Time For: Introducing bidding conventions that may not be familiar to local players, but are nearly universal in common usage such as ACBL Bridge Bulletin Standard. Whether or not you adopt the convention -- I suggest that you do! -- at the very least you should know enough about it to understand the opponents' usage.
QLR Plus! It sounds like some magical household cleaning product on a late night television infomercial. Alas, I made up the name just for the catchy mnemonic. But the underlying convention is the standard way of showing a strong raise in a competitive auction.
A cue bid of the opponents' suit shows a very good raise for partner, usually four or more cards in support, with at least game-invitational values. The cue bid is forcing for one round. All jump raises are weak.
That is, a Q-bid in a competitive auction shows a "Limit Raise or Better" for partner. That is, in a competitive auction "Q=LR+" and all jump raises are weak. "QLR Plus" Got it?
Look At QLR Plus In Action!
- ♠ 10 ♥ K J 8 7 5 ♦ J 6 2 ♣ J 8 4 3
Partner opens 1 ♥ and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1 ♠.
Bid 4 ♥ just as if there had been no overcall. If the opponents then bid 4 ♠, partner will know you have a weak hand and can judge accordingly.
- ♠ 10 6 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ Q 6 5 3 ♣ K 10 6 2
Partner opens 1 ♥ and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1 ♠.
Bid 2 ♠ showing the heart fit and at least 10 points. If the opponents then bid 3 ♠ or 4 ♠, partner will know you have a good hand and can judge accordingly. Yes, you would like to have a fourth heart, but any other call is a worse description of your hand.
- ♠ 10 6 ♥ A Q 8 7 5 ♦ J 6 ♣ A K 6 2
Partner opens 1 ♥ and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1 ♠.
Bid 2 ♠ showing the heart fit and at least 10 points. Yes, the same bid as the previous example. With this hand though, make sure your side gets to game later in the auction.
- ♠ 10 6 ♥ K J 8 7 ♦ J 6 2 ♣ J 8 4 3.
Partner opens 1 ♥ and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1 ♠.
Bid 3 ♥ showing a weak hand with four hearts.
- ♠ 10 6 ♥ K J 8 7 ♦ K 6 2 ♣ J 10 4 3.
Partner opens 1 ♥ and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1 ♠.
Bid 2 ♥ showing a plain vanilla heart fit. You might bid 3 ♥ later in the auction, showing the fourth heart and some useful side values.
QLR Plus Creates A One Round Force! Opener must ensure that responder has the opportunity to make another call. Opener rebids as if responder made a limit raise; with no game interest, opener just signs off in three of the suit. If responder has game-going values, responder must pick up the baton and carry on to game (or higher).
QLR Plus Can Ask For Stoppers! When we have a major suit fit, we don't investigate notrump contracts. But when we have a minor suit fit, the question "can we play in notrump" is always on the table; the cue bid implicitly asks about a stopper. If opener has a stopper in the opponents' suit, she should show it by rebidding notrump instead of rebidding the minor.
QLR Plus Works For Overcalls Too! If partner overcalls, your cue bid of the opponents' suit shows a fit for partner with a limit raise or better. Your jump raises are therefore weak, intended as preemptive. If partner overcalled on a bare minimum, she can sign off one level lower than if you had to give a jump raise to show a good hand. (Note: Partner should proceed with caution after your cue bid. You might have an awkward strong hand with no clear direction forward, the traditional use for a cue bid across from an overcall.)
QLR Plus is Safe and Easy to Use! Even your most inept partners will realize that you don't want to play in the opponents' suit.
QLR Plus Needs No Alerting! Cue bids do not require an Alert unless they carry a very unusual or unexpected meaning. The cue bid as a strong raise is the commonly expected meaning, so no Alert is due. However, you must give a full explanation if the opponents ask: the cue bid is a raise with at least game-invitational values, a jump raise is weak preemptive.
So, there you have it:
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-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)
