Saturday, October 22, 2005 3:41 AM

Hand Evaluation – Diamond Jump Raises

PITBULLS:

Charles Goren says all jump raises of partners one level response are invitational ( 16-18 including distribution ). This is one of the reasons we have an artificial jump shift to 3♣ with a heart , spade or diamond opener after a one level response as a relay to 3♦. We now support partner’s suit or rebid our own & we show a hand too strong to make an invitational jump raise. This style allows jump raises to game in the major as distributional & tactical rather than a bushel full of HCP’s.

All well and good , but one hand falls thru the cracks . A 1♣ opener with a 1♦ response . Standard treatment of playing this jump raise as invitational leaves out all the strong club-diamond hands with 4 card support. One of the basics of Bridge is to show a 4 card fit immediately. This simplifies auctions immediately so subsequent bids are clear. Playing the Goren style, we are forced to manufacture bids with 4 card diamond fit with huge hands to prevent partner from passing the invitational jump raise. You hold ♠Axx ♥x ♦AKxx ♣AKJxx and you were planning to reverse to 2♦ but partner surprises you by responding 1♦ . You make a jump shift to 2♠ to avoid the invitational 3♦ bid but you can not play “catch up” & show partner your rock with 4 diamonds.

This hand was given to the Bridge World panel ♠Ax ♥AJ ♦KQ93 ♣KQ109x after a club opener & a 1♦ response. A popular choice was 2NT as they were afraid of partner passing the invitational 3♦. I propose the Barton treatment on these hand types . The very heavy simple 2♦ raise with invitational values . This means avoiding raising partners diamond response directly with dogs. Rebid 1NT or find another bid rather than making a 2♦ raise. A simple raise in this one sequence only , shows invitational hands . A jump raise in diamonds is a game force !

This allows slam exploration and getting the big hand “off your chest” while showing 4 card support. You have ♠10x ♥Kxx ♦Jxxx ♣AKQx & open 1♣ with partner responding 1♦. Rebid 1NT rather than supporting partners diamonds. You have ♠xx ♥xx ♦AKxx ♣AKJxx and you open 1♣ with partner responding 1♦. Make a simple raise to 2♦ even though your hand values to 17 HCP’s in the Goren system so qualifies as an invitational jump raise. The 3^rd hand ♠Ax ♥xx ♦AKxx ♣AKxxx after a club opener with a 1♦ response , bid 3♦ forcing to game.

This is another bidding sequence that drives people away from standard bidding to a forcing 1♣ system . In standard bidding , there is no bid to show a game forcing diamond raise after a 1♣ opener !!