We continue our series on partnership bidding with a look at how we work together with partner in competitive auctions. One of the most important things we can do in any auction is to “support with support”. When we have a fit for partner’s suit it is usually a good idea to raise them. The exception is when partner bids a minor suit—in that case, we may first search for a major-suit fit before supporting their minor.

When we raise partner, we give them valuable information about the size of our fit and the strength of our hand. This helps partner judge what to do if the opponents continue to compete in the auction – it helps them apply the Law of Total Tricks (“compete to the size of our fit”) and it helps them judge if our side has enough values to possibly defeat the opponent’s contract.

Let’s look at some options for how to raise partner.

Simple Raise

The simple raise is the first way that we learn to show a fit and minimum values. We can use a simple raise of partner’s suit when they open the bidding or when they make an Overcall.

Partner                 RHO                       You

1♥                          2♣                          2♥

This 2♥ bid shows about 6-10 points and a fit for partner. I could have anywhere from 3-5 card support for Opener’s ♥ suit.

Opener                 Partner                 Responder          You (Advancer)

1♣                          1♠                          2♣                          2♠

Here, we raise to the 2-level with a hand similar to the ones we raised after an opening bid. However, when partner overcalls at the 1-level, they may have fewer values than if they had opened, so sometimes we may be a bit strong for a simple raise.

♠J84
♥A984
♦KJ4
♣Q62

Even with 11 HCP and a fit, I would only raise partner to 2♠ after a simple 1♠ overcall. Our hand doesn’t contribute many tricks, and since a simple overcall can indicate fewer values than an opening bid, we should be cautious about pushing the auction too high. A modest raise keeps the bidding at a manageable level while still showing support.

A simple overcall can be somewhat ambiguous since our fit for partner's suit can vary widely—we might have only 3-card support but could also hold 4 or even 5. However, as we introduce more ways to raise partner's suit in our bidding system, the simple raise becomes more clearly defined. By using alternative bids to describe hands that were previously included in a simple raise, we refine its meaning and make it a more precise tool in our system.

Weak Raise

Another way to raise partner’s suit is with a jump bid. In modern bidding styles, jump raises are typically treated as weak.

Opener                 Partner                 Responder          You (Advancer)

1♣                          1♠                          X                             3♠

This jump to 3♠  shows at least 4-card ♠  support and a weak hand - about 0-5 HCP when non-vulnerable and about 3-6 HCP when vulnerable.  We do not use this weak raise when we have a “flat hand” – 4-3-3-3.

♠K984
♥5
♦T8743
♣543

This has is great for a jump raise to 3♠.

Since these weak raises are made with very few HCP, we rely on our trump fit to generate tricks. This means our hand will be useful offensively if we become declarer but won’t contribute much on defense. By signaling to partner that we have a weak, offense-oriented hand, we help them make better decisions later in the auction.

This makes use of the Law of Total Tricks – Compete to the Size of our Fit. With a 9-card fit, we are usually safe competing to the 9-trick level, even with very few HCP.

Jump to Game - "Weak Freak"

When we have 5-card support for partner’s overcall (or opening bid of 1-Major), then we have a 10-card fit. With this level of fit and some distribution, we can confidently jump to game.

Opener                 Partner                 Responder          You (Advancer)

1♣                          1♥                          X                             4♥

This jump to game shows five-card ♥ support, some distribution, and can be slightly stronger than a jump to 3♥. It typically represents about 0-8 HCP. The reason we can afford to make this jump a bit heavier is that there’s no risk of missing a makeable game—we are already bidding game.

♠943
♥A9842
♦8
♣K983

This is an excellent hand for jumping to 4♥ after partner overcalls 1♥. We might make 4♥, or we might go down—who knows? But playing in 4♥ is likely to yield a good result. If the opponents compete, they may overbid or land in the wrong contract, which could also work in our favor.

Both the Weak Raise and the Weak Freak effectively take away the opponents’ bidding space, forcing them to make high-level decisions without much time to communicate. We like it when our opponents must guess at higher levels—good things often happen for us when they do. With a 5-3-3-2 hand, we typically avoid jumping to 4-Major. This "flat hand" often lacks the playing strength needed to succeed at such a high level.

Limit Raise or Better – Cuebid (“Q=LR+”)

We have several ways to raise partner’s suit with a big fit and a weak hand. But what about hands that have a fit and real strength? For those, we use a cuebid of the opponent’s suit.

Partner                 RHO                       You

1♠                          2♣                          3♣

This cuebid shows  3+card support and at least 10 points. Since partner is obligated to bid again, even with a minimum hand, we are guaranteed another opportunity to bid. This allows us to use the cuebid even with a game-forcing hand. For example, we can cuebid and then raise partner’s 3♠ rebid (indicating a minimum) to 4♠.

Opener                 Partner                 Responder          You (Advancer)

1♦                          1♥                          P                             2♦

This 2♦  cuebid by Advancer serves a similar purpose to the Responder’s cuebid above. One key advantage is that it keeps the auction at the two-level, allowing us to stop in 2♥ if partner has a weak hand. Since partner’s bid was only a simple overcall, we are less comfortable committing to the three-level, even with 10 HCP.

Some partnerships prefer to distinguish between 3-card and 4-card limit raises. In this approach, Advancer can use 2NT as a conventional bid to show a 4-card limit raise, while using a cuebid of the opponent’s suit for other strong raises. This 2NT convention for a four-card limit raise is especially popular in Europe.

Mixed Raise – Jump Cuebid

As Advancer, what if we have the values of a simple raise (about 6-9 HCP) but the fit of a weak raise (4-card support)? In this case, we start with a simple raise to show our values and later compete to the 3-level (if necessary) to suggest a 4-card support (a 9-card fit). However, this approach allows the opponents room to bid at the 3-level and further describe their hands. Ideally, we want a way to show both our fit and values with a single bid. This is done by Advancer with the jump cuebid (an otherwise unused bid).

Opener                 Partner                 Responder          You (Advancer)

1♥                          1♠                          X                             3♥

♠K843
♥54
♦A9432
♣93

A 3♥ bid shows our 4-card ♠ support and our decent values, all with a single bid. In this auction the opponents will have a hard time finding their probable ♣ fit.

5-card Support and a Flat Hand

With a flat hand and 5-card support, 5-3-3-2 shape, we should not be so aggressive. We should treat this holding more like 4-card support. We can make a variety of raises with this extra trump:

• Weak raise (jump raise) with 0-6 HCP and 5-3-3-2 shape.
• Mixed raise (jump cuebid) with 6-8 HCP and 5-3-3-2 shape.
• Limit raise (cuebid) with 9+ HCP and 5-3-3-2 shape (we upgrade a bit for the extra trump).

Expanding your system with more precise ways to raise partner’s suit helps them make better decisions in competitive auctions. With clearer hand evaluation, they can improve their judgment in the most difficult bidding situations —whether to bid on or to defend?!

Keep working on improving your partnership!

About the Author

Robert Todd is a professional player and teacher who you’ll find all over North America (and the world). He's the founder of Adventures in Bridge and you'll find him hosting events, either virtual or in-person, almost every week of the year! Robert's also the president of the ACBL Educational Foundation where he's working to build an institution to shepherd the long term good of bridge!