Major suit raises incorporating a Baron/Jacoby 2NT style response

 

          Decades ago it was realised that the response of 2NT to an opening one-level Major suit was superfluous; there is invariably another bid available.  Leo Baron and Oswald Jacoby independently suggested that the bid should instead represent a strong raise 15/16+ HCP with no outside 5-card suit.  This has been adopted to good effect by many leading players.  Regrettably, for average relatively infrequent players, suitable hands do not occur often enough for it to be as useful as they may hope.  There is a version, emanating I believe from Canada, that brings the response into more frequent use.  A summary follows (adapted for a basic system of weak NT & 4-card Majors):

 

With fewer than 13 HCP:

 

Raise to the 2 level with 4+-card support and 9 losers (exceptionally with only 3 cards and a singleton or void elsewhere);

Raise to the 3 level with 4+-card support and 8 losers;

Raise to the 4 level with 4+-card support and 7 losers, alternatively with a singleton elsewhere, bid the suit of the singleton at the 4-level (could be 3S over 1H).

 

With 13 HCP or more:

 

Bid 2NT with 4+-card support, primarily asking partner to name their singleton if any.

 

If instead opener’s first rebid is at the 4 level it shows a second suit of 5+ cards, and hence likely a singleton or void elsewhere.

 

After the sequence 1S – 2NT, opener’s rebid at the 3 level shows a singleton, or void, in that suit and also a 5-cards, or longer, in Spades.

After the sequence 1H – 2NT, opener’s rebid at the 3 level shows a singleton, or void, in that suit and also a 5-card or longer suit, unless the singleton were Clubs, with the shape  4-4-4-1. [With 1-4-4-4 many players open 1D or 1C.]

 

If responder then simply bids game, that shows no interest in a slam, unless opener is very strong.  If responder instead reverts to the agreed major suit at the 3 level that invites cue bidding, as does any other cue bid by responder.

 

With no singleton, or void, opener’s rebid is either:

4 of the agreed Major with a minimum hand (<15HCP) and a 5+-card suit,

3NT with 15-16 HCP,

 or     3 of the agreed Major with 17+HCP.

The latter two rebids could imply only 4-card suits.

 

A jump shift initial response shows 16+ HCP, fewer than 4 cards trump support, but a clear idea of the probable eventual contract, if the hands fit.  Otherwise a simple response to hear opener’s rebid may be wiser.

 

If responder had already passed then an immediate 2NT response shows 4-card support and a maximum pass (say 11+ HCP), the equivalent of a good raise to 3 of the Major (as it would over a takeout double).  Opener can still make a trial bid, short or long suited by partnership agreement.  A jump shift after a pass shows a good 5+ card suit plus 4-card support of the Major.