Bergen - Part 2

Bergen Raises – Finer Points

Follow-Up

After a Bergen Raise of 3♣ or 3♦, a 3-level bid below 3 of the agreed major (such as 1♠ 3♦, 3♥) is a game try, asking Partner if he is at the top of his bid. Non-game bids above 3 of the major are slam tries, of course.

By a Passed Hand

Because of the tendency of many players to open light in 3^rd seat, most partnerships nowadays use some version of Drury, a convention which uses 2♣ (and sometimes 2♦ also) as a device for checking the soundness of that 3^rd seat opening. Therefore, it’s customary not to use Bergen Raises by a passed hand, instead a direct raise or a Drury raise is used.

In Competition

Suppose that Partner opens 1♥ and RHO overcalls 1♠. Are Bergen Raises still on? We don’t see any reason why they should not be, but whether you play them as on or off in this situation, make sure that Partner is playing it the same way. Similarly, if RHO doubles.

Defense to Bergen

LHO Pard RHO You

1♥ Pass 3♣ Dbl

What does Double show here? There are two obvious treatments, both of them eminently reasonable:

Double is Lead-Directing: Based on probabilities, this is more likely to come up in actual

play.

Double is Take-Out: Less likely to come up (especially against a Bergen Limit Raise), but useful

when it does … it’s a “free” Double in the sense that it does not commit our side to playing in a

contract (the opponents cannot punish an ill-timed Double unless they are also prepared to play

in 3♣ or 3♦ doubled).

Our own preference is to use the Double as lead-directing, just based on frequency considerations. When we have a hand that would like to make a take-out Double, we must pass and then, if the auction has not got above our level of comfort, we Double next time around.

LHO Pard RHO You

1♥ Pass 3♣ 3♥

What does that 3♥ cue-bid show? We’d suggest that it asks Partner to bid 3NT if he has a Heart stopper … the bid would normally be based on a source of tricks, presumably a running minor suit.