With a 4-card major, you usually will bid it (an exception would be. And, next article, we will finish (for now) the 1-level with: 6) 2/1 GF. With both 4-card majors, you respond up the. JACOBY 2NT ("Original") Most tournament players use "JACOBY 2NT" in conjunction with their 5-card major system. January 2017 Movie C. A Support Double can be made only by the Opening Bidder (at his second turn to bid). An "ambiguous splinter" raise. fr; Less is more law new york; New Minor Forcing Bridge Convention Larry Cohen. Join/Login. 1 :3 or 1 :3) shows 10-12 points and 4-card support. RKC is used to make sure we never reach a slam if missing too many "key" cards. With 3-3 in the minors, open 1♣. Name. Rubens Advances - In a competitive. Inverted Minors, you need to know a lot more. Weak Jumps in Competition 8. Bypassing diamonds after 1 If the responder to 1 has a 4+ card major and also has diamonds (4+), he responds as follows: With a weak hand, bypass the diamonds and show the major at once. N egativ Doubl s 2. "Knowing you can bid twice," means responder. next . 5) Inverted Minors. Next Week: Examples of Inverted Minor Raises. Some examples of USP conventions are Jacoby transfers, inverted minors (even though these were developed long before USP was codified), structured game-tries, relay Drury, transfers after take-out doubles, transfer responses to overcalls, and, one of my favorites, Vasilevsky. Jacoby Transfers 5. Neapolitan - The predecessor to the Blue. There is a gap for hands of about 8-9 points (too strong for 3. It shows shortness. Most of the conventions I have used are faithful to common sense and general practice of today. We will cover (not all in this article): Opener's Jump shift; Opener's Reverse; Fourth-Suit Forcing; New-Minor Checkback; Inverted Minors; 2/1 GF•Inverted Minor Suit Raises o After 1 /1 : 2 /2 is a limit raise or better (10+) and the bid is forcing 3 /3 is preemptive – around 4-7 HCP, 5+ cards in the minor Hands in between (8-9) can respond 1NT to start; perhaps compete in the minor later All these bids above deny a four card major for responder Sample hands below presume partner opened 110. Bridge Inverted Minors Larry Cohen. Bridge Links. Teacher being mean to the student. ," the raise from 1) is 10+ and the raise from 1 is weak (typically less than 7). Larry Cohen Bridge Cruises ACBL Ed Foundation Join/Login Jay Van Dyke . Former geologist and experienced stockbroker Guy Le Page, director, and responsible executive at Perth-based financial services provider RM Corporate Finance, shares his high conviction views on the market and his “hot stocks to. Back. The original structure of Precision, another bidding system, also employed inverted minors over a 1♦ opening. g. Maybe he thought of something you've overlooked. In the introduction, I’ll essentially be saying: “This is a book on conventions, and by the way, most of them are. (with 4 trump, can cue bid opponent's suit with 9 pts)Author: Larry Cohen. com. After opening 1 in third or fourth seat and getting a 2 Drury response, opener can rebid as follows: Opener's Rebid. If the partnership uses 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood, then they also. November 12, 2018. Natural Overcall. Sandwich Overcall - Unlike a cuebid, the Sandwich Overcall refers to a natural suit bid in the fourth seat over. AFAICS the GIB CC just says that 2m after 1m is Inverted minors, with nothing about subsequent developments. Inverted minor raises in 2/1 are game-forcing bids; this is not the case in Standard American. 00. Inverted Minors. ” The opener now should show three-card support if he has itHow do I make a strong minor-suit raise? Inverted Minors. –And invitational values 10 to 12 points. Inverted minors flip the traditional meaning of single and double minor-suit raises. Another approach is to use inverted minor suit raises. " This month, we explore the responses and other follow ups. One of my favorite teaching/story deals features this hand: 10 8 7 3 Q 8 2--. Now we can start to tie up the loose ends with an examination of these oft-confused topics. If responder's major was hearts, then usually opener would have bid 1 rather than 1N if he had 4, but if for some reason he didn't, he could do so in response to the new minor. Opener's rebid after an overcall: You LHO Partner RHO. We still open the longer minor. stoppers in all three suits. the one treatment I try to persuade a competent partner to augment our card with is Inverted Minors are still ‘On’ after a simple overcall but not after a takeout double. The responder’s first obligation is to bid. How many are too many? Barbara argues you should master the big 10 (not the big 4) if you really want to be competitive. According to Larry Cohen the 12 conventions that should be in every players deck are: 1. Example Auctions: In each of these auctions, responder's second bid is new minor forcing. With 4-4 in the minors, I recommend 1. And, next article, we will finish (for now) the 1-level with: 6) 2/1 GF. November 12, 2018. larryco. Jump raise with 4 trump. 