Technical Library

Opener’s Rebid

Last Updated on 17^th August 2008

Introduction

In traditional Acol, a player who has opened the bidding in first or second position with one of a suit promises to rebid over a simple change of suit response from partner.

The need to make a sensible rebid determines what should be opened on hands with more than one suit.

ª AKJ7 © Q854 ¨ A843 § 3

This deal occurred in the National Masters Pairs. With 4-4-4-1 distribution it is usually correct to open with the suit below the singleton. The exception is when, as here, the singleton is in clubs. Then it is correct to open one heart. Those who opened one spade heard partner bid two clubs. They then have a problem because their rebid is going to promise five spades. As a consequence they played in four spades on a 4-3 fit, making just nine tricks, while those who opened one heart played in four hearts on a 4-4 fit, making ten tricks.

A good five card suit is usually worth repeating

ª AKQT8 © JT3 ¨ K76 § 85

This hand is worth an opening bid of one spade. If partner bids one no trump, it should pass. If partner responds two clubs or two diamonds, opener should rebid two spades. If partner bids two hearts, which would promise a five card suit, the hand should pass if partner has previously passed or bid three hearts if partner’s two hearts was his first bid. The deal occurred in the match between Glenfield A and County C on 5^th March 2003.

This hand from the match between Glenfield A and Leicester Bridge Centre B on 19^th March 2003 is similar.
ª A53 © K65 ¨ 9 § AK9852	This hand can be opened one club with a clear conscience. If partner bids one of any suit there is a perfectly reasonable rebid of two clubs available.

This hand from Glenfield Bridge Club presented West with an awkward rebid problem on 1^st June 2005
	North ª 876 © J952 ¨ AK3 § Q65	Board 4 Dealer W Game All	Most West’s would open one diamond and most East’s would reply one heart and the bidding would come back to West with no intervention from North/South. What should West bid now? The options seem to be two diamonds, one no trump and three diamonds. They all have their snags. The hand is a little strong for two diamonds but a little weak for three diamonds. The strength is perfect for one no trump (assuming a weak opening no trump structure) but the singleton heart is a major disadvantage. I think my choice would have been three diamonds, which gives East a problem. Pass, three spades and three no trumps are all reasonable alternatives. Anything other than pass would result in three no trumps making an overtrick, which would have bettered anything achieved at the table. Most pairs played in diamonds, one pair beat that by bidding and making three spades, but two pairs shared the top spot by declaring two no trumps and making ten tricks; once as East and once as West.
West ª AQT © K ¨ QJT876 § A32		East ª 9542 © AT83 ¨ 9 § KT74
	South ª KJ3 © Q764 ¨ 542 § J98

Statistics at MPs – We rebid 1NT	Partner	Hands	MPs	Top	%
Gimson Final	Peter Neville	2	32	20	80.00
Total		2	32	20	80.00

Statistics at MPs – They rebid 1NT	Partner	Hands	MPs	Top	%
Gimson Final	Peter Neville	3	49	20	81.67
Total		3	49	20	81.67

Statistics at MPs – We rebid 1 of a suit	Partner	Hands	MPs	Top	%
Gimson Final	Peter Neville	3	33	20	55.00
Total		3	33	20	55.00

Statistics at MPs – We rebid 2NT	Partner	Hands	MPs	Top	%
Gimson Final	Peter Neville	1	11	20	55.00
Total		1	11	20	55.00

Statistics at IMPs – We Rebid 1NT	Partner	Hands	IMPs	Imps/Bd
Glenfield A 6 Phoenix B 6	Baerbel Sandhu	1	3	3
Leicestershire Green Point Swiss Teams	Ken Smith	1	5	5
Markham – Derbyshire 0 Leicestershire 20	Peter Neville	1	-5	-5
Stanley Trophy 2005/6 - Heat 7	Peter Neville	2 (3)	-9 (-14)	-4.5 (-4.67)
Porter – Leicestershire 20 Staffs & Shrops 0	Peter Neville	3 (6)	-9 (-23)	-3.00 (-3.75)
Porter – Lincolnshire 0 Leicestershire 20	Peter Neville	1(7)	1 (-22)	1 (-3.14)
Stanley Trophy 2006/7 - Heat 1	John Glover	1	3	3
Total for 2006		11	-11	-1.00
Glenfield A 9 Loughborough A 3	Peter Neville	1 (8)	3 (-20)	3 (-2.50)
Porter – Leicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15	Peter Neville	2 (10)	13 (-7)	6.5 (-0.7)
Total for 2007		3	16	5.33
Total		14	5	0.36

