mitsguy, on 2013-March-01, 22:16, said:
My understanding is that each available rebid by opener, in this auction, would have the following meaning in SAYC (please correct me if I'm wrong):
Most of this is correct, except:
1. When you say "points" below, it includes upgrade points for good distribution, it's not HCP only.
2. Standards for opening bids have crept lower over time; the de facto lower limit is more like 12 instead of 13 on the min rebids. I know that the official SAYC doc says 13, but that feels like an error cribbed from another source using an older 16-18 nt. It doesn't make sense for nt rebid to be 13-15 when playing 15-17 nt, everyone pretty much assumes 12-14.
> 2
♥: 13-15 points, 6 hearts, denies 4 of any other suit, unbalanced hand
With good hearts spots, playable opposite a stiff, one may prefer to rebid them instead of a side 4cd minor, especially at matchpoints.
> 2
♠: 13-15 points, 4 card spade support
"3-4" cd support. Std expert practice is to raise with 3514/3541 minimum hands. Rebidding the minor then raising spades later is reserved for strong hands like the one being discussed in this thread. One prefers to have 4 cd support, but this is considered least of evils, and it will often work out fine even in the 4-3 fit.
>3
♣: 19-21 points, 4 clubs, denies 4 spades, unbalanced hand
>3
♦: 19-21 points, 4 diamonds, denies 4 spades or 4 clubs, unbalanced hand
With very strong hands with 6+cd heart suits, it is sometimes necessary to "manufacture" a jump shift on a 3 card fragment to insure that partner doesn't pass you, intending to usually rebid hearts, although sometimes raising spades or passing 3nt depending on how the auction continues and what your hand looks like.
Also, I don't think 3
♦ would absolutely deny 4 cd clubs, in theory opener could have a huge 0544 hand.
>3NT: it would be a signoff in NT. I have no idea why you would use it at this point in the auction, so I assume you wouldn't use it
A 3nt rebid by opener in this context would be a long running heart suit with minor suit stoppers, counting on partner to stop spades. Partner is allowed to pull to 4
♥ if he believes that will do better. In general 1x-1y-3nt shows this hand type, no interest in playing partners major, since 18-19 bids 2nt, the 3nt is unneeded and can be used for semi-gambling purposes. Opening hearts, sometimes 9 tricks are there in NT but not ten for hearts. Opening a minor, 3nt is game but 4m isn't. Other rebids would generally require you to get 9 tricks anyway, so the thought is to try for them in NT and get the game bonus.
>4
♥: 19-21 points, 6 hearts, denies 4 of any other suit, unbalanced hand. I don't really understand this bid, since your partner could be void in hearts, and then you'd be in trouble
With a strong hand you manufacture a jump shift as described above. A 4M rebid is usually a gamble based on a 7 or 8 cd suit, that thinks it's an OK gamble even if partner is stiff or void. It's a hand "I almost opened 4H to begin with, but was slightly too strong, afraid of missing slam if you had come up with a strongish raise or 2/1 response". So lots of hearts, not so many points, stronger than a 4H opener.
Also, if one is suitably strong in the suit having only 6, sometimes you don't particularly care if partner is void. If you opened on AKQJxx hearts, you might end up forcing to game in hearts and find partner void, but you rate to get in and draw the opp's trumps on the normal 4-3 split anyway. Even if they split 5-2 you only have 1 trump loser and might be OK having enough tricks outside.
>In any case, the appropriate bid here would be 2
♣. Responder could pass with 6-9 points and a preference for clubs rather than spades. But since responder will know that you could have as many as 18 points, he/she will probably try to continue bidding, unless he/she has real garbage.
Preference for clubs over both spades and hearts. Holding 8-9, because of the possibility of this sort of hand, responder with 2 cd hearts and even as many as 4 clubs is expected to take a "false preference" to two hearts, on say a 5224 type hand. Although this will sometimes result in an inferior 5-2 heart fit, it avoids missing game when opener has this strong raise, and reasonably often if playing 2H opener can scramble home a make on the 5-2 fit for a push even if clubs makes an extra trick. There are days though when you play a 7 cd heart fit going down and you lost a 9 cd club fit; no system is perfect and this hand is one where SA's ambiguities will sometimes let you down.