Relay

Note

Please refer to other materials (like KK Relay) to familiarize with the topic

Pattern Table

Patterns with Single Shortage

Bid	Short Leg	Long Leg	Single Suit
3♠	5431		6331
3N	6421	5521	7(32)1
4♣	6430	5530	7330
4♦	7420	(65)20

Tracks

One suiter continuation

• 3♣
  Hi short or high and equal. 3♦ relay

  • 3♥
    62(32) or 7222. End of shape ask. Treat as “6233”
  • 3♠+
    High short.
• 3♦
  Mid short. 3♥ ask => Table
• 3♥
  6322 hi 3
• 3♠+
  Lo short. Table

Two suiters continuation

• (X = first shown suit. Y = second shown suit)
• 2N
  4=X 5+Y. (Reverser). 3♣: Relay. Replay like direct 3♦+
• 3♣
  5+X 5+Y. (Long Leg) 3♦ relay

  • 3♥
    Hi short. 3♠ relay => Table
  • 3♠
    6511 (or 5611 in some situation)
  • 3N+
    lo short. Table
• 3♦
  5+X 4=Y. (Short Leg) Hi short 3♥ ask => Table
• 3♥
  5422 or 7411 (With 7411, rebid the cheapest ♣)
• 3♠
  5+X 4=Y lo short. Table

Balanced Continuation (4333 or 4432)

• 2♠
  4432 same color or Major 4333. 2N ask

  • 3♣
    Major 4333. 3♦ ask 4-card (lo-4, hi-4)
  • 3♦
    4432 same color. Bid doubleton (3N = ♣)
• 2N
  4432 same rank. 3♣ ask doubleton
• 3♣
  Minor 4333. 3♦ ask 4-card
• 3♦
  4432 same shape. Bid doubleton

5332 Continuation

• The 5-card suit will be shown first.
• Relay next step to show doubleton (hi / mid / lo)
• Skip one step to directly go to control ask (treat it as 5333)

Three suiters continuation

• 3♣
  Hi short. 3♦ relay

  • 3♥
    4441
  • 3♠/N/4♣
    5440. Lo 5 / Mid 5 / Hi 5
• 3♦
  Lo short 4441
• 3♥/♠/N
  Lo short 5440. Lo 5 / Mid 5 / Hi 5

Relay Situations

Relaying 1M Cornerstones

1M - 2♣

• 2♦
  4♣ or any 3 suiters. 2♥ relay

  • 2♠
    Three suiters. 2N ask

    • 3♣
      Short oM. 3♦ ask (3♥+ = 4441 / 5♣440 / 5♦440 / 5M440)
    • 3♦
      Short ♦: 3♥ ask (3♠+ = 4441 / 5♣440 / 5M440)
    • 3♥+
      Short ♣. (4441 / 5♦440 / 5M440)
  • 2N+
    4+♣ Two suiters
• 2♥
  4+♦. Two suiters
• 2♠
  5+M 4+oM. Two suiters (No reverser subtrack)
• 2N
  5M(332). 3♣ ask doubleton (hi / mid / lo)
• 3♣+
  6+M single suit. One suiter

Relaying 2m Cornerstones

2m - 2♥

• 2♠
  Single suit. 2N relay => One suiter
• 2N
  6(322). Dispersed strength.

  • 3♣
    Ask tripleton. May be fit in m

    • 3♦/M
      om / M tripleton
  • 3♦/M
    6+om / 6+M ST
  • 3N
    To play
• 3♣+
  5+m 4+om. Two suiters

Answering Strong 1♦ opening

1♦

• 1♥
  0-7 Catch all. Negative. See 1♦ opening
• 1♠
  Either 4+♥ unbal (♥ >= ♠) or 8-11 Bal (including 5332). 1N relay

  • 2♣
    4+♥ (no 4+♠) unbal. Continue like 1♦ - 2♣
  • 2♦
    8-11 (4333) or (4432). 2♥ ask => Balanced
  • 2♥
    8-11 5m(332). 2♠ ask

    • 2N
      5♣332
    • 3♣
      5♦332
  • 2♠
    8-11 5♥(332)
  • 2N
    8-11 5♠(332)
  • 3♣
    5+♥ 5+♠. ♥ better. Two Suiters
  • 3♦+
    5+♥ 4=♠ Two Suiters
• 1N
  Either 12-14 Bal (including 5332), or 5+♠ 4+♥. 2♣ relay

  • 2♦ to 2N
    Same as 1♦-1♠; 1N-2♦/♥/♠/N
  • 3♣
    5+♥ 5+♠. ♠ better. Two Suiters
  • 3♦+
    5+♠ 4=♥ Two Suiters
• 2♣
  4+♠ unbal (no 4+♥). 2♦ ask

