF 3-4-3-3

OPENER’S REBIDS FOLLOWING ARTIFICIAL RESPONSES (3C, 3D, 2NT) 3C SIGN-OFF 3H WITH 15 POINTS OR LESS. BID GAME DIRECTLY WITH 18+ 16-17 BEST TO BID A NEW SUIT AS A GAME TRY. 3D 15+ BID GAME. WITH UNBALANCE POSSIBLE SLAM TRY 2NT (GAME FORCE) 4H AS SIGN-OFF 3H = 17+, UNBALANCED, SLAM INTEREST 3NT = 15-17 BALANCED (5-3-3-2)

NOW! PARTNER OPENS 1H WHAT IS YOUR RESPONDING BID? ♠Q1052 ♥AQ3 ♦83 ♣10972 2H ♠Q1052 ♥A83 ♦73 ♣10972 2H ♠Q1052 ♥AQ3 ♦A3 ♣10972 1S ♠Q1052 ♥853 ♦K3 ♣10972 PASS ♠Q105 ♥87532 ♦83 ♣1097 4H ♠Q105 ♥8753 ♦83 ♣10972 3H ♠Q105 ♥8753 ♦AK ♣AK72 2NT

PARTNER RESPONDS 2NT WHAT IS YOUR REBID? ♠Q105 ♥AQ873 ♦A3 ♣1097 4H YOU OPEN 1H PARTNER RESPONDS 2NT WHAT IS YOUR REBID? ♠Q105 ♥AQ873 ♦A3 ♣1097 4H ♠Q1052 ♥AQ873 ♦A3 ♣KJ72 3S (?) ♠Q105 ♥AQ873 ♦A3 ♣KQ7 3NT ♠A1052 ♥AQ8532 ♦AK ♣2 3S ♠AK8 ♥87532 ♦- ♣AKQ75 4C BE BRAVE AND BOLD … BID UP!!!

Have your readymade Rules of Thumb. Do not “overthink” Take action ☻ In the game of Bridge Have your readymade Rules of Thumb. Do not “overthink” Take action Too much thinking savages the brain! ☻