Statistics at IMPs – We rebid a suit	Partner	Hands	IMPs	Imps/Bd
Stanley Trophy 2005/6 - Heat 7	Peter Neville	2	8	4.00
Porter – Leicestershire 20 Staffs & Shrops 0	Peter Neville	4 (6)	13 (21)	3.25 (3.50)
Porter – Lincolnshire 0 Leicestershire 20	Peter Neville	2 (8)	-7 (14)	-3.50 (1,75)
Stanley Trophy 2006/7 - Heat 1	John Glover	1	-4	-4
Total for 2006		10	10	1.00
Glenfield A 4 County A 8	Peter Neville	2 (10)	-1 (13)	-0.50 (1.30)
Glenfield A 6 Phoenix A 6	Peter Neville	2 (12)	1 (14)	0.50 (1.17)
Glenfield A 9 Loughborough A 3	Peter Neville	1 (13)	0 (14)	0.00 (1.08)
Porter – Leicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15	Peter Neville	1 (14)	-6 (8)	-6.00 (0.57)
Total for 2007		6	-6	-1.00
Total		16	4	0.25

Statistics at IMPs – They Rebid 1NT	Partner	Hands	IMPs	Imps/Bd
Porter – Leicestershire 20 Staffs & Shrops 0	Peter Neville	1	9	9
Total for 2006
Porter – Leicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15	Peter Neville	1	-1	-1
Total for 2007		1	-1	-1
Total		2	8	4

Statistics at IMPs – They rebid a suit	Partner	Hands	IMPs	Imps/Bd
Porter – Leicestershire 20 Staffs & Shrops 0	Peter Neville	4	19	4.75
Total for 2006		4	19	4.75
Glenfield A 6 Phoenix A 6	Peter Neville	1 (5)	-2 (17)	-2.00 (3.40)
Porter – Leicestershire 5 Oxfordshire 15	Peter Neville	2 (7)	-10 (7)	-5.00 (1.00)
Total for 2007		3	-12	-4.00
Total		7	7	1.00

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6.1 Bidding	Strategy	Acol	Psychic Bidding	Precision	Blue Club
6.1.1 Hand Evaluation	Defensive Tricks	Losing Trick Count	Playing Tricks	Point Count	Total Number of Tricks	Passing
6.1.2 Opening Bids	One Club	One Diamond	One Heart	One Spade	One No Trump	Pre-empts
	Two Clubs	Two Diamonds	Two Hearts	Two Spades	Two No Trumps
6.1.3 Responding to an Opening Bid	Simple change of suit	Opener’s Rebid	Responder’s Rebid	Preference	Opener’s Second Rebid	Jump in a new suit	Responding in no trumps
	Limit Raise	Inverted Minors
6.1.3.1 Responding to 1NT	Transfers
6.1.3.2 Responding to 2NT	Transfers	Baron
6.1.4 Conventions	Stayman	Fourth Suit Forcing	Reverse	Crowhurst
6.1.4.1 Conventional Opening Bids	Lucas Twos	Multi Two Diamonds	Weak Twos
6.1.4.2 Competitive Conventions	Jump Overcall	Lebensohl	Unassuming Cue Bid	Unusual No Trump	Continuing after opponent’s take out double	Take out Double	Cue Bid
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6.1.4.3 Slam Conventions	Blackwood	Gerber	Roman Key Card Blackwood	Splinter	Jump to 5 of a suit	Grand Slam Force	Acol Four No Trump Opening
	Asking Bids	DOPI and ROPI
6.1.5 Doubles	Optional	Penalty	Lead Directional
6.1.6 The Protective Position
6.2 Declarer Play
6.2.1 General Technique	End Play	Squeeze	Finesse	Lose tricks early	Pin	Avoidance	Restricted Choice
6.2.2 Trump Management	Ruffing	Ruffing Losers before drawing trumps	Trump Coup	Ruffing Finesse	Loser on Loser	Coping with bad splits	Cross Ruff
	Dummy Reversal
6.3 Defence	Second Player	Signals	Third Player	Play the cards you are known to have
6.3.1 Defensive Tactics	Forcing Defence	Passive Defence	Merrimac Coup
6.3.2 Opening Leads	Fourth Highest	Third and Fifth	MUD	Top of Nothing
6.3.3 Plays in Third Hand	Finesse Against Dummy	Finesse Against Partner
6.3.4 Entry Management	Unblocking
6.4 Probability
6.5 Glossary of Terms
7 Through the Pack