Your partner opens the bidding one diamond in 3rd seat. RHO passes. What do you do with this hand?
Before you answer, tell me the minimum number of hearts that are held by the opponents. If you answered nine hearts minimum, good for you. You’ve used the following clues:
- Partner has at most four hearts (partner would have opened one heart with five).
- You are void.
- 13 hearts minus the maximum of four hearts on your side leaves the opponents with a minimum of nine hearts on their side.
Do you think it would be a good idea to impede their ability to find their heart fit?
You can do this is with a preemptive raise to three diamonds. 90 percent of the time your partner will have opened with four or more diamonds. This jump raise is known as an “inverted minor raise.” On your convention card you and parter agree to switch the meanings of the simple raise and the jump raise. By making the jump (rather than the single) raise, opponents will be hard pressed to find their heart fit at the three level.
Here is what your convention card looks like when you and partner agree to play inverted minors:
Note that the double raise is weak and alertable. Also, the alertable single raise shows 10+HCP and no four card major.
Usually the double raise promises at least 5-card support for the opened minor, so it’s a bit riskier if you do it with only four. When the suit is diamonds you will end up with having an 8-card fit or better 90 percent of the time. I would roll the dice on this example and jump to three diamonds.