Class No. 4 – Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010

The Reverse
The reverse plays a key role in bidding to show fits, shapes and values. With a minimal opening hand you are allowed to bid a new suit at the 2 level lower ranking than your first bid suit, thus, allowing partner to make a suit preference bid at the 2 level. When you reverse the two bids, however, bidding the higher ranking suit second, you are forcing partner to the 3 level to show a preference, thus, you need extra values to use up bidding space. This is the reverse and requires solid invitational values.

This workshop is focused on the reverse with a section on the jump reverse and high reverse. I see so many people that say “we don’t play reverses” … this is like saying we don’t play 3-level invitational bids … how can you play bridge and not play 3-level invitational bids or reverses? If your bid forces partner to a higher level to show suit preference then you need the values to make a free bid at that level. At the conclusion of this class participants should understand:

1. What is the reverse and how does it relate to bidding shapes, values.
2. How to plan for a rebid.
3. When is a reverse not a reverse?
4. The forcing nature of the reverse.
5. How to respond to the reverse and show values?