2) Be aware of 1NT responses (they are "normal" after a minor-suit opening or by a passed hand). The direct raise to 3 ♦ should be preemptive, not a forcing raise. Bergen-Cohen – October 2021 ACBL – Bidding Box Problems . We will cover (not all in this article): Opener's Jump shift; Opener's Reverse; Fourth-Suit Forcing; New-Minor Checkback; Inverted Minors; 2/1 GF. Or, put another way, he loses only a club, heart and two diamonds. ") A two-level response in a new lower-ranking suit is a natural GF. Responder. So, presuming 1NT is 15-17 and 2NT is 20-21, our opening of 1 or 1 when balanced will mean we have either 12-14 or 18-19. You can use inverted minors if you wish--this has nothing to do with 2/1 GF. Now we can start to tie up the loose ends with an examination of these oft-confused topics. After an opening of 1-MAJ, a jump to 2NT is conventional. Featured Bridge Article. Open a Minor (3-5) Short Club Up-the-line Walsh after 1Ê * Transfers after 1Ê Precision 1Ê Precision 1Ë * Inverted Minors * Reverses WJS * Reverse Flannery Responses 4th Suit Game-forcing Open a Major (6. Warning: Some of this material is a little beyond my normal KISS approach. This will be the 5th action taken in the bidding—after four players have taken a call. Cohen's approach might be more practical. ) 2. Of course, this means you are 4-3 in the majors (with 5 spades or hearts, you'd open in the major). In all, declarer makes his 3 contract by taking five spade tricks in hand, a ruff in dummy, and one trick in each side suit. –No 4-card major. Chevy Truck Windshield Replacement Cost — Inverted Minor Larry Cohen. Your choice. Opener's rebids after partner has bid 2 of our minor are: 2NT shows a balanced hand with minimum. Read More. Featured Bridge Article. Author: Larry Cohen. She is co-author of thirty-two published bridge books, including co-writing with Marc Smith 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, which received the American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) Book. Normally it is a bad idea to lead the opponent's 5. Opponents' suit, showing strong interest in game. Bridge Inverted Minors Larry Cohen. One of the most common uses of conventional bids is to show a raise of partner's major suit, such as Jacoby 2NT, Splinter Bids, Bergen Raise, and Drury. In "Standard," a raise from 1 to 2 (or 1 to 2) shows 6-9 and a raise to 3-of-the-minor shows 10-12 (limit). This applies only if responder's bid was on the 1-level. There are many misconceptions regarding minor-suit openings and responses. What about raising diamonds? In "Standard," a raise to 2 is 6-9 and a raise to 3 is invitational (10-12). In addition to the extensive number of example hands, and all the usual features of our lessons, you will get: 42% of all deals are played in part-scores, so these tips will also help YOU make good decisions with non-game hands when opener did not rebid 1NT. Larry Cohen gave me my first driving lesson. Constructive Bidding (256) Inverted Minors and 1D - 2C Auctions with Structure . Some people think Inverted Minors are easier to use if played with the weak NT. A 1NT opening bid is 14-16 balanced. 10. New Minor Forcing (Chechback) 11. although partnerships that use a. 2NT asks after our Weak-Two Bids 9. 95 + shipping mostly. Because it is simpler, let's start with responses to a 1 opening (and examine 1 openings later). We'll start the discussion by examining a holding of 3-3 in the minors. , we examined the decision to open one of a minor with the focus on "which minor. Bridge with Larry Cohen. - Inverted Minor Raises - Leaping Michaels - The Forcing 1NT - Ace-and-King (Italian) Cuebidding - Unusual over Unusual - SOS and other Redoubles - Pick-a-slam 5NT - Snapdragon Doubles - Multi-colored Two DiamondsLanguage links are at the top of the page across from the title. • Seven loser responder hands usually want to drive to game (at least!) if a trump fit is found: • Use a forcing raise (e. We play inverted minors basically the way it's described in BW Standard, except that we don't splinter in minor suits. Was initially devised by David Carter, who devised Texas Transfers. If the opening bid of 1♥ or 1♠ promises 5Webinars are 1hr in duration with possible 30m Q&A. According to Larry Cohen the 12 conventions that should be in every players deck are: 1. With both 4-card majors, you respond up the. Jacoby 2NT 12. 