<p>It's up to partnership agreement as always, but the most common agreement is that you always rebid 2C on 4=5=2=2 shape.  The reason for this agreement is that 2C is the cheapest bid, so it allows partner the most flexibility in continuations - in particular if partner has a weak hand with a 6 card minor they can get out in 2 of either minor.</p>
<p>In one partnership, I actually play that 2D always promises 4, so one would rebid 2C on 3=5=3=2 or even 4=5=3=1 shape.  (This is alertable.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-11T01:14:51.810Z
With a new partner I'd avoid the 2C rebid; but this auction should be the third one that you discuss with a new partner before pulling the first hand (after responses to 1NT and responses to 2C), for just this reason: knowing which rebid holds all the lies is important for partnership trust.
Forget I was ever here
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-11T02:28:24.280Z
@ForgetIwaseverhere: I consider rebidding 2C with 4=5=2=2 part of standard 2/1.
Alexander Woo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-11T16:14:28.950Z
Perhaps it's standardized to 2C in recent years, but the lie of 2H was more common than that of 2C where and when I was playing regularly. This can also be a regional issue, and one should be cogniscient of the local preferences.
Forget I was ever here
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-12T01:49:17.087Z
Note: since the new Alert Procedure removed the "no Flannery exception", 2C on 4=5=2=2 is also Alertable (in the ACBL).  I questioned it during the draft stage, and the removal was deliberate (in exchange for "forcing, could have 4 spades" for the Flannery pairs, I guess).  5 years in, I still forget.  And I bet 70% of the ACBL doesn't know.  Tom: agree, it's still "standard" to bid 2C.
Mycroft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-13T01:37:46.570Z
@ForgetIwaseverhere: I'm trying to minimize "mean squared error." A two card minor is "two thirds" of a three card minor, while I consider AKxxx a "5.5" card suit.
Tom Au
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-13T20:01:41.670Z
@TomAu I'm with you.  I think the rebid of 2H was the least lie / best choice.  Especially with a new partner.
jrw32982
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-10T08:55:51.247Z
2024-12-10T08:55:51.247Z
Alexander Woo
<p>New club, new partner, new game, with people I had met for the first time.</p>
<p>Neither vulnerable at matchpoints, I dealt and opened one heart with the following hand:
♠KT84 ♥AK984 ♦K9 ♣J3. Partner responded 1NT (forcing).</p>
<p>I rebid two hearts. Partner raised me to four with J5 of hearts and 9 high card points, which we made, but probably through a misplay on an opponent's part.</p>
<p>One of my opponents accused me of &quot;lying&quot; about a six card suit with my rebid and asked, &quot;What about your three card minor?&quot;. When I said, &quot;I had 4-5-2-2,&quot; partner said, &quot;I would have bitten the bullet and bid a two card minor.&quot; Everyone agreed that the third theoretical possibility, a &quot;reverse&quot; to two spades was &quot;out.&quot;</p>
<p>Is two hearts in fact the smallest lie? My suit was led by AK, and I had 14 high card points. Technically, a hand like ♠AJ8 ♥K98642 ♦K9 ♣J3 would fit my bidding better, but perhaps not be as playable. I thought partner's raise was aggressive, it was &quot;successful,&quot; and partner got us top scores with several more similarly &quot;stretchy&quot; bids.</p>

<bidding><duplicate-bridge>
Did I tell the smallest "lie" with my rebid?
Tom Au
# Did I tell the smallest "lie" with my rebid?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-10)

New club, new partner, new game, with people I had met for the first time.

Neither vulnerable at matchpoints, I dealt and opened one heart with the following hand:
♠KT84 ♥AK984 ♦K9 ♣J3. Partner responded 1NT (forcing).

I rebid two hearts. Partner raised me to four with J5 of hearts and 9 high card points, which we made, but probably through a misplay on an opponent's part.

One of my opponents accused me of "lying" about a six card suit with my rebid and asked, "What about your three card minor?". When I said, "I had 4-5-2-2," partner said, "I would have bitten the bullet and bid a two card minor." Everyone agreed that the third theoretical possibility, a "reverse" to two spades was "out."

Is two hearts in fact the smallest lie? My suit was led by AK, and I had 14 high card points. Technically, a hand like ♠AJ8 ♥K98642 ♦K9 ♣J3 would fit my bidding better, but perhaps not be as playable. I thought partner's raise was aggressive, it was "successful," and partner got us top scores with several more similarly "stretchy" bids.

**Tags:** bidding, duplicate-bridge


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-12-10. Score: 2

It's up to partnership agreement as always, but the most common agreement is that you always rebid 2C on 4=5=2=2 shape. The reason for this agreement is that 2C is the cheapest bid, so it allows partner the most flexibility in continuations - in particular if partner has a weak hand with a 6 card minor they can get out in 2 of either minor.

In one partnership, I actually play that 2D always promises 4, so one would rebid 2C on 3=5=3=2 or even 4=5=3=1 shape. (This is alertable.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: With a new partner I'd avoid the 2C rebid; but this auction should be the third one that you discuss with a new partner before pulling the first hand (after responses to 1NT and responses to 2C), for just this reason: knowing which rebid holds all the lies is important for partnership trust.  
> **username_1**: @ForgetIwaseverhere: I consider rebidding 2C with 4=5=2=2 part of standard 2/1.  
> **username_2**: Perhaps it's standardized to 2C in recent years, but the lie of 2H was more common than that of 2C where and when I was playing regularly. This can also be a regional issue, and one should be cogniscient of the local preferences.  
> **username_3**: Note: since the new Alert Procedure removed the "no Flannery exception", 2C on 4=5=2=2 is also Alertable (in the ACBL).  I questioned it during the draft stage, and the removal was deliberate (in exchange for "forcing, could have 4 spades" for the Flannery pairs, I guess).  5 years in, I still forget.  And I bet 70% of the ACBL doesn't know.  Tom: agree, it's still "standard" to bid 2C.  
> **username_0**: @ForgetIwaseverhere: I'm trying to minimize "mean squared error." A two card minor is "two thirds" of a three card minor, while I consider AKxxx a "5.5" card suit.  
> **username_4**: @TomAu I'm with you.  I think the rebid of 2H was the least lie / best choice.  Especially with a new partner.  

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