[paulg]

A friend has asked me about raising opener's rebid with a weak hand.

Suppose you hold

♠ Jxx
♥ Axxx
♦ 10x
♣ xxxx

and the auction goes (opps quiet) : 1♦ - 1♥ - 2♣

In the modern style I think 2♣ can conceal some quite strong 5-4 hands, so would you give a simple raise here?

If not, would ♣ Qxxx change your mind? If no, then how much more?

Paul

[y66]

I'll pass. I think I need enough for pard to have a shot at 3N if he has say, Kx xx AKQxx ATxx. So, KJxx of clubs for me.

Good problem for me.

[JLOL]

It doesnt matter that partner can have some good hands when your hand is terrible.

If you have a hand that you think might make game but is not good enough for 3C with this shape you can bid 2D sometimes. Like with a good 7 or 8 I would bid 2D, and with about 9+ I would bid 3C with this shape. Obviously use hand evaluation in conjunction with these numbers.

[jdonn]

Very easy pass. Qxxx is still an easy pass. Kxxx is getting pretty close though.

[neilkaz]

Here you have a hand where some players pass 1♦ so thoughts of raising to 3♣ with this garbage need to be put aside. I'd raise with Kxxx..ie 3 useful HCP more and hope that if PD goes towards game we don't get set.

[mtvesuvius]

When I have garbage, I pass, when I have a good hand, I bid.

I have garbage. I pass.

[peachy]

I would pass. Hand this weak cannot possibly be enough for inviting game even if partner has the better than minimum opening. If you try to use 3C as keeping opponents from easy balancing, it comes at a very high cost of misleading partner into bidding game when the weak hand knows game is impossible.

[paulg]

I didn't seriously expect anyone to raise with the given hand.

But the question of what you actually need to raise is more interesting, considering what a simple auction this is.

Justin's method provides food for thought (as always).

Paul

[barmar]

When opener doesn't jump-shift, you can safely assume he has at most 18 HCP. If you can't imagine any game even if he's at the max, there's no reason to raise.

[Phil]

You can pass this auction if you dread a 3rd call from partner.