Dream Team Standard: Major Suit Openings

Index
Major Suit Openings
4-Card Raises
3-Card Raises
2/1 Game Forcing and 1NT Force
Help Suit Game Tries
Interference over 1M

1M-3C: 4-card support, 7 to a bad 10 dummy points.

1M-3D: 4-card support, a solid 10 dummy points or better, but not enough to force to game.

1M-3SM: 4-card support, 6 or fewer dummy points. (Note: May be bid on an especially lousy hand with 5-card support if vulnerable.)

1M-2N: 4-card support or better, game force, most likely balanced in shape (though maybe not if too strong for a direct splinter). Standard Jacoby 2NT sequences follow to allow opener to show shape and/or strength.

1M-4m,
1S-4H,
1H-3S: Splinter bid forcing to game, promising 4-card support and shortness (void or singleton, generally worthless) in the suit bid. Generally not an excess of strength, 15 dummy points is a likely cap.

1M-3m-3SM: Opener denies game interest.

1S-3D-3H,
1H-3C-3D: General game invites.

1S-3C-3R: Game try with the bid red suit the preferred help suit of the two.

1M-2SM: Exactly 3-card support, 7-9 dummy points (or maybe a bad 10).

1M-1N-2m-3SM (first or second seat opens),
1S-1N-2H-3S (first or second seat opens),
1H-1S-1N-3H,
1H-1S-2m-3H,
1H-2C-2D-2H (third or fourth seat opens),
1S-2C-2R-2S (third or fourth seat opens),
1S-2D-2H-2S (third or fourth seat opens): Exactly 3-card support. 10+ points, but not enough to force game.

1H-1S-1N-4H,
1H-1S-2m-4H,
1H-2C-2D-3S (third or fourth seat opens),
1S-2C-2R-3S (third or fourth seat opens),
1S-2D-2H-3S (third or fourth seat opens): Exactly 3-card support. Game forcing strength (or very close to it in the case of third or fourth seat openers).

1M-1N-2m-2SM (first or second seat opens),
1S-1N-2H-2S (first or second seat opens): May be 3-card support on a hand short of 7 dummy points, or may be a 2-card preference on a 6-10 point hand.

1M-2m (first or second seat opens): Absolute game force.

1S-2H (first or second seat opens): Game force, promises 5 hearts.

Note: After either of the above sequences puts on a game force, the first task is to agree on a suit, then the principle of fast arrival/slow arrival takes force. (However, the principle is reversed when a suit has not been agreed upon; 1M-2m-2N shows a minimum, while 1M-2m-3N shows extras.) Jump shifts to the 3 level, or to 4 of a minor are splinters in 4-card support of the previous suit bid.

1M-1N-2m (first or second seat opens): Only 3 cards in the minor are generally promised, and the sequence 1H-1N-2C may even show 4-5-2-2 shape.

1S-1N-2H (first or second seat opens): Opener is at least 5-4 in the majors.

1M-1N (third or fourth seat opens): Responder has 6-9 HCP without 3-card support for partner. Occasionally a 4-3-3-3 matchpoint gamble. Opener may pass with a balanced minimum or any other minimum when it's the right thing to do.

After a major is agreed upon at the 2-level, a direct raise to 3 tends to be a non-game try deterring the opponents from jumping in. A new suit below 3 of the agreed suit is usually a game try asking partner to focus extra on the holding in the bid suit. If partner responds with a bid below 3 of the agreed suit, partner is not sure and is kicking the decision back. The supposed game try may turn out to be an advance cue bid if the bidder runs through partner's stop sign and bids again at the 4 level.

After a major is agreed upon at the 2-level, a jump shift tends to be a splinter, showing slam interest.

1M-(2Y)-2SM,
1M-(2Y)-3SM,
1M-(2SM)-3SM, etc: Over 1-suited interference (overcalls, Michaels, etc), raises are weak, say, a bad 10 dummy points maximum, with the level determined almost solely on a total tricks basis.

1M-(2Y)-3Y,
1H-(1S)-2S, etc: Cue bids, whether explicit or implied, promise 3-card support or better, and at least limit raise strength.

Over 2-known-suited interference (such as Unusual 2 Notrump) Unusual Over Unusual applies.

1M-(2N)-3C: 10 points or better. Showing hearts.

1M-(2N)-3D: 10 points or better. Showing spades.

1M-(2N)-3H: Fewer than 10 points. Showing hearts.

1M-(2N)-3S: Fewer than 10 points. Showing spades.

After overcalls, new natural suits are constructive, but not totally forcing.