Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:45 PM

♥/♠ Reverse

PITBULLS:

The heart opener and reverse into spades auctions after a forcing NT bid can be improved via a relay. Most of us play 2NT in this situation as Lebensohl. Instead of Lebensohl , have the 2NT bid as a forced relay unless you break the relay with a marginal hand via a 3♥ or 3♠ or 3NT bid. The advantage of the 2NT relay is that opener can show her distribution as well as the strength of the reverse.

The non forcing minimums are shown by keeping the bidding low. 3♣ is any minimum and partner can bail at the 3 level in any suit or pass 3♣. All other bids are a game force. 3♦ is specifically 4-5-3-1 and 3NT is specifically 4-5-1-3. 3♥ is a further relay to 3♠ . The bid is either the 4-5-2-2 or some more exotic distributions to be described after the 3♠ relay. After the 3♠ relay , 3NT of course is the 4-5-2-2 ( flat hand ) .

After the 3♠ relay , 4♣ shows shortness with a 4-6-2-1 or 4-6-3-0 . 4♦ shows shortness with the same 4-6 distribution but diamond shortness. 4♥ after the relay shows the 5-6 distribution. Remember that a 10-14 HCP hand with 5-6 in the majors is shown by an immediate jump shift reverse over 1NT.

This treatment is similar to the Flannery responses to 2NT which was in vogue years ago. This understanding is a hybrid of this and Lebensohl with all the advantages a relay gives to the auction. Lets try some sample hands.

♠AKxx ♥AKxxx ♦Axx ♣x opposite ♠Qx ♥QJx ♦KQxx ♣xxxx or similar. 1♥-P-1NT-P

2♠-P-2NT-P

3♦-P-4NT-P

Change responders hand to ♠Qx ♥QJx ♦xxxx ♣KQxx and a leap to 4♥ ends the auction.

♠AKxx ♥KQJ10xx ♦Axx ♣ void opposite ♠Qx ♥Axx ♦Kx ♣Qxxxx

1♥-P-1NT-P (1) relay to 3♠

2♠-P-2NT-P (2) automatic

3♥(1)-P-3♠(2)-P (3) 4-6 & short clubs

4♣(3)-P-4♦(4)-P (4) accepting hearts & ♦ Cue

5♣(5)-P-5♦(6)-P (5) Exclusion

5♠(7)-P-5NT(8)-P (6) One Ace outside of clubs

6♦(9)-P-7♥(10)-P (7) Suit ask in spades

(8) I have the queen

(9) Suit ask in diamonds

(10) Kx has to be enough for a grand slam