Bergen Raises: Four-Card Major Raises at the Three Level

Bergen raises are artificial responses to a 1♥ or 1♠ opening that show four-card support: 3♣ shows a constructive raise of about 7-10 points, 3♦ a limit raise of about 10-12, and a jump to three of the major a weak, preemptive raise. With only three trumps, responder raises normally.

Marty Bergen built them on one idea: with nine trumps between you, you can safely bid to the three level at once, and doing so makes life hard for the opponents. Bergen raises are played in five-card major bidding systems such as 2/1 Game Force and SAYC. They do not fit well with four-card major systems such as traditional Acol.

After partner opens 1♥ or 1♠, responder with support has a full ladder of raises:

The 3♣ and 3♦ bids say nothing about clubs or diamonds. They are alerted, and opener must not pass them. You can see what 3♣ means in every system: only some pairs play it as Bergen.

The exact ranges vary a little between books and partnerships: 7-9 or 7-10 for 3♣, and 10-12 for 3♦. The single raise is reserved for three-card support, so opener always knows how many trumps the partnership holds.

The Law of Total Tricks says, roughly, that the total number of tricks available on a deal equals the total number of trumps the two sides hold in their best fits. The practical rule it leads to: with nine trumps, you are safe at the three level.

Opener's five plus responder's four is nine trumps, so responder can bid to the three level at once, whatever his strength. That has two effects:

• It takes space from the opponents. If they have a fit in another suit, they now have to enter at the three or four level, which is far riskier than a cheap two-level overcall.
• It tells partner the trump count. Opener knows about nine trumps, so he can judge shape and fit precisely.

The weakest hands use the preemptive jump to three of the major. The constructive and limit hands use 3♣ and 3♦, so opener can tell the strength and still stop at the three level.

After 3♣ (constructive, 7-10):

• 3 of the major with a minimum: sign-off. Responder passes.
• 4 of the major with enough for game.
• 3♦, or another bid between 3♣ and three of the major, is a game try. Many pairs treat it as a help-suit try: "I need help in this suit". Responder bids game with a maximum or a good holding there, otherwise signs off.

After 3♦ (limit, 10-12):

• 3 of the major with a minimum: sign-off.
• 4 of the major with a normal opening plus a little extra.
• A new suit can be a slam try or a cue bid.

After 3 of the major (preemptive): opener usually passes. With a big hand he can bid game, and the opponents now have to guess.

Opener counts the fit when he decides. Nine trumps plus a singleton or a good side suit can make game on fewer points.

You are South and open 1♠ with ♠AKJ63, ♥Q84, ♦A7, ♣932: 14 HCP. Partner bids 3♣, a constructive raise with four spades and about 7-10 points.

Your side has 21-24 points and nine trumps. You have a minimum, three small clubs and a soft ♥Q. Game needs partner's maximum and some luck, so you sign off in 3♠.

3♠ makes exactly nine tricks: declarer loses two hearts, one diamond and one club. 4♠ would go down one. Look at East-West too. They have a diamond fit and a club fit, and they can take eight tricks in either. After 1♠ - Pass - 2♠ they might well compete at the two or three level. After 1♠ - Pass - 3♣, East or West would have to come in at the three level or higher, and the opponents' partscore usually goes missing.

• Reverse Bergen swaps the two minor-suit bids: 3♣ = limit raise (10-12) and 3♦ = constructive (7-10). The reason is room. After a 3♣ limit raise, opener has 3♦ available as a slam try or a game try before three of the major, which is useful with the stronger hand. Both versions are common, so check the convention card.
• Bergen with a singleton ask: some pairs use 1♥ - 3♠ or 1♠ - 3♥ to show a game-forcing or limit raise with an unknown singleton. Opener asks with the next step.
• Passed hand: many partnerships turn Bergen off after responder has passed, and use Drury instead.
• In competition: after an overcall, Bergen is usually off. A cue bid of the opponents' suit shows a limit raise or better, and a jump raise stays preemptive. After a takeout double, some pairs keep Bergen on, others play 2NT as a limit raise or better (Jordan or Truscott). Agree which.
• Bergen points: Bergen also wrote about adjusting HCP for shape and quality. That is a separate topic; see Bergen points.

1. Bergen with three trumps. The whole structure depends on nine trumps. With three, raise to two or use a three-card limit raise sequence.
2. Opener passing 3♣ or 3♦. These are artificial. Passing leaves you in a minor with perhaps a doubleton.
3. Mixing up the two versions. Standard Bergen: 3♣ constructive, 3♦ limit. Reverse Bergen: the opposite. Write it down.
4. Preempting with a good hand. The jump to three of the major is weak. With 7 or more dummy points, use 3♣.
5. Using Bergen after interference without agreement. Most pairs switch it off once an opponent overcalls.
6. Forgetting dummy points. Count shortness when you choose your raise: a singleton with four trumps adds about 3 points. See limit raises for the counting method.

Raises are the most common bidding decision in bridge, and they repay practice. In the BridgeDummy Bidding Room you bid random deals with EPBot robots and see the full layout after each board, so you can check whether your nine-card fit belonged at the three level. Our bidding puzzles score raise-or-pass decisions over hundreds of deals that fit the auction.

• Limit raises: the traditional invitational raise and dummy points.
• Law of Total Tricks: why nine trumps belong at the three level.
• Jacoby 2NT: the game-forcing four-card raise.
• Splinter bids: raises that show shortness.