Wednesday, April 20, 2005 11:54 PM

Jump Raises - Majors

PITBULLS:

I do not like the Bergen structure for major suit raises . The 3♣/3♦ bids are clumsy and the 4 bids are downright silly. I also do not like the jump raise as pre-emptive as Bergen does. If you are going to pre-empt , bid 4 of a major ! This bid puts maximum pressure on the opponents and really pre-empts the auction . What I really like about the Bergen treatment is the simple raise showing 3 card support.

However I think this philosophy , if you will , should be applied for all simple raises. Whether in response to an overcall or after a takeout double or passed hand or directly , all simple raises show 3 trump period. OK what do you do with a simple raise with 4 trump ? This hand with 4 trump is the jump raise in competition , after partner’s overcall and directly. I think it is far more important to announce to partner immediately that you have 4 trump. The law of total tricks kicks in. You can judge the auction so much better when you know there is 4 trump over there.

The only exception would be in 3^rd seat when you open 4 card majors frequently. You then can get away with a simple raise showing 4 trump. Even then , going to the 3 level is not a disaster. In competitive auctions when you have 4 trump to partners overcall or opening bid , I would hazard a guess that 90% of the auctions get pushed to the 3 level anyway. When you have a 9 card fit they are short in your suit and will compete to the 3 level. Why not get the auction up to the 3 level fast not as a pre-empt but to tell partner about the 4^th trump ? You jam the opponents and give valuable information to partner at the same time.

If you have the 4 th trump and compensating HCP’s you do not need much of an excuse to make a limit raise or Q bid showing a limit raise or better. Axxx xx KJxxx xx is a limit raise to partner spade overcall or opening bid . Change the hand slightly Axxx xx Qxxxx xx and it’s a 3 spade bid in competition or directly. Change it again to Axx xx KJxxx xxx and it becomes a two spade bid.

The 4^th trump has to be biddable somehow. Making it an integral part of a jump raise is a good way of bidding it in my opinion. I now cringe when partner makes a simple raise and puts down 4 trump . This bidding defies the law of total tricks and is not describing his hand correctly. Bid your 4^th trump ! I think a simple raise with 4 trump is a hangover from opening 4 card majors. Playing 5 card majors you have a 9 card fit and the law of total tricks says you should be able to make a 3 level contract. If partner makes a weak jump overcall or weak two and you have 4 trump you have no qualms about getting the auction to the 4 level so why not the 3 level with 9 trump ?

Tom and I make our forcing raises in the minors and majors as limit raise or better. This frees up a jump raise for a different purpose. I think making it pre-emptive is a waste & redundant as you have a jump to game as pre-emptive. Define the jump bid as a simple raise with 4 trump. Tom and I had a 3♦ bid reserved for a good simple raise with 4 trump ( just under a limit raise ) so a jump raise is just under those values and we are really splitting hairs. Tom had xxxx Axx xxxx Qxx which is not quite enough for 3♦ with our methods but it is a fine 3♠ bid after I opened 1 spade.