Friday, February 25, 2005 9:26 PM

Jump Raise in the Majors

PITBULLS:

In competition or left alone most established partnerships have a way of indicating limit raise in a major values with 4 trump. The 4^th trump is so important in major game decisions that the “law of total tricks “ evolves around it. A limit raise with 3 trump is not the playing hand as a limit raise with 4 trump - period end of story. A simple raise with 4 trump is a much better playing hand than a simple raise with three trump. I do not like the Bergen system of raises except for the fact that a simple raise shows 3 trump. I find that very useful in hand evaluation . The knowledge of the 4^th trump assists in competing , game tries and 3NT vrs 4 of a major decisions.

The jump raise in Bergen is defined as pre-emptive . I think the use of that bad is redundant to the jump to game as pre-emptive. I would rather play the jump raise as a poor simple raise with 4 trump. How do you evaluate this hand in response to an overcall ? Qxx xxxx xxx KQx In IMPS the other night I had a 16 HCP hand and overcalled 1♥ and partner bid 2♥ with this hand . I bid 4♥ as it was Thursday night and I got doubled and went 4 down in a voluntarily bid game. This misadventure could have been prevented by 1) me not overbidding to game 2) or partner evaluating her hand as a jump raise. The hand by all accounts is not a good hand. You are the dreadful 4-3-3-3 with the bulk of your points in their suit. If you can prevent making an encouraging bid its probably best to do so. Enter the 3♥ pre-emptive jump raise bid with simple raise HCP values. It is just a matter of hand evaluation to downgrade certain hands to the “pre-emptive” class of raises.

Tom and I have moved limit raise hands with 4 trump over to the Jacoby 2NT. We have kept the Bergen 3♦ bid ( not in competition) as a good simple raise with 4 trump. What if you have a poor simple raise with 4 trump ? Enter the direct jump raise again. The jump raise bid is not as much pre-emptive as descriptive. You have 4 trump with a scattering of HCP’s but you do not wish to encourage partner. It is not pre-emptive in the Bergen sense as you do have enough HCP’s for a simple raise but it is a bad hand nevertheless. If you have the classic pre-emptive hand , bid game ! This understanding leaves all simple raises to an opening bid or overcall to hold 3 trump. This is very valuable information.

You have these 4 hands and partner opens 1♥. Axxx Kxxx xxx xx , Axxx Kxx xxxx xx , xxxx QJxx QJx Jx xxxx QJx QJx Jxx all having 7 HCPs. The 1^st hand is a Bergen 3♦ bid showing a “good” simple raise with 4 trump . The second hand a direct simple raise. The 3^rd hand is a 3♥ bid showing 4 trump but bad simple raise values. The last hand is a 1NT bid & giving heart preference as the ultimate trashy raise.