I was asked today about whether jump shifts are strong or weak. It brought up something I have always thought is very important.
Always ask yourself the question,
- Am I opener?
- Am I responder?
- Am I an overcaller?
Start with that question - then talk about the bids
So, are jumps weak or strong?
As opener
Is this weak or strong - as opener it is strong, and also this is referred to as a jump shift - that means you are jumping and "shifting" to a new suit.
As responder
Lets see how things can be confusing
This is a jump, but lets contextualise it correctly
- It is a jump
- It is by responder
- It is in support of partner's bid.
In order to understand this auction we simply need to ask ourselves,
What are our various raises to partner's 1♥ bid?
1♥ - 2♥ = fairly universally that is a simple raise, say 6-10 points and 3 hearts.
1♥ - 3♥ = there is some variation on how people play this. One way is to play this as a 4 card raise weak and the definition of weak should be defined in the partnership exactly. It can otherwise be played as stronger, say invitational. Both are fine depending on your style.
Main takeaway
When you are talking about bidding and trying to work out what a bid means, always try to start framing your thinking with
- What role was I - responder, opener, overcaller?
- Was it my first bid or second bid or other?
- Was I supporting partner, bidding a new suit or rebidding my own suit?
Write those three down on paper, and then you know well what context you are talking about.
Get my #1 tip for improving your scores straight away.