The almost 5card majors bidding style allows opener to rebid a 3 card minor at the 2 level to

The almost 5card majors bidding style allows opener to rebid a significant 3 card minor at the 2 level to confirm a 5 card major opening and to show 14 or more points. So for major openings responder has to tread carefully if the depth of the second suit is important.

FSF is one mechanism to explore opener’s 2^nd suit motivation.

Opener will complete the description by rebidding the 2^nd suit showing 65/55 or rebid the 1^st suit showing a real 64. Support of responder’s suit (3minimum) suggests a contrived 2^nd suit and 2n/3n (nothing to declare) suggests the baseline of 54 or 44.

If responder has made a jump shift to impose another suit, the ‘lazy’ dscription is jump take out. But it also could be an advanced cue or a generalised strong responsive hand and opener’s suit is later re-affirmed. Opener should only bid a serious second suit with length 5+ and KJ minimum implying 65 or bid a suit with double guard content(which may be short. Otherwise rebid with 6 or 3nt. If four suits are bid the 4^th suit is could be at the game level. This isn’t to play !!! nor is it FSF!!!. Style dictates it is ACE enquiry of the the suit above.

At the other side of the scales opener forces with a jump rebid in another suit(a jump shift) . Jump rebids are either an advanced cue (suggesting responder’s suit but not always), a crude force with a strong hand or a strongish distributional two suited hand In all case you will not know until additional bids are made.

Opener could be 5440 4441 6430 6421 etc. maximum 22pts not qualifying for a 2 benji strong two or opener could be a highly distributional two suited hand outside the LTC reliability zone. You have just struck the 2^nd suit mother load. The AFC style can use the jump shift as an advanced JS cue bid (Ace not Void).

Use the FSF in a weak sense expecting a rebid of the 2^nd suit or some support of your suit. If the 1^st suit is rebid consider it to be a minor setsuit just below 2D benji opening. If it looks good start cue bidding or 4n RCKB with the last true suit bid as reference.

The same principles apply to the minor advanced cue although opener sitting on a matching 5 major 2^nd suit implies 6 minor.

The remaining set is classic FSF. The major rebid must be real in AFC but not so the minor as above

One member of the partnership has to make move toward the contract and if the direction is not obvious then the classic FSF is used: Opener is solicited to complete an acol style 3step description or show doublet honours (T3) in either short suit. NTs signifies nothing more.

FSF AFTER FIT

ACOL style suit order for opener is longest first subject to rebid contingency whereupon higher ranking first is the normal option. The discovery of a 5suit is considered significant because trumps53 is perceived as better than trumps44. The 53 has the potential of 2 more tricks but on the dark side it may expose you to 2 side losers once the 3side trumps are gone. The acol responder is tied to same principles. The AFC responder is more relaxed about the relative lengths implied by the bid order of his major suits. The style is more natural for responder where major 4suits are involved and the auction is at the 1 level: Moreover a good 4suit in hearts is bid ahead a poor 5suit in spades. The broad thinking is that opener will call a deferred 4suit spade over a heart response. However if responders spades are the better featured suit (and length is a feature) then bid a spade. Responder is also obliged to show a 4major at the 1level ahead of 5minor barring a contra-indication to do so. Other suit combinations revert to acol protocols.

Sometimes you pick the wrong major horse. Consider this bidding with classic acol protocols:

1c(4243)		1s	Dbl
2h	3d	Dbl
3s

Responder has spades and possibly hearts. After the takeout/negative dbl, opener with 4xh and 3xs bids his hearts, because he might have opened hearts had afc restrictions not directed a minor opening but more so because he is hoping responder may be able to agree the hearts. After the interference(3d) opener cannot demand that his partner sans hearts but with 5suit spades 11pt corrects to 3s as though he had a 6suit. (you could make opener’s 2h promise 3spades!). Responder dbls. Opener must bid and stabs at 3s. There is poor responder with 5diamonds and 4spades. All of this could be avoided if opener gives up on hearts and bids 2s (3suit) after the takeout dbl, albeit semi-defensively. If responder rebids 3s over 3d he should have the 5suit.

Opener needs the edge on hearts from the off. Responder with both majors should consider bidding hearts ahead of the spades

1c(4243)		1h
2h		2s!

unless the spades are a 5suit and can be relied on. The double may not now happen and responder gets a heart raise. Beware this raise is more a test than support: A test that your hearts are not just 4 to 10 with 6pts. If good enough, go to 3 hearts or pass or show the spades(ambiguous) or make a limit bid 2n(preferred unless slam seeking). The theory is that in nts a hidden 5 3 fit, in this case spades, alongside the weak heart suit fit might play very nicely in no trumps if opponents attack the unbid major. If spades are responders first bid then there is a presumption (that might be wrong) that there can be no heart suit in responders holding. The weak hearts might be attacked before necessary tricks are established however clubs are likely now to get a bashing.

