A few years ago, Joe Siqueira and I received some coaching from champion player Lynn Deas. She taught us to play that jump raises from 1 of a suit to 3 of a suit should show about 7-9 high card points and 4 trumps, both in competition and out of competition. These are called “mixed raises” because they mix preemption with some defensive values. The theory is that the jump could goad the opponents to the 4 level and the defensive values increase the chance that you’ll be able to beat their contract. Additionally, the opening bidder or overcaller with a good hand can sometimes bid a game knowing their partner has trumps and some values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When considering adopting any agreement, it’s important to consider alternative uses of the bids to see if they are more useful. Let’s consider competitive auctions where your partner makes an overcall. For example, your left-hand opponent (LHO) opens 1C and your partner overcalls 1S. Let’s assume that your right-hand opponent (RHO) passes. Plausible meanings for your jump to 3S are invitational, preemptive, or something else. Let’s look at invitational and preemptive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what’s the something else? As you can guess from the title of the article, I prefer the raise to 3S to be a mixed raise, 4 or more trumps and 7-9 high card points. With a 9 card fit and some values in dummy you’re willing to be at the 3 level, even with a minimum overcall. If the overcaller has extra values or shape they can stretch to a game. If the opponents bid 4 then you have a shot at beating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s pretty basic: The opponents open 1 of a suit, your partner overcalls in their suit at the 1 level, and whether or not your RHO bids, your jump<\/strong> to 3 of your partner’s suit shows 7-9 high card points and 4 trumps. With more points start with a cue-bid of opener’s suit. With fewer points either pass or just raise to the 2 level. With 5-9 points and 3 trumps just raise to the 2 level. Some examples, using the same auction as above, with your LHO opening 1C, partner overcalling 1S, RHO passing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that under the current ACBL procedures, this raise in a competitive auction<\/em> does not require<\/strong> an alert<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s say that you and your partner have agreed to play inverted minor raises<\/em>, where 1C-2C or 1D-2D shows a better hand (invitational or better, 4+ trumps, no 4 card major) than 1C-3C or 1D-3D. If you have this agreement, what is the range for the jump to 3 of the minor? 0-6? 0-9? Something else? Here’s why Lynn Deas recommended that we play this jump as a mixed raise: Suppose the opening bidder has 18-19 balanced and they open 1 of a minor. If their partner bids 3 of the minor but could have an atrocious hand then the opener has to guess whether or not to bid 3NT. If partner has <6 they’ll probably go down but if partner has 7+ 3NT has a good chance. So I recommend that 1m – 3m (m is either minor suit) should be a mixed raise. Use some judgment: If your partner opens 1D and you have a hand like Kxx Ax xxxx Qxx then your distribution suggests you should bid 1NT instead of 3D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a non-competitive auction<\/em> this agreement requires<\/strong> an alert<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In standard bidding, the most common meaning for raising partner’s opening major suit to 3 in a non-competitive auction is to show an invitational raise, preferably with 4 trumps. A useful alternative is to use this jump as a mixed raise. In a non-competitive auction<\/em> this agreement requires<\/strong> an alert<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose this agreement you need another way to show an invitational raise with 4 trumps. Joe and I used 3C to show the invitational raise with 4 trumps or sometimes 3 with a singleton or void. Our raise structure in non-competitive auctions after an opening bid of 1M (M is a major suit):<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you decide you want to adopt mixed raises but you’re not sure about changing your major suit raise structure then I recommend you start with applying them in competitive auctions. Then you can add them to minor suit raises if you like them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A few years ago, Joe Siqueira and I received some coaching from champion player Lynn Deas. She taught us to play that jump raises from 1 of a suit to 3 of a suit should show about 7-9 high card…\n
Minor Suit Openings <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Major Suit Openings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Summarizing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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