LHO Partner RHO You
1C 1H 1S
?
How many ways do you have to show support for partner's suit? You can get by with just the standard, point-showing raises you learned in bridge class -- 2H, 3H and 4H -- but most pairs in club and tournament events will have more options for describing their hands. The more ways you have to raise partner's suit, the easier it will be for him to make good decisions about the final contract – and in some auctions, the tougher it will be for the opponents to bid accurately.
The biggest improvement on standard responses is the use of cuebids and jumps to show specific types of raises. These are widely played agreements:
Cuebid of the opponent's suit (2C): This shows support and at least 10-11 points – a hand such as ♠A3 ♥Q105 ♦KJ97 ♣8764 . It promises at least 3-card support and limit-raise values, but keeps the auction low. With a minimum overcall, partner will retreat to 2H. With more, he can bid 4H or make a game-try bid.
Jump raise (3H): With the cuebid available to invite game, you don't need to jump to the 3-level to show a limit raise. This jump can be used as a preempt to describe a weak hand with extra playing strength – 4+ trumps and around 4-7 high-card points, usually with no ace or king outside your trump suit. It's a hand such as ♠82 ♥K965 ♦Q10964 ♣62.
This type of raise is most effective when you're not vulnerable. Vulnerable, you’ll want to have extra playing strength (a singleton and/or stronger trumps), not necessarily extra high-card points. Used wisely, these jumps get you to your “safe” level right away while giving partner an accurate picture of your support and lack of defensive strength.
The meanings of cuebids and jump raises also apply if partner is the opening bidder instead of the overcaller. After 1H by partner, 1S by your RHO, your cuebid of 2S shows heart support with invitational-or-better values (11 support points). A jump to 3H is the weak, preemptive raise. All other bids are natural.
If you’d like to add more types of supporting bids to your system, there are also a number of conventions that are worth considering. Here's are some popular options:
♦ The basics
This is a summary of standard meanings of advancer's bids, updated with modern uses for the cuebid and jump raise. These are so widely accepted that even without discussion, an experienced partner will assume these meanings.
LHO Partner RHO You (Advancer)
1C 1H DBL* ? * (Negative double, showing 4 spades)
Cuebid (2C) = Invitational or better raise. 11+ support points.
Single raise (2H) = 3+ trumps, 7-10 support points.
Jump raise (3H) = Preemptive. 4+ trumps, around 4-7 points, usually with no ace or king outside.
Jump to game (4H) = Usually 5+ trumps with distributional values and fewer than 9-10 points. Responder can show a strong high-card raise by starting with a cuebid of the opponent's suit (2C), then bidding game.
New suit (1S or 2D) = 5+ cards. Constructive but not forcing. Denies 3+ cards in partner's suit.
1NT = 8-11 points with stoppers in the opponents' suits (clubs and spades). Denies 3+ cards in partner's suit.
Redouble = Penalty-oriented. 12+ points, usually without support for partner's suit.
♦ Helpful additions
Mixed raise (3C in the auction above): This is an artificial jump in opener’s suit. It shows at least 4-card support for partner's suit and a hand that's stronger than a preempt but weaker than a limit raise. A typical mixed raise has around 7-9 high-card points and a trick or two outside trumps – a hand such as ♠984 ♥J1076 ♦AQ73 ♣72 . This jump cuebid has the same meaning if your RHO had passed or responded 1S or 1NT instead of making a negative double. If you have room to jump in opener's suit, it's a mixed raise.
More details about mixed raises are here.
Splinter raise
(3S,
4C or 4D in the auction above): This is a
double jump that shows a strong raise with 4+ trumps and shortness (singleton or
void) in the bid suit.
A jump to 4C in the above auction would show a hand such as ♠A843 ♥KJ97 ♦KQ103
♣3 . It won’t come up often, but it’s easy to remember and
provides a good description that could help you find a short-point slam.
More details about splinter raises are here.
Four-card cuebid raise: When the opponents have bid two suits, you can use the two available cuebids to distinguish between 3-card and 4-card support.
LHO Partner RHO You
1C 1H 1S ?
In this auction, a cuebid of their lower-ranking suit (2C) shows the 3-card limit raise. A cuebid of their higher-ranking suit (2S) shows the same strength with 4+ trumps -- a hand such as ♠A3 ♥K875 ♦K1094 ♣863 .
The 2S cuebid will force you to the 3-level, but you expect to be pushed there anyway when you have a 9-card fit. The advantages of the higher cuebid are that it immediately tells partner you have the values to compete to that level and it takes away opener's 2-level rebid.
♦ For practiced partnerships
Fit-showing jumps (2S or 3D in the auction above) show support for partner’s suit and a strong side suit. A jump to 3D would show a hand such as ♠K4 ♥K1076 ♦KQ1073 ♣72 . This can uncover double fits and help partner evaluate his hand.
Transfer advances (2C or 2D transfer to the next higher suit) create sequences that allow you to show length (5+ cards) in a new suit, then show different types of hands that also have support for partner's suit.
♦ General recommendations for raising partner's suit
When you have extra trumps (4 or more), try to bid the full value of your hand right away. Be careful, though, about relying too heavily on guidelines suggested by "The Law of Total Tricks". They may tell you that it's “safe" to raise to the level that equals the number of trumps your side holds, but you need to consider vulnerability, trump quality and other factors.
Don’t fall in love with balanced hands, even those with 4 or 5 trumps. Be conservative with weak hands that lack singletons or voids.
Stretch to raise in competition – and try not to hang partner when he makes a minimum raise of a suit you've bid.
If you have support for partner's suit, show it right away by raising to the appropriate level. Don't give the opponents extra room by bidding side suits or using conventional doubles or redoubles to show support.
© 2026 Karen Walker