This spade bid in modern acol is very dependent on apriori and possibly alertable understanding:

A bid to show distribution as though opener has just rebid his suit and responder reverses

A natural inspirational shift as a suit to play (NIS)

An alerted artifice (nothing to do with spades) to create the provenance for a strong slamworthy hand (may be embryonic AdvCue or Strong Relay – 3Sjump would be an AdvCue)

A suited artifice with the same meaning

A guard ask A guard tell

A long suit (4 is long here) trial, bid game with values in the suit

A short suit trial (singleton Ax etc)

AFC ducks the ambiguity by assuming it is a suited relay, reverse or otherwise. It asks opener to bid as though you had responded 1spade and not 1heart or vice versa. This covers everything:

If he would have forced he forces now with FSF. If he would have bid his diamonds do so. If he would have reversed into hearts then rebid. If he would have bid 2S (as a 1444) bid so now. If he would have passed, pass now. As a suited artifice it works most of the time by keeping the bidding ticking over.

				2n
1d	1h	2h	2s	3c
				3d
				2h
				3s

The 3c FSF solicits that the responders distribution description is completed or a feature declared or anything new or retire to 3n. A major rebid by responder confirms a 5suit but after a 1 level response and a post fit suited relay be cautious with any length implication relative to the other major.

WHEN A NT ‘LIMIT’ BID IS INVOLVED

As limiting fourth bids the 1n or 2n are convenience bids and if the guards are not in place declarer can usually limp home. If raised to game there is an “at your peril” quality and the big hand is on the table. A common method (but not us) is to play the 4^th as a 0.5 or 1.0 guard DAB. NTs is then confirmation that the 4^th is secure. With the sequence set below responder may be 7pts with a suit and grateful the bidding is at the 1 level with 1nt. Responder is unlikely to be able to secure anything. So AFC opener’s FSF is desperate preference plea or a BIG hand alert.

It should become apparent. 2nt is still nothing to declare.

Where 2n is the minimum level and opener has not test raised responders major consider the 2n as only a proposal, solid guards are not promised, there is a run for home style via a 5 suit especially if that is a minor, but there should be 3 cards in the unbid suit if sans some T3 honours.

The 2nts can bury all sorts of responder distributions, responder could be a rubbish 5 major or a suppressed rubbish 4^th suit or doublet guards in the 4^th suit or doublet honours in openers 1^st suit. At the simplest level opener, with 17pts and good 3majors, wants to checkout non NTs without risking a pass. With FSF responder has to declare something or bid 3n.

The trickiest FSF is 3s (the first example) and responder has something like CKx Dxxxx H98765 SAK: The cheap responder exit of 3nt looks vulnerable to spades so rebid hearts, if you don’t you could end in 5d and that will go hrt lead hrt ace hrt return ruff.

OPENER TABLES 15PTS

ACOL styles vary as AFC demonstrates. Standard ACOL has that the longer suit is bid first and touching suits of equal length should be bid higher ranking first. Opener can deviate from the rule if he might become stuck for a sensible rebid but opener is obliged to have a second bid if responder does not make a limit bid (nts) although may bail out if the auction is contested. A slightly stronger hand is necessary with a reverse of touching suit order to accommodate partner making a minimum preference bid back to the first suit at the next level but he can still pass the second suit. Suits should not be bid in the wrong order just to show strength. Reversing values are also associated to sequences such as

and are coined a pseudo reverse.

3 suits at the 1level do not constitute a reverse.

The reverse BY RESPONDER is slightly different: it requires that there has been a minimum rebid of openers suit (normally a limited hand) or an NT limit bid otherwise it will be the F suit. The reverse by responder is pushing the auction onwards on purpose because opener has declared limited.

The ACF Opener as with standard acol - weak nt shows 15/16 with minimum nt rebid. Opener with a poor major sometimes bends the AFC rules and keeps it quiet by going minor plus nt. A two suited strongish responder can then often reference both his suits. Major suit reverses by responder are more common with AFC because the emphasis is to respond hearts first or risk suppressing them. The suit length implications are relaxed for majors, but not absent, and the strength requirement remains. Opener however is bound to acol suit order if not in conflict with AFC rules. Opener may elect not show his rubbish 4major because he is are not prepared to reverse or pseudo reverse and often fudges a NT rebid especially with a bare 15.

Usually responder's major is preferentially bid and the second suit real but flags up a fourth suit wilderness. If opener has it covered 3nts looks good especially if he can patch up the second suit with key cards. So why would opener decide instead bid the 4th suit. Opener has two scales of evaluation, HCP and LTC. The 15pt 1N rebid typically translates between a 7 or 6 loser if there is a fit in prospect. The FSF declares a prospect of 5.5 loser and is a relay asking responder to show serious distribution. Opener passes a NT reply(no serious distribution) or responder below the 3n level runs for cover(no serious distribution) in openers possible five minor by showing an honour doublet feature in support which opener may consider be enough for 3nt.