2) Promises 4 spades, denies 4 hearts, denies 5+ diamonds, so guarantees exactly 4 diamonds. 1N is a totally fine place in his system, which is pretty standard, if you don't have anything else useful to say - it defines your points, and denies 4C major support. North. In a sense you can treat the trump king as a fifth ace. 4th Suit Game Force 6. It is important to understand why we learn conventions. All times are 2PM Eastern. In "Standard," a raise from 1 to 2 (or 1 to 2) shows 6-9, while a raise to 3-of-the-minor shows 10-12 (limit). I found the Chapter in the book called “What should we play” very informative. 5NT Pick-a-slam. The responses below not only show if opener has 3 spades, but several other bids are. Audrey Grant's Better Bridge. ) A 2NT response is natural, and I recommend 11-12. This article we wrap-up some more difficult 1-level-opening follow-ups by examining these loose odd-and ends: 4) New-Minor Checkback. We have booked the entire boat just for bridge players and their friends. Stayman. Date of publish: 06/03/2014. Playing inverted minors, a single raise of a 1 /1 opening bid is strong and a. Summary of this installment: 1) Make sure you know when a 2/1 GF auction occurs (after a 1st or 2nd seat opening with no interference). Larry Cohen lesson on Inverted Minors -- pg. Gambling 3NT. If we choose to play these, it is important for us to have good agreements about how they change when the opponent's come into our auction. Audrey Grant's Better Bridge. 1-Level Openings Wrap-up. 2/1 GF is still used as are any other modern methods such as negative doubles, inverted minors (only diamonds in this case), Jacoby 2NT, Drury, limit raises, etc. Support Doubles These (and a few more) are covered here. Constructive Bidding New minor is used only by the responder and always as his second bid of the auction. Date of publish: 03/02/2004. Th ere are not only the usual competition and passed-hand matters but also. Example Auctions: In each of these auctions, responder's second bid is new minor forcing. New-Minor Checkback. Kickback (1981) Kickback is a contribution from Jeff Rubens based on USP. e. SPLINTER BIDS. It is used when partner opens 1-major and the opponents make a takeout double : In this auction, 2NT shows 4 spades and 10+ points. New Minor Forcing (one-way) has to be an agreement between partners, so the opener has to alert the bid when it occurs. With a 4-card major, you usually will bid it (an exception would be enough for 2/1 GF, with 4+ clubs, only 4-in-your major; in that case you could respond 2 and later introduce your major). As first written and played, here were the responses to a 1-of-a-Major opening: 3 =6-10 in support and 4-card support. Methods vs Opponents NoTrump (DONT) 7. But South's 2 makes no sense. SHARE: 1-level Wrap-up (Part 2) next . If you use a transfer to a minor followed by 3-of-a major as natural, forcing, then I suggest you use Stayman, then 3-of-a-minor as weak. Earlier this month, we explored negative doubles. Natural Response. It is so the partner of the 1NT bidder can make a normal forcing 3-level bid (game forcing, actually), but also have the ability to sign off on the 3-level. Last month, we discussed 1-of-a-Major Openings. The requirements for the forcing single raise (i. For my Convention book, I’m focusing on the “Big 4” named above. , 5 card club suit. 4. For example: The double says: “Opener has exactly 3 hearts. A raise to 2 is natural (you can use inverted minors if you like--but that has nothing to do with 2/1 GF). 