  • 2♥
    4+♠ 4+♣. 2♠ relay => Two suiters
  • 2♠
    5+♠ 4+♦. Two suiters (non-reverser / long leg)
  • 2N
    4=♠ 5+♦. Two suiters (reverser)
  • 3♣+
    6+♠ One suiter
• 2♦
  5+♣ unbal or 3-suiters short major

  • 2♠
    5+♣ 4+♦ Two suiters (non-reverser / long leg)
  • 2N
    Three suiter short major
  • 3♣+
    6+♣ One suiter
• 2♥
  5+♦ unbal. 2♠ ask

  • 2N
    5+♦ 4=♣. Two suiters (non-reverser)
  • 3♣+
    6+♦ One suiter
• 2♠
  Solid 6+ card suit. 2N ask length (3♣ = 6), after which next step ask controls outside the suit
• 2N
  Three suiter short minor
• 3/4/5X
  Long suit. Not solid. Nothing outside

Note

15+ Balanced hands are first shown as 8-11 bal.

Control Ask and Sign-off Signal

If the shape relay ends at 3♠ or 3N, then

• 4♣ is the control ask
• 4♦ is the sign-off signal, puppet to 4♥ for an signoff
• 4♥+ are natural slam tries

If the shape relay ends at or above 4♣, then the relay step is a control-ask, other bids are sign-off.

Number of controls corresponding to the first step answer

• 5+ HCP: 0 or 1
• 8+ HCP: 1 or 2
• 12+ HCP: 2 or 3
• 15+ HCP: 4

After the first step response (not 15+) to control ask, relay to ask the actual number. First step shows minimum, higher to show non-min and zoom to spiral scan.

Note

Do not count singleton King as control. Singleton Ace is counted as 2 controls.

Spiral Scan

After the control-ask is spiral scanning. Honors are shown in the following priority:

• Ace / King of the first 3 suits (if bal / 5332) or the first 2 suits (if unbal)
  • Answer “No” if holding both Ace and King
  • Skip to Queens when you have shown all controls
• Queens of all suits with 3+ cards
• Jacks of all suits with 3+ cards

Note

• Longest suit first. Scan higher ranking suits of the same lengths first.
• Answer “Yes” by zooming to the next item; answer “no” by stopping.

Caution

• If the relay answerer has shown a 6+ suit, the asker bidding that suit at any level is to play. The next step will be the relay step.
• 6N+ is never an ask
• Do not zoom pass 7♣

Unresolved Shapes

• 62(32) or 7222 are treated like “6233” in single suit track
• 6(322) or 7222 are treated like “6333” in 2M intermediate opening
• 7(32)1 shapes are treated as “7331”
• Unresolved (65)11 or (65)20 are treated as “5511” or “5520”

Relay Break

Before shapes are fully resolved, asker can break the relay:

• Up to 3♦ are natural. Then only the cheapest NT shows misfit. Suits (either new or mentioned) are cuebid.
• 3N / 4M / 5m are natural. To play unless the relay answer is uncapped and with 5+ HCP extra than min
• 3M or 4m are inv keycard asks in the corresponding suit:
  • 3♥: ♣; 3♠: ♦; 4♣: ♥; 4♦: ♠
  • First step is negative, then next non-signoff suit is re-ask
  • 2nd+ are responses to RKCB
• 4N is balanced / misfit invite

Interference

Interference in Shape Relay in Front of Asker

• (Dbl)
  we can ask stopper

  • P
    Ask stopper

    • Rdbl
      No stopper. Relay to continue shape ask
    • Relay
      (Not used)
    • Answer
      Stopper
  • Rdbl
    Suggest to play
  • Relay
    Don’t care about the stopper. Continue as normal.
• (Cheapest bid)
  P is Relay. Penalty double
• (Higher bid)
  Relay off. Natural continuation

Interference in Shape Relay in Front of Answerer

• (Dbl)
  • P
    No stopper. Rdbl continue relay
  • Rdbl
    (Not used)
  • Answer
    Stopped
• (Cheapest bid)
  P is Substitute. Dbl is Normal response
• (Higher bid)
  • Relay off. Natural continuation

Interference in control ask / spiral scan

• (Dbl)
  Drop 2 steps by utilizing Pass and Rdbl
• (Cheapest bid)
  Drop 1 step by utilizing Pass and Dbl
• (2nd cheapest)
  Relay on, utilizing Pass and Dbl
• (Higher)
  Relay off