[pbleighton]

The book I learned Standard American from is Root's Commonsense Bidding. Root says that on the opener's first rebid, it takes four to support partner's suit (except for 1S-2H, where it takes three). Under rare circumstances, you may support with good three card support (his example: KQ2). He implies that in competition, you do whatever you can.

I have seen, in play and bridge columns, people raising with three more liberally than this. Example (opps silent):
Opener holds K53-642-63-AKQJ6, opens 1C, responder bids 1S, opener rebids 2S.

Has this become common, and do you agree with it? If so, what guidelines/examples can you give me for raising with three (major vs minor, 1/1 vs 2/1, etc.).

And what of the responder's rebid? I understand that a delayed raise implies fewer trumps, but what of the sequence 1D-1S-2C-3C - what does this promise?

[Rado]

Hi Pbleighton and all,

Good agreement about raising on 3 cards fit might be:

min opening (12-14) and outside singleton:
Axx x KQxxx Kxxx
1D-1S
2S
delayed raising would promise better hand (15-17) and is invitational:
AJx x KQxxx AQxx
1D-1S
2C-2D
2S

With some of my live partners we have an agreement that outside small doubleton is enough excuse for raising on three cards.

Best regards, Rado

[flytoox]

Quote

The book I learned Standard American from is Root's Commonsense Bidding. Root says that on the opener's first rebid, it takes four to support partner's suit (except for 1S-2H, where it takes three). Under rare circumstances, you may support with good three card support (his example: KQ2). He implies that in competition, you do whatever you can.

I have seen, in play and bridge columns, people raising with three more liberally than this. Example (opps silent):
Opener holds K53-642-63-AKQJ6, opens 1C, responder bids 1S, opener rebids 2S.

Has this become common, and do you agree with it? If so, what guidelines/examples can you give me for raising with three (major vs minor, 1/1 vs 2/1, etc.).

And what of the responder's rebid? I understand that a delayed raise implies fewer trumps, but what of the sequence 1D-1S-2C-3C - what does this promise?

Raise with three card if 1) no better alternative, 2) you have ruff value. 3C here should be 4 card spt, coz 2c here is very likely to be 4 card suit. Also 3c is constructive, it should be about 10-11 HCP hand, after pd's 2c rebid, there is still hope for a game, otherwise, pd will pass 2c.

Correct me if I am wrong ;D
hongjun

[luis]

I'd never raise 1m-1M to 2M with 3 cards.
If we do have to play in a 4-3 fit then better if it is a known 4-3 fit and not a surprise. Besides that you can end up playing a bad slam in a 4-3 fit with a better fit in a minor or worst without any fit at all.
But that's only my opinion.

[mishovnbg]

I use raise of 1 major response regular with 3 cards, it is part of my system too. Here in BBO i use it even if have no agreement about, still without bad results . But if you like same style of bidding and play it with parner, you need convention to discover type of raise with game invitational/forcing hands. Kantar's solution is 3 in minor to be NF game try with 4 cards response. 2NT show 5 card response and is forcing, inv+.
Misho

[hrothgar]

Either style works fine, just make sure that you and your partner are on the same wavelength.
I prefer raising on three cards when it seems "right". Typically Hxx in support with side shortage. I have been known to raise to 2M on less when I want to preempt the opponents.

[inquiry]

Like Rado, as opener, I frequently raise my partner's major on auctions like....
1m-1M

Here, the raise on three is generally weak (not like you four ace hand elsewhere). So if I bid something else then later support the major, it tends to be stronger hands. I don't know about Rado, but I adopted this style after reading one of my favorite books... Robson/Segal's Partnership Bidding.

Ben

[Antoine Fourrière]

The 1992 Individual European Championship featured a mandatory system, five-card majors, strong notrump, weak twos...

However, it didn't mention three or four-card raises.

Robson reported that deal in Bridge Magazine:

[tt]8 4 2   A T 9 7
9 5   Q J
K Q T 6   A 9 8 5
A K 5 4   Q 9 8[/tt]

Forrester - Perron
1 C   1 S
2 S   4 S
pass

The three-card raise is quite popular in the English-speaking world, but the French (or the Poles) need four cards, and don't mind rebidding 1N with a weak doubleton.
(Yes, a 1NT rebid would have ended in 3NT going down.)

Apparently, neither the IEC organizers nor the two players seemed to consider it an issue.(Some things are so self-evident that even the strange people which lives from the other side of the Channel cannot have a different religion.)
Five-card openings vs four-card openings? But that's system!
Four-card raises vs three-card raises? Of course, that's judgment!

And BBS, which has no claim to hegemony, is also silent about it.

[the hog]

Playing a natural system we frequently raise on a 3 card suit if we have a weak doubleton, even with xxx in the trump suit. Why?

This is more pre emptive than a 1NT bid
The opps may well misjudge lott thinking we are in an 8 card fit
If pd wants to play 3NT and I have Jx or worse in a suit, it is better for the lead to come to him.

If partner is strong there are many ways to find out if the raise was a three or 4 card raise.