Negative Free Bid

Rev: February 10, 1998

Back to Conventions Back to Bridge Home

Partner opens the bidding and responder's RHO overcalls (not doubling). Responder with weak hand can show a suit. Used in conjunction with Negative Doubles. Used after an opponent’s overcall up to the 3S level.

After RHO overcalls, responder can introduce a suit at the two-level (or higher) with a hand of limited strength.

The bidding goes: [ 1S 2D 2H or 3C

	Without NFB, responder would be showing a 5-card suit with 11+ HCP and is forcing.
	With NFB, responder shows a one-suiter with 5 or more cards and usually 5-10 HCP (sometimes as low as 3 HCP and as high as 11 HCP) and the bid is non-forcing.

NFB: A one-suited hand of 5 or more cards and 5-10 HCP.

Double: Used as a negative double. Opener assumes this is the regular Negative Double and bids accordingly. However, if responder next bids an unbid suit, he is showing an opening hand and the bid is game-forcing.

Opener alerts after the negative double. If asked for an explanation: “Partner has a normal negative double with the unbid major(s) OR has a has a game-forcing hand (with an unbid suit) which may not look at all like the normal negative double.” If the responder follows up with a suit bid, this is also alertable since it is forcing. Opener alerts if responder makes a NFB.

If auction goes as: [ 1S 2C 2H Pass, opener may act as follows:

	Pass = Minimum hand, satisfied with hearts, no place to go.
	2S,3D = Lacking heart support, has suit worth showing – non-forcing.
	2NT = Invitational to 3NT, lot of high cards, doesn’t promise heart fit.
	3H = Preemptive raise promising support but not a lot of HCP.
	3C = Cue bid, game invitational raise in hearts.
	3S = Natural, invitational, good suit, good hand.
	3NT = Natural, non-forcing, no heart fit.
	4C,4D = Splinter bids in support of hearts, slam try.
	4H = Natural, non-forcing.