Bergen Raises — BidMaestro

Showing the nine-card fit

When responder holds four-card support for partner’s major, the most useful thing to show is that the partnership has at least a nine-card fit. A Bergen raise shows that and the strength in one jump.

The three jumps

1M – 3♣: Shows a constructive raise, about 7–9 support points, with four trumps.
1M – 3♦: Shows a limit raise, about 10–12 support points, with four trumps.
1M – three of the major: Shows a pre-emptive hand, about 2–6 support points, with four trumps.

Support points are high cards plus a little for short suits, which start to earn once a trump fit is known. With four trumps a singleton is worth 3 and a doubleton 1, so a hand of 8 high-card points with a singleton is a 10–12 raise, not a 7–9 one.

Why show the fit immediately

Knowing there are nine trumps between the hands guides opener’s decisions (when to compete, when to bid game, when to try for slam), because a nine-card fit plays better than an eight-card one.

Opener’s decision

With the nine-card fit and responder’s strength both on the table, opener takes charge. Over the constructive 3♣ or the limit 3♦ opener chooses among three actions:

Game in the major: Enough extra strength to want game facing the raise: about 14 opposite the limit raise, about 16 opposite the constructive one.
A new suit below three of the major: A help-suit game try, on the two points just short of that: “I am in between. If your high cards sit well with this suit, bid game; otherwise stop.”
Three of the major: Less than that (below 14 opposite the limit raise, below 16 opposite the constructive one): sign off.

Responder answers the help-suit try by checking for help in the named suit. With useful help there, or the top of the 7–9 or 10–12 raise already shown, responder bids game; otherwise responder passes at three of the major.

When it is off

Bergen raises are switched off when responder is a passed hand, or when the opponents have doubled or overcalled. In those auctions the jumps are needed for other purposes, such as Jordan 2NT over a double and cue-bids over an overcall, so natural raises are used instead.

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