10. And, since people just love to learn/play/teach conventions, these would be my D-list -- choices 13-16: D) lebensohl, Drury, Inverted Minors, Splinter Bids. Larry's Bridge Quizzes. The responder is asking the opener about the majors (typically looking for 3-card support). Bridge with Larry Cohen. ACBL Ed Foundation. Level: Intermediate. J82. מדובר בגיל הרבה יותר מבוגר. In "Standard," a raise from 1♣ to 2♣ (or 1♦ to 2♦) shows 6. *Inverted minor raise. And, since people just love to learn/play/teach conventions, these would be my D-list -- choices 13-16: D) lebensohl, Drury, Inverted Minors, Splinter Bids. With the Corona virus, I finally read the book by Larry Cohen (2018) “ Tricks of the Trade” – Strategic Thinking for Advanced Bridge Players. In competition. Inverted minors use a single raise of a 1 /1 opening bid as strong and a jump raise as week. After a major suit opening, and the OPPONENTS HAVE PASSED and YOU ARE NOT A PASSED HAND, the 2/1 game force bids are: Note that the bid of 2♠ as a response to an opening bid of a heart is not a 2/1 game forcing response. Responses to 1. How do I make a strong minor-suit raise? Inverted Minors. Larry Cohen, who popularized the "Law of Total Tricks" in his best-selling book on this topic,. Th ere are not only the usual competition and passed-hand matters but also questions about how high a single raise is forcing, does it deny a major, how does opener show a minimum with or without length in the minor and on and on. AiB's rationale for this sequence is that neither 2 nor 3 of opener's minor is forcing whether playing Inverted Minors or not whereas raising the minor is forcing after using New Minor Forcing. 4. Bridge Glossary. Precision is a wonderful (and in my opinion, easier than "Standard") bidding system. The term inverted minors refers to a treatment used by the Kaplan-Sheinwold (K-S) bidding system for the popular card game bridge (Precision, as originally structured, also used inverted minors over a 1 ♦ opening). A jump response to 2 or 2 also has nothing to do with 2/1 GF. Bridge Article Category: Larry Opines or "I'm Just Saying" Active Ethics #2 Larry Cohen - Mar 2015 Level: Intermediate. About AiB. A so-called comprehensive system (such as Ghestem or Questem) where any two-suited combination can be shown. Bridge Article Category: What Should We Play Doubles (Part 2) Larry Cohen - Mar 2015 Level: Intermediate. (Just make sure you and partner agree one way or the other. Strong opener of sub-game values; in the normal situation, the opener is. 1 :3 or 1 :3) shows 10-12 points and 4-card support. A raise to 2 is natural (you can use inverted minors if you like--but that has nothing to do with 2/1 GF). Smolen Transfer - An extension to the Stayman and Jacoby Transfer. An en. Note: some players reverse the Criss Cross convention. Bridge Inverted Minors Larry Cohen. (32) Constructive Bidding: Inverted Minors. The purpose of the Inverted Minors convention is to investigate the possibility of making a 3-NT game. New Minor Forcing: 10. [1] Developed by Marty Bergen and first published in April 1982, [2] Bergen raises are based on the Law of total tricks, a hand evaluation concept which states that with a combined nine trumps in the. ” This won’t make me popular with everyone out there, but let me put it right out there on the table: “It is UNETHICAL to take advantage of your partner’s tempo. the one treatment I try to persuade a competent partner to augment our card with is Inverted Minors are still ‘On’ after a simple overcall but not after a takeout double. ‘Guy on Rocks’ is a Stockhead series looking at the significant happenings of the resources market each week. The auto glass technicians at our auto glass shop in Barrie utilize the best materials. Bridge Inverted Minors Larry Cohen. Featured Bridge Event Michael Teaches Sharpen Your Skills! "Sharpen Your Skills" Every Friday 2:00-3:30pm EDT. He also says that Inverted Minors should be on even if responder is a passed hand, but not after a double or overcall. Playing this convention, the meanings of the two and three lever raises are reversed, the two-level raise is actually invitation or better and forcing to 2NT or 3 of the minor. There isn't much need to worry about opener reversing or jump. Any other responses to 1 are jumps and must be defined by your partnership as either WEAK or STRONG. The only time 1 is opened with 3 cards is with the exact 4=4=3=2 pattern (4-4 in the majors, 3 diamonds, 2 clubs). All raises deny a four-card major suit. J2. If the opponents ask, you can explain: “My partner’s bid is artificial and forcing for one round. A raise to 2, if playing inverted, shows 10+ and is not GF. Bridge with Larry Cohen. These days, more and more people are playing 2/1 GF. d. It does not necessarily use Inverted Minors altho it's usually played that way. So, 1 is 10+. Larry Cohen Bridge Cruises ACBL Ed Foundation Join/Login Robert’s Practice Hands - AiB and Bridgebee. Larry Cohen Bridge Cruises. New Minor Forcing (Chechback) 11. This looks like a pretty normal 3NT with 13 opposite 12. All "strong" hands start