Raises of one of a major openings after intervention

The principle of the five-card major system is to find a fit in a major as fast as possible. The current French system offers a big diversity of fit showing answers, depending on reposnder’s strength and number of Trumps.

Summary:

• Weak raises
• Intermediate raises
• The cue-bid: a strong raise
• The problem with three-card fits
• Pratical exercises: major suit raises after overcall
• Practical exercises: Bidding is not everything!

The overcall places us in a context of competitive bidding where we have to manage two goals:
› Describe our hand as accurately as possible in order to bid makeable contracts.
› Make the life of the opposing side difficult in the struggle for the final contract.

Because of this double necessity, we will modify the policy of our fitshowing bids.

Weak raises

› The simple raise still shows at least three trumps and 6-10 points. But with the right distribution, we will not hesitate to use it with a minimum in order to allow partner to fight for the part-score:

♠ 10 7 4 2
♥ Q 6 5
♦ Q 10 7 5 4
♣ 7

The singleton Club is motivation enough not to let the opponents bid undisturbed.

The corollary of this policy is to be prudent when we have a lot of defensive strength or when the distribution is of little use:

♠ 10 7 6 2
♥ J 6 5
♦ Q 10
♣ Q J 9 8