Reverse Drury: Opener's Rebids After a Passed-Hand 2♣

Reverse Drury is the modern form of the Drury convention: a passed hand's 2♣ response to a third-seat or fourth-seat 1♥ or 1♠ opening shows support and 10-12 points, and opener rebids two of his major with a light opening or 2♦ with a full one. The light rebid is the contract; the 2♦ rebid is artificial and invites responder to say more.

It is called "reverse" because original Drury used 2♦ for the weak rebid. Reverse Drury is now the default version in 2/1 Game Force, and it is the version most club players mean when they say "Drury".

The setting is always the same:

• Responder has already passed.
• Partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth seat, where openings are often light.
• Responder holds support (three or more trumps in most partnerships) and limit-raise values, about 10-12 dummy points.

Responder bids 2♣, artificial and alertable (see what a passed hand's 2♣ means in every system). Opener now has two jobs: say whether his opening is light or full value, and, with a full opening, look for game. The design keeps the sign-off as cheap as possible: two of the major, played by opener.

The two key bids are the first two rows. Many partnerships play only those plus the jump to game, which is enough for most hands.

What counts as "light"? A third-seat opening on 10 or 11 HCP with a good suit, or a minimum 12 with no shape. A full opening is the normal 12-14 or more with real values. When opener has a big hand, about 15 or more, he usually knows game is right opposite 10-12 and bids it directly.

After opener's 2♦, it is responder's turn to judge. His Drury range is about 10-12 dummy points, and he splits it in two:

• Minimum (about 10, or a flat 11 with soft values): sign off in two of the major. Opener may pass or make one more try.
• Maximum (a good 11 or 12, or real shape): bid game, or in some partnerships make a game try such as three of the major.

How to judge it: count dummy points honestly. A 4-3-3-3 hand made of queens and jacks is a minimum even with 11 HCP. A 10-count with four trumps, a doubleton and a five-card side suit is a maximum. Shortness matters more here than in most raises, because the trump fit is known.

Responder must never bid past two of the major after opener's light rebid. The whole point of Reverse Drury is that opener has already said no.

Two-way Drury uses both minor-suit bids:

• 2♣ shows three-card support and limit-raise values.
• 2♦ shows four-card support and limit-raise values.

Opener's light rebid is still two of the major. Any other bid shows a full opening and invites more description. The extra trump knowledge helps opener a lot: opposite four trumps (a nine-card fit) he can bid game on less, and opposite three he needs more.

The cost is that 2♦ is no longer available as a natural response by a passed hand. Most pairs who play two-way Drury happily give that up.

You are South and pass as dealer with ♠K94, ♥Q852, ♦KJ6, ♣Q73: 11 HCP, flat. Partner opens 1♠ in third seat and you bid 2♣. Partner rebids 2♦: a full opening with game interest. Now you judge. Your hand is 4-3-3-3 in shape with queens and a soft ♦KJ, so you call it a minimum and sign off in 2♠. Partner, with a decent 14 but nothing extra, passes.

2♠ makes nine tricks, and so would 3♠, but 4♠ goes one down. Look at why: South's ♦KJ6 sits opposite North's singleton diamond, so those 4 HCP are almost worthless. Neither player could see that, but both judged the hand correctly. North showed his full opening, South showed his minimum, and they stopped at the right level.

Now change South's hand to ♠K842, ♥72, ♦A9763, ♣K8: 10 HCP, but four trumps, a doubleton and a five-card side suit. Over 2♦, that is a maximum, and South bids 4♠.

After a takeout double of the opening, most pairs keep Drury on: 1♠ - (X) - 2♣ is still a limit raise. A redouble shows about 10+ points without a fit.

After an overcall, Drury is off in most partnerships. A cue bid of the opponents' suit shows a limit raise or better, and a jump raise is weak.

If the opponents bid over 2♣, opener cannot use the artificial 2♦, so he bids naturally. A simple style: two of the major (if still available) or three of the major is competitive, four is to play, and double is for penalty.

Common mistakes:

1. Mixing up the rebids. In Reverse Drury, two of the major is the weak rebid. Players who learned original Drury sometimes reverse it at the table.
2. Responder bidding on after the light rebid. Opener has said "no". Pass.
3. Opener passing 2♣. It is artificial. Responder may have two small clubs.
4. Opener bidding 2♦ with a big hand. With 15+ opposite 10-12, bid game yourself.
5. Ignoring shape when judging minimum or maximum. Count dummy points, not just HCP.
6. Using Reverse Drury by an unpassed hand. It applies only after responder has passed.

Passed-hand raises are a small part of bidding, but they decide many partscore and game swings. In the BridgeDummy Bidding Room you bid random deals with EPBot robots in 2/1 Game Force, SAYC and other systems, and you see all four hands after the board, so you can check whether your minimum or maximum judgment was right. For close game decisions, our free double dummy analyzer shows how many tricks the deal really takes.

• Drury convention: the history and the basic idea.
• Limit raises: dummy points and the unpassed-hand raise.
• Help suit game tries: how opener invites game after a raise.