with 1. The bid is used to describe a hand containing a minor suit of at least seven cards in length and headed by the ace, king and queen, at minimum. Because a raise to 4NT is usually invitational, you need an ace-asking device. When you have an 8-card trump fit, you know the opponents have five cards. comcast. When you bid over a weak 2, you should have opening values. With a good 13-14 points, opener should jump raise. But, most tournament players use inverted minors. Larry Cohen Bridge Cruises ACBL Ed Foundation Join/Login. Read More. There are two variations to New. He is asking me about my majors. Judgment errors, but. Or strong. In Hardy 2-over-1, this shows four spades and any strength. Weak Jumps in Competition 8. Larry Cohen New Minor Forcing Plan the hand by counting the winners and find out how to set up extra tricks. Bypass Diamonds (after partner's 1 opening) with only 1 bid to make. TABLE OF CONTENTS. West is not strong enough for 2, so would have to respond 1NT. A 1 opener shows approximately 16 or 17+ points. TWO-OVER-ONE GAME FORCING (2/1GF) PART 5 (More responses to 1, 1, 1). Lecturers: Larry Cohen & Michael Berkowitz More Info HERE. . 8 4SF by a Passed Hand. All times are 2PM Eastern. 0 improves upon Jack 5 in ways that will benefit advanced players as well as beginners. If you know you will get to bid twice, you can bid your diamonds first (even with 4-4 in diamonds and the major). Responder either has a 5+ suit of her own if Opener bid 1♠; or Responder is making a limit raise or better in hearts if Opener bid 1♥. Blackwood 3. 1-Level Openings Wrap-up. A jump raise (e. After 1 of a minor, a simple raise to 2 is inverted, and forcing to at least 2NT or 3 of the minor. We play inverted minors basically the way it's described in BW Standard, except that we don't splinter in minor suits. A 1NT opening bid is 14-16 balanced. With 4 diamonds and 5 clubs, I occasionally open 1 to avoid a rebid problem. A normal opening bid (12+ points) 2. N egativ Doubl s 2. 8 4SF by a Passed Hand. N egativ Doubl s 2. 21 Rules of Being a Good Partner. N. This popular convention is used when the OPENER rebids 1NT or 2NT. The Ogust bridge convention, which at first sounds complicated but really isn’t, is named after a bridge player Harold Ogust, who invented it. 3♦. Last article we examined these general concepts: 1) Opener's Jumpshift. Jacoby 2NT 12. New Minor Forcing. Common Conventions 3 Collection . Robert Todd (256) Inverted Minors and 1D - 2C Auctions with Structure . 3-3. Many truck seats feature air suspension to help even out the ride and keep your backside comfy over rough roads. 1D - 3C; 1D - 2D; The benefit of the Criss Cross convention is to differentiate invitational and game forcing hands with support in opener's bid suit. This ebooklet covers the Inverted Minors convention. Mathe Asking Bids:That means auctions where we plan to use Inverted Minors, Feature Ask, or Help Suit Game Tries often get disrupted. Lecturers: Larry Cohen & Michael Berkowitz More Info HERE. K J 2. And, next article, we will finish (for now) the 1-level with: 6) 2/1 GF. Last article we examined these general concepts: 1) Opener's Jumpshift. N egativ Doubl s 2. A single raise is game-invitational or stronger, forcing to three of the raised minor, and denies a four-card or longer major; a double raise is preemptive (but of sufficient strength to support a contract of three notrump or four of the. This month we close out the 1-level for now with: 2/1 GF. With a 4-card major, you usually will bid it (an exception would be enough for 2/1 GF, with 4+ clubs, only 4-in-your major; in that case you could respond 2 and later introduce your major). 10 pts & 3 trump, cue bid opponent's suit. Printer friendly version. In "Standard," a raise from 1 to 2 (or 1 to 2) shows 6-9 and a raise to 3-of-the-minor shows 10-12 (limit). 3 ♥ can then be agreed as either a splinter or Voidwood, and 4 ♥ as Kickback or Redwood. Roman 2 Diamonds - One element of the. Summary of this installment: 1) Make sure you know when a 2/1 GF auction occurs (after a 1st or 2nd seat opening with no interference). 