[keylime]

Bourke indeed Chamaco. Very nice concept.

[Robert]

Hello everyone

Anyone want to tell the newby what a 'Bourke Relay' is?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Robert

[Chamaco]

Robert, on Nov 10 2005, 05:14 AM, said:

Hello everyone

Anyone want to tell the newby what a 'Bourke Relay' is?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Robert

Bourke relay is a treatment quite similar to "fourth suit forcing" but is indeed a "third suit forcing" when opener rebids his suit.

The cheapest third suit is artificial and game force

So, in auctions like:

1♣:1♦:2♣:2♥
1♣:1♥♠:2♣:2♦
1♦:1♥♠:2♦:2 oM

the 3rd suit is always artificial and forcing game.
This has quite a few benefits:
1- strong responder can investigate game from a lower level
2- weak and invitational hands can be teated very efficiently


Usually Bourke Relay is used for sequences after 1m opening, but a similar approach can be adopted in many situations.

There is however 1 awkward auction:

1♦:1♠:2♦:2♥

In this case, if opener had 5+ diamonds and 4+ hearts but could not show hearts without reversing, he does not know whether responder might have a heart fit (and responder, as well, if he is GF with 5S and 4H, ignores whether responder has a heart fit).

This shortcoming can be solved in systems where 1D opening is NEVER balanced (e.g. like Real diamond precision with weak NT or in 5 card major systems where weak NT goes via a short club and 1D is always unbalanced):

in those cases, opener shall open 1D and rebid 1NT artificial (1D opener can't be balanced) when he has hearts, so, when he indeed bids 1♦:1♠:2♦, he denies 4 hearts and the 2♥ can be afely used as Bourke Relay without any confusion.

=====================

Also, it is important to choose a compatible meaning of the direct jumpshifts by responder to 1m opener.
After some posts by Gerben, I have adopted (using Real Damond precision):

- 1D:2M = constructive jumpshift (weaker than invitational, but game still in the picture if fit is there)
- 1D:1M:2D:2M = invitational, nonforicng
- 1D:1M:2D:3M= slammish with selfsufficient major
- when opener rebids 1NT, use xyz Checkback or whatever

[mikeh]

1♦   1♠
2♦   3♣
3♥   3♠
3N   4N

Seems right to me: as north, I would prefer partner as declarer in 3N hence my shape showing 3♥ bid, but it is close and I would not object to an immediate 3N instead.

As South, bidding over 3N is debatable: it is close, because the hands screams misfit, and the suit quality sucks. However, I think that I would usually squeak out 4N: passing is too big a position. Forcing to slam is a common weak(er) player error on these hands, but passing 3N is quite a view as well. If slamming or passing were the only choices, it isn't close: pass wins by a country mile. But there is a middle ground: 4N. This hand is worth about 3.510000009 NT over 3N, by my patented count method, so I round it up

However, if you are a really light opening bidder, then pass of 3N becomes the choice.

I agree entirely with the comments against a strong jump shift. We saw such jump shifts in the early days of bridge, when bidding methods were rudimentary and it was critical to establish a force. We don't need such crude methods now, with complex, non-fitting hands.