Where responder jumps in the second suit over 1nt we assign the motivation to strength. FSF is useful when there is no 4^th suit hole and there is an interest (without commitment) in the jump shift second suit. Opener has a reasonable doubt that the suit may not be real. If after the FSF responder now bids opener’s suit rather than his own, it is assumed the jump suit is real and if opener matches because has been hiding a crap 4major, bid it.

The final series shows a opener having got his 17/18 pts on the table looking at two responder suits the fsf is simply expressing tolerance. Opener 4N Blackwood is typeset as Roman Keycard (last suit) if FSF could have been used. After FSF responder Blackwood is standard.

1c	1d	1n	3h	3s	1c	1d	2n	3h	3s
1c	1d	1n	3s	4h	1c	1d	2n	3s	4h
1c	1h	1n	3d	3s	1c	1h	2n	3d	3s
1c	1h	1n	3s	4d	1c	1h	2n	3s	4d
1c	1s	1n	3d	3h	1c	1s	2n	3d	3h
1c	1s	1n	3h	4d	1c	1s	2n	3h	4d
1d	1h	1n	3s	4c	1d	1h	2n	3s	4c
1d	1h	1n	3c	3s	1d	1h	2n	3c	3s
1d	1s	1n	3c	3h	1d	1s	2n	3c	3h
1d	1s	1n	3h	4c	1d	1s	2n	3h	4c
1h	1s	1n	3c	3d	1h	1s	2n	3c	3d
1h	1s	1n	3d	4c	1h	1s	2n	3d	4c

SUMMARY

FSF can be
	A BIG hand warning force.
	A weak non specific DAB force
	A significant strength change from NT to a suited fit
FSF solicits
	A complete description
	An extra length feature
	An extra strength feature (solid 5suit or 6suit
	A short feature supporting partners suit
	A short feature anyway (doublet honours, Ax,A NOT VOIDS
	The nothing else to say response is NTs (as such it might be alertable)
FSF does not solicit
	Rebids of 5suits already implied to be 5suit unless you are showing 6suit unless solid.
FSF may arise because
	The suit order of dual major responder is relaxed
	The suited relay after lo-level raise sometimes precedes an FSF
FSF NT negative
	restricts DAB type calls to situations where the opposition have bid the DAB suit if no prior agreement in place because NTs is affirmative with DABs.

1c	1d	1n	3h	3s	1c	1d	2n	3h	3s
1c	1d	1n	3s	4h	1c	1d	2n	3s	4h
1c	1h	1n	3d	3s	1c	1h	2n	3d	3s
1c	1h	1n	3s	4d	1c	1h	2n	3s	4d
1c	1s	1n	3d	3h	1c	1s	2n	3d	3h
1c	1s	1n	3h	4d	1c	1s	2n	3h	4d
1d	1h	1n	3s	4c	1d	1h	2n	3s	4c
1d	1h	1n	3c	3s	1d	1h	2n	3c	3s
1d	1s	1n	3c	3h	1d	1s	2n	3c	3h
1d	1s	1n	3h	4c	1d	1s	2n	3h	4c
1h	1s	1n	3c	3d	1h	1s	2n	3c	3d
1h	1s	1n	3d	4c	1h	1s	2n	3d	4c

1c	1d	1n	3h	3s	1c	1d	2n	3h	3s
1c	1d	1n	3s	4h	1c	1d	2n	3s	4h
1c	1h	1n	3d	3s	1c	1h	2n	3d	3s
1c	1h	1n	3s	4d	1c	1h	2n	3s	4d
1c	1s	1n	3d	3h	1c	1s	2n	3d	3h
1c	1s	1n	3h	4d	1c	1s	2n	3h	4d
1d	1h	1n	3s	4c	1d	1h	2n	3s	4c
1d	1h	1n	3c	3s	1d	1h	2n	3c	3s
1d	1s	1n	3c	3h	1d	1s	2n	3c	3h
1d	1s	1n	3h	4c	1d	1s	2n	3h	4c
1h	1s	1n	3c	3d	1h	1s	2n	3c	3d
1h	1s	1n	3d	4c	1h	1s	2n	3d	4c

1c	1d	1n	3h	3s	1c	1d	2n	3h	3s
1c	1d	1n	3s	4h	1c	1d	2n	3s	4h
1c	1h	1n	3d	3s	1c	1h	2n	3d	3s
1c	1h	1n	3s	4d	1c	1h	2n	3s	4d
1c	1s	1n	3d	3h	1c	1s	2n	3d	3h
1c	1s	1n	3h	4d	1c	1s	2n	3h	4d
1d	1h	1n	3s	4c	1d	1h	2n	3s	4c
1d	1h	1n	3c	3s	1d	1h	2n	3c	3s
1d	1s	1n	3c	3h	1d	1s	2n	3c	3h
1d	1s	1n	3h	4c	1d	1s	2n	3h	4c
1h	1s	1n	3c	3d	1h	1s	2n	3c	3d
1h	1s	1n	3d	4c	1h	1s	2n	3d	4c