Hi Bobby,

Following a recent hand where after an overcall partner raised my 1S opener to 2S with three spades to the 8, a balanced hand and an outside Q , we are rediscussing major suit raises in competition. His raise was for “preemptive purposes”.

He sent me a treatment where the single raise in competition shows less than 6 points with 3 card support (with a better hand a transfer is used).

Intuitively (but my intuition has certainly been wrong before), it doesn’t feel right to raise when you are this weak and have only 3 card support unless there is some compensating distribution. I dislike telling the opponents that I have 3 card support, unless I think we may buy the contract or I want to encourage that lead.

Are there advantages to immediately raising with this type of hand that I am overlooking?

Thanks

Hi Ted,

Like many other treatments in high-level bridge, sometimes the ability to raise with only 3 card support and a terrible hand will cause the opponents to miss judge what to do.

However, once your system is disclosed, and the opponents wind up playing the hand, prepare yourselves for a good declarer guessing every card.

No, I do not like that treatment since I think it will not show plus IMPs in the long run, unless the opposition is very weak. And, in that event, your side figures to have an edge at least as big as that aspect of your system.

Yes, and some pairs who raise very lightly sometimes have a way (not necessarily overt cheating) of making the same raise but partner will somehow know that this time he has a little more and thus get the advantage of what most partnerships consider a normal raise.

Somewhat complicated to explain but we have all played against partnerships who tell more about their hand with body language than they should.

However, if you are tempted to try doing it, please go ahead and later let us all know what you then think about its effectiveness.