Minorwood

http://www.wednesdaygame.com/threadfiles/bid/8.RKCBMinorSuits.htm

http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/minorwood_convention.html

http://bridgetips.wordpress.com/useful-bridge-conventions/minorwood-keycard-gerber/

If we are already in a game-forcing auction,

And, we have not agreed another suit,

And, the minor has already been bid naturally twice,

Then, the third bid of the minor (at the 4-level) is Minorwood.

The second case is Jump Minorwood, and it works like this:

If we are in a constructive auction (as in at least invitational to game),

And, we have not agreed another suit,

And, I have yet to limit my hand,

Then, a jump to 4 of a minor is Minorwood, if one of these conditions applies:

Either, your last bid suit was the minor

Or, my first bid was a minor.

This may sound complicated, but the rules are really just plain common-sense, as hopefully will become apparent with these examples. We’ll start with some auctions which are not Minorwood:

(A) 1♦ 4♦ (B) 1♣ 1♦ (C) 1♣ 1♠ (D) 1♣ 1♠

2♦ 4♦ 4♣ 2♠ 4♣

(A) This is not Minorwood because 1 did not create an invitational auction … so, without other prior agreements, 4 is simply preemptive … lots of Diamonds and out.

(B) Same story … 2 does not elevate the auction to “invitational to game” status, so 4 is not Minorwood … we don’t suppose that we’ll ever use this bid in our lifetime, so we won’t even waste your time offering a meaning. And, if after 2 you really do have an RKCB type of hand? No problem … bid 2 of a major, just to keep things moving along, and then bid 4.

(C) Again, 1 did not invite us to game, so 4 is not Minorwood. Then, what is it? We suggest that it is a Spade raise … with solid Clubs.

(D) This is not Minorwood because we have agreed Spades. It’s a Splinter.

Bothwood

Yes, as the name suggests, we actually advocate both Minorwood and Redwood. This is what we suggest:

- First option is to follow the Minorwood rules whenever they apply

- If Minorwood is operational, then the would-be Redwood bid is either a cue-bid or (if a jump) a

Splinter

- If Minorwood is not operational on a particular sequence, then revert to Redwood

- If that doesn’t work (presumably because no fit and/or force have been established), then a jump to

4NT will usually be interpreted as RKCB.

- Finally, if you had a Minorwood or Redwood bid at your disposal, then bidding is natural (and,

usually, invitational to slam)