Saturday, April 10, 2004 1:00 AM

Jump Shifts at Two Level

 

PITBULLS:

 

          When you open a minor and partner responds and you bid a major , there are a number of understandings and treatments. We do not subscribe to the normal treatment that one of a major is non forcing . Bidding one of a major is completely forcing to 1NT and can not be passed . Since we bid 1NT or 2NT with all flat hands which can contain a four card major  , we always have a longer minor by bidding a major. The rare 4-4-4-1 auctions can be shown with a 1NT rebid depending on the location of the HCP’s. If you a 5-4-2-2 or 5-4-3-1 you rebid one of a major regardless of your HCP’s . Jumping to two of a major just to show HCP’s is not very descriptive and just jams the auction . A jump to the two level should be reserved for good hands with two suits.

 

Splinters at the two level do not exist with these hands. Edmonton Standard has been misguided in thinking that a splinter is more important to show than suits with extra HCP’s .  They are not . Bridge is a game of suits and it far more useful to show a good hand with two suits . Therefore a jump to two of a major is a natural bid showing a strong distributional hand.

 

AKxxx x AKQxxx x           I had this hand the other day . I opened a diamond and partner responds a heart . Bidding 2 spades describes your hand in one bid . If you had

 

AJxxx x AJ109xx  x  you would bid 1 spade and then rebid spades to show your 6-5.

 

          This does not mean you need to have a 6-5 to jump to two of a major . AKJx Ax x AKxxxx can be described by a jump to 2 spades also . Look at the quality of your suits and how the HCP’s are dispersed before choosing to jump to the two level. There is a lot to be said for letting partner in the picture that you have a huge two suited by the two level.

 

          A jump shift reverse is a different animal all together . Tom and I play them as specifically  a natural  6-5 with values under a true reverse. This again follows the axiom that suits are more important then splinters. The old  “Standard Edmonton” way of interpreting them as splinters are extinct. x  KQ10xx AKxxxx x     With this hand I open a diamond and if partner responds at the one level with 1NT or 1 spade I bid 3♥ . This is non forcing and pre-emptive which is ideally suited for a 6-5 hand. Karen Walker has written a nice article on these bids and these can be found on her site or in this sites Library..

 

          Since a jump in a major is natural at the two level ,  you can jump to the 3 level to splinter. This deprives you of a non game forcing mini-splinter but it’s a very small price to pay for being able to show a strong hand with two suits by the two level. x AKxx AKxxx Kxx   1♦-p-1♥-p   3♠        and not 2 spades describes this hand.

 

          This structure determines how you open your distributional hands. You hold AKxxx x x QJ109xx  which some schools of thought open 1♠ because you are so weak . We open 1♣ with this hand because you can bid and rebid spades. Partner will have the inference you did not jump to 2♠ so you must have a hand in the range below that. Same thing with 6 diamonds and 5 spades and a marginal opener . Open 1♦ and bid  and rebid spades so you do not lose your 6 card diamond suit.

 

          As Garozzo says , Bridge is a game of suits . Edmonton has been so “splinter happy” over the years you would think Bridge is a game of singletons. I am not saying that splinters are not useful because they are. I just am saying that suits are more important to show then singletons  in the scheme of things.