The
Bourke Relay (possible variations)
Auctions
that start 1x-p-1y-p-2x-p are
good candidates for a relay approach. One method discussed in Bridge
World in 1996 by David Bird and Tim Bourke is known as the Bourke
Relay. The basic idea is to make the cheapest available new suit or
no trump bid a relay by responder, allowing the description of more
hand types than in standard methods. Many times responder simply won't
have a natural descriptive bid available, so the need for an artificial
force is a common occurrence. The main issues will be level and the
choice of playing no trump, responders suit or openers suit.
The method should allow for
1. Responder to invite, force or sign off in his own suit.
2. Responder to invite or force in openers suit (perhaps suggesting slam interest)
3. Determine if extra values and stoppers are present to play no trump
4. Occasionally find an undisclosed 44 fit in an unbid minor
5. Possibly for responder to sign off in clubs (an unbid suit).
6. Opener to show varying degrees of support for responders major suit (1m
-p - 1M auctions).
7. Where relevant, attempt to right side no trump contracts
Issues
that have to be agreed on (since there is more than one way to implement
the above objectives) include:
-
Does the relay bid create a game force, pseudo game force (the auction may stop at 4 of a minor when
opener has bid and rebid a minor).
-
Should the non-relay bids such
as a raise of openers suit or a jump rebid in responders suit be
forcing or invitational only. Jeff Rubens argues that the raise
of openers suit should be forcing, to invite only you first relay
then raise. This implies that the relay only creates a limited force,
somewhat similar to the old fourth suit one round force style from
that convention's Acol origin.
-
What auctions will this relay
apply to, and will the application be the same in all cases.
We will start the analysis with auctions that start
with 1
, a 1
response and a 2 rebid. My
own preference is to rebid 1NT as opener with 1453 if the hand has
the right strength for that rebid, but we still have to allow for
the occasional 2 rebid on
a five card suit. If we assume that responders 2
rebid is a one round force only, opener can not rebid 3
to show hearts without extra values. In fact any bid beyond 3
(the safety level) will have to show at least modest extra values.
With that in mind invitational or weaker hands with 54 or 55 in the
majors should respond 2 to
1 . Having eliminated the
need for opener to show hearts (if responder has a strong 54+ he relays
then rebids 3 ), we are left with openers rebids
2 -
three spades, not substantial extras
2NT - natural, may have singleton spade, not forcing
3
- more than minimum, at least a club stopper
3 - decent suit, playable opposite a singleton, no game interest
3 - more than minimum with heart stopper or suit (in which case 46 in
reds)
3 -
3 decent spades (KJx for example) and often a singleton
I see no pressing need for further relays. If available responder can
bid 3 to limit his hand, or
bypass 3 to force to game.
Responders alternatives to the relay (after 1
-1 -2 )
2 - to
play, or mild invite if weak jump shift
response of 2 available over
1
3
- forcing to at least 4
, asks for stopper, opener bids 3with heart stop,
with club stop, or 3NT with both suits stopped, note responder must
have spades stopped to pass, 4 level bids show singletons by opener
3
- invitational, good 6+ suit
3NT - to play
3
- splinter
3
- 6 card suit, to play but opener can bid 3
with singleton club and excellent diamonds
2NT - natural invite with fewer than 3 diamonds, opener needs good diamonds
to pass or raise, else should usually retreat to 3
or bid 3 with 3 + clubs (responder will often have 5 clubs in this
auction.
After 1
-1 -2 , opener will not hold
4 spades, so responders relay is 2
, with the following rebids by opener
2NT - no singleton or 3 card heart support if minimum
3 -either 3 hearts or other extras, forcing, may be artificial
3 - extras with 3 hearts
3 - spade stop and extras, strongly
suggests singleton club
3NT - singleton heart , extras and stoppers
3 - none of above
After 1
-1M (natural)-2
, we have an ordinary new minor auction where responders 2
is artificial asking for delayed support or a hidden heart suit. The
key difference from standard methods is that a raise to 3
would be forcing, 2 followed
by 3 would not. Thus opener
can afford to rebid 2 on a
five card suit with 1435 after a 1
response, since responder will rarely pass this rebid on a singleton
club. Using this method reduces the necessity for playing Walsh responses
to 1 , although I still believe it is
best to open 1
with 44 or 45 in the minors.
After
1 -1
, opener should only rebid 2
with a limited hand and a good suit. With extras and a hand unsuited
to any no trump or jump rebid, opener can resort to a short 2
rebid (in analogy with the Cole-Gazzilli 1
-1NT-2 auction). Responder
then prefers hearts or rebids 2
with poor hands, raises to 3
forcing with game going hand, or bids 2
with invitational hands with clubs, or game forcing hands where he
needs more information. The safety level on this auction is presumed
to be 3 , a rebid past that
level by either partner establishes a game force. Over 2
opener bids 2 with a minimum, 2NT shows around 16-17 HCP.
The above principles do not apply to 2 over 1 auctions, in those responders
rebid of 2NT is forcing but not to game, and other rebids are natural.
The
above is my adaption of an idea described by Jeff Rubens which he
calls TSAR, see
bridgeworldarticle
The key points in the above analysis
1.
After 1x-1y-2x, a raise to 3x is a quasi-game
force, the cheapest new suit is a relay, after which a rebid by responder
of 3x is invitational only.
2.
After 1 -1 ,
openers 2
may be a 2 card suit, then 2
is a relay as in 1, and a club raise is forcing.
3.
The same method can be applied to auctions over 1
and a transfer response, when opener rebids 2.
