REGULAR & "REVERSE" DRURY

(Responding to 3rd and 4th Seat openers...Limit raises by a passed hand..(No Interference)

Let’s suppose the bidding has been...P...P...1H...?  Now how do you show your partner you have a "Limit" raise for their major suit if you have already passed?

A convention called   “Drury” was designed to cover just this situation.

The responder, with a limit raise for opener's suit bids 2C to ask partner if they have a full opener... the opener bids 2D to say no, I did not start with a full opening hand and 2 of their suit to say yes!  This is designed to help the responder decide if there is a game.

Using regular Drury is a great improvement over trying to show partner a limit raise pts by making a jump raise...however the responder is still on somewhat of a guess as to which course of action to take...?  Furthermore, regular Drury doesn't fit in  with the style of fast arrival...Over the 2D negative response, the opponents can still get their two cents worth in...
 

"REVERSE" &  (REVERSE 2-WAY) DRURY offers the best of both worlds...it shows the points...and the number of trumps held by the responder..Remember...9-card fits require 2-4 less pts for game than an 8-card fit!  Instead of 26..often  only 22 will suffice.

1H...1S=Natural (Non-forcing)

     *1N=Should be alerted as "1 NT Forcing" convention..*Note however, Partner is on a passed hand and can not actually force

     *2C="Reverse Drury"=shows  xxx & 11-12...Limit

     *2D="Reverse Drury"=shows xxxx & 11-12...Limit

By partnership agreement a jump to 2NT or 2 of the other major...(by the passed hand) after a 3rd seat opener...could show 4-card support and a... x or 0 somewhere...

1H...2S(or 2N)...

1S....2N(or 3H) ="Limit raise" values...4 card support and x or 0 somewhere...if partner is on mini they can return to suit at the 3                                                                                                                                                                                                 level...the hand should still make...

Still adhering to the principal of fast arrival...the opener rebids their suit immediately to show no interest in game.

Responding to 3rd and 4th Seat opener’s...Limit raises  (and othe fit-showing bids) by a passed hand...(With interference)

1H...(1S)...2S=A cue bid shows a limit raise or better...Obviously  (since responder  didn’t open) this is not the or better...just a plain limit raise...Do with it what you will partner...

Just in case you are uncomfortable with a cue bid in this situation, especially when your limit raise is a questionable one...by partnership agreement whenever you are on a passed hand you could make your simple raise constructive...8-9 and save your cue bid for 10-11.