Responder
Your partner has opened the bidding and that makes you the Responder. Thanks a lot. Responder must choose from a vast number of options to bid correctly. Not only that, but as the de facto Captain for the team, the Responder must determine where and how high to bid. Ugh! This is tough work. Get it right and your partner won’t notice. Get it wrong and you’re doomed. On that cheery note, let’s wade into Responder bids.
Partnership Agreements (Convention Preferences)
Partnership agreements define what Opener and Responder bids mean. Your conventions card addresses items such as:
- General approach (American Standard or 2-over-1)
- Notrump opening bids
- Notrump responses
- Major suit opening bids
- Major suit responses
- Minor suit opening bids
- Minor suit responses
- Opening preempts
- Slam Conventions.
Without partnership agreements on convention preferences, bids become gibberish. The following Opener and Responder bids rely on clearly defined partnership agreements.
- Responding to Opener’s 1-NT bid
- Responding to Opener’s 1-level major suit bid
- Responding to Opener’s 1-level minor suit bid
- Responding to Opener’s 2-NT bid
- Responding to Opener’s 2 or 3-level major suit bid
- Responding to Opener’s 2 or 3-level minor suit bid
- Responding to Opener’s 3-NT bid.
