Monday, February 16, 2004 11:56 PM

Majors - Passed Hand

PITBULLS:

Since we have adjusted the Jacoby 2NT to include a 3♣ bid to show a minimum, we feel we do not need Drury anymore. The 3♣ bid ferrets out the minimum hands so we can stop at the three level. We have fit showing jumps as a passed hand so those hands ( which quite often hold a singleton ) as well as the 2NT cover the 4 card support hands in the simple & limit raise range. 2NT will never be bid on 3 card support as a passed hand or otherwise. A 4 card simple raise will be covered by a Bergen/2NT . More about that later.

The 3 card simple raise hands in the majors can be as high as 9 HCP. The 10-12 HCP with 3 card support can be handled with a one NT bid . If partner passes 1NT , its probably with a minimum and a 4 card major suit so 1NT is a good spot as any.

Throwing out Drury clarifies our 1NT structure as a flat balanced hand instead of an adventure. Since we can go to 2 level with ♦’s , ♥’s and ♣’s naturally , the one NT bid will not be those kind of hands. If 1NT is unbalanced it will be with a weak hand so we have to take that into consideration.

There is one hand type left as a passed hand , the simple major raise with 4 trump . We cover this hand with a “Bergen 2NT” bid. This 2NT shows a range from a good simple raise to a limit raise. We play Bergen principles of having a simple raise showing 3 trumps , so bidding with 4 trumps is unpalatable for us as a passed hand. Still a “touch” of Bergen left in the system as a passed hand but instead of going to the three level with a jump in a minor , we go to the 3 level via 2NT. The 3♣ response by opener allows the simple raises to stay at the 3 level for pre-emptive value or making. We have 4 card majors ticked on our convention card in 3^rd & 4^th seat. The law of total tricks do not apply and we can make a simple raise with 4 trump if we have a minimum hand . The pre-emptive raise quite often will have 5 trump as partner may have a 4 card major for his opener.

It is very rare to get to slam when partner is a passed hand but it is possible. Any bid but 3♣ is a game force after the passed hand 2NT so it leaves some room for slam exploration. 3NT is the “serious 3NT” even as a passed hand. Splinter bids still apply but of course they are direct slam tries.

Playing these 2♣/2♦ understandings as natural , we should not bid a 2/1 with a minor with 3 card major support as a passed hand as this bid is passed quite often. Those hands have to be shown by bidding 1NT and jumping in the major. In 3^rd seat , we quite often open a 4 card major for lead directing value . It is important as a passed hand to differentiate between a 3 card raise and a 4 card raise. We may want to compete with our 4 card major suit opener if we know partner has 4 of them for the raise. The multi purpose ‘mini-Bergen’ 2 NT bid is our tool for this .

A jump raise as a passed hand is still pre-emptive . A jump to 4 of a major is done by bidding a ‘fragment’ at the 4 level. This shows where you live in case the opponents come in or partner has an unusual hand where slam is still possible.