BRIDGE ON ONE PAGE

Bridge On One Page

Reply to Suit Bid at 2 Level - 5 or more Points

After your partner has done an opening suit bid at the 2 level (e.g. 2 hearts), your bid then depends on your reply points. If the value of your hand is 5 points or more, you have these bidding options :

Bid an alternative suit to that bid by your partner.

Do a game bid. See 'Bidding targets'.

Do a slam bid. See 'Bidding targets' and 'Slam bidding'.

Example 1

Here you have an ace, a jack, and a doubleton, giving you 6 points.

It is instructive here to consider what you should respond to each possible opener :

To 2 Clubs : Reply either 2 Spades (higher ranking of 2 4-card alternative suits) or 3 No Trumps (you have cover in hearts, length in diamonds and spades, and your weak suit is your partner's suit). You might prefer the more cautious 2 Spades, because of the doubleton heart suit.
To 2 Diamonds : Reply 2 Spades (longest alternative suit, and you cannot go to game in diamonds by bidding 5 Diamonds, because this requires you to have more points).
To 2 Hearts : Reply 2 Spades (higher ranking of 2 4-card alternative suits, and you have insufficient length to bid hearts)
To 2 Spades : Reply 4 Spades (you have the support required, a 4-card suit, and the points, to go directly to game).

Notes

To go directly to game in no trumps (3 No Trumps), you need to be sure that you and your partner together have adequate cover, by way of strength or length, in all 4 suits.
The value of this hand for a no trumps contract is 5 points, since distribution points should not be counted; this is still sufficient for a game bid.

Example 2

Here you have an ace, 2 kings, a queen, and a jack, giving you 13 points.

On this hand you should only go straight to looking for a slam if your partner opened 2 Diamonds, by bidding 4 Clubs (Gerber Convention). If your partner bid any other suit, you have insufficient length to be sure that this is the best suit for your contract, so then bid your longest suit, 2 Diamonds in response to 2 Clubs, otherwise 3 Diamonds. You only go into the Gerber or Blackwood bidding sequence after you have established what suit you want to end up in.

Notes

It is essential you establish suit before going for a slam. If you're unsure what suit it's best to be in, always first bid your longest suit at the lowest possible level, and so give you and your partner bidding space to establish your best suit.
Do not get confused here with the standard response to a 2 No Trump Opening bid for 0 to 4 reply points of 3 Diamonds (the Flint Convention). The Flint Convention only applies to a 2 No Trump opening bid.