32 The Trouble with Minors - Inverted Minors PDF. 2/1 Game Force (and 1NT-forcing) In a nutshell, this bidding system uses 2-level responses (in new suits below the suit opened) as forcing to game. Sign In. Balancing is done by the player in the balancing position, i. Responder generally uses the. In most games at Trumps, normal system regulations apply, with red systems and brown sticker conventions allowed. nyc. In the unlikely event that Larry Cohen is unable to travel or attend scheduled functions due to illness or circumstances beyond our control, Alice Travel will not be liable, and no refunds for such inability to travel or attend functions and events will be owed by Alice Travel. The “2/1” (two over one) rules require players to pay more attention to the seat order of the opener and responder and many 2/1 bids must be alerted. Inverted minor larry cohen; Nys less is more law; Less is more ny bill; Less is more for one net. 3 out of 5 stars. Essentially, the meaning is reversed between a raise (normally showing 6-9 points) and jump raise (showing 10-12 points). Printer friendly version. New Minor Forcing Larry Cohen Psychologically people find it easier to set up their hand than dummy. Frequently this is done to see if opener has three-card support for responder’s suit. 1D – 2C Agreed by most 2/1 players as game forcing (at least 4 minor) 2) The responder makes a two level game forcing bid in a lower suit with 12+ “good” points. Level:. Each section is shown with page numbers. Submit. singleton or void, responder bids 3 Notrump. This deal comes from the 2019 U. < Back. Unusual NoTrump/Michaels 10. Least invitational values to discover whether Opener's Notrump bid may. The partner of a player who makes an overcall or a takeout double. However, the 2C relay can also be used to show other hand types. Generally, an overcall of a. Bypass Diamonds (after partner's 1 opening) with only 1 bid to make. Unusual NoTrump/Michaels 10. T. Howard strongly recommend 2/1 rather than SAYC. Honestly, I think it would be counterproductive for 99% of players to go any further than this. Please Wait. g. Strong artificial bid, implying preemptive "weak 2" preemptive bids in other. I suggest that auction is "pass or correct" -- sometimes referred to as "Garbage" Stayman or "Crawling Stayman. Mendelson. Warning: Some of this material is a little beyond my normal KISS approach. Inverted minors are on by a passed hand, but off over any interference. (After 1 -1 -1NT, the “new” minor is 2 . A "Constructive" raise, showing 7-10 points and exactly 4-card trump support. In "Standard," a raise from 1 to 2 (or 1 to 2) shows 6-9, while a raise to 3-of-the-minor shows 10-12 (limit). 1 :2 or 1 :2 ) are: 10+ points At least 4-card support No 4-card majorsingle and double Minor suit raises from 5- Standard American. splinter bids. With 4-4 in the minors, I recommend 1. DEC 5 - Inverted Minors and Follow-ups - The modern system for bidding when we have a fit for partner's minor, called Inverted Minors, works on improving our ability to look for game or slam in a minor suit -- which is the most common time we want to support a minor suit. K J 2. . Level: Intermediate. Stayman 4. Regarding my good friend, Larry Cohen’s recent article on avoiding most conventions; I told him at a recent ABTA Convention that simply put, he is bad for business!. 10/26/2020. "inverted minor"-pat, durham, nh. Read More. Postage is A$2 (flat rate) within Australia. 35 Reverses and Jump Shifts PDF. According to Larry Cohen the 12 conventions that should be in every players deck are: 1. November 5, 2012. Bring your bridge game into the 21st Century. A new suit on the 2-level is not forcing. An opener’s bid of a minor at the 1 level denies a 5-card major suit. Holding four inconsequential cards, beginning with the second highest card, followed by the top card; with. Date of publish: 07/01/2014. May block the suit when partner subsequently attempts to promote the suit. I’ll begrudgingly give the pros and cons of a few others and then a long list of conventions you can live without. The Larry Cohen Interview Larry Cohen has won more than 25 National Championships and holds two world championship medals. Larry Cohen - Mar 2017 Level: General Interest. net Bridgebum: bridgebum. Responder may now bid stoppers or re-bid minor. A jump shift in D would be a forcing raise, so maybe there aren't many other forces. That is the essential bid in 2/1 GF. Robert Todd (32) Constructive Bidding: Inverted Minors. The most common variation of Bergen raises in response to an opening bid of 1 or 1 is the following: Bergen Raises • A raise of opener’s suit to the two level shows 6 to 9 points and RKC or Roman KeyCard Blackwood is the modern improved version of Blackwood. Without Criss Cross, hapless players may find themselves going down in a 3 Notrump contract when responder has 9-11 points with a short suit. October 26, 2022.