Lebensohl over a Reverse

After a Reverse, 2NT (except when 2 is the Reverse) by responder is artificial showing a weak hand (5-7pts) wanting to stop in a 3-level part score if opener has minimum Reverse values.

2NT forces opener to bid 3, enabling responder to sign off at the 3 level.

Opener can and should bid more than 3 when he is too good to allow responder to pass 3. i.e.more than 16-18 pts.

Other actions by responder after a Reverse

Having the Lebensohl 2NT available will change the meanings of some of your other rebids. After the Reverse, if responder makes any bid past 2NT, it shows forcing-to-game values.

After the auction: 1 - 1 - 2. Here are the meanings of your other actions:

Preference to partner's first suit (3) - 3+ card support and forcing-to-game values (8+ pts.)

Jump in partner's first suit (4) - 4-5+ card support and slam values (12+ playing pts.)

Raise of partner's second suit (3) - 4 card support and forcing-to-game values (8+ pts.)

Rebid of your own suit (2) - at least 5 (preferably 6) cards in your suit and a weak hand (5-7 pts). Opener can pass this if he has a minimum, non-fitting Reverse (16-17 pts).

Jump in your own suit (3) - strong 6+ card suit (at least 3-4 of the top 5 honors) and good values (8+ pts). If you have a weaker 6-card suit, use the Lebensohl 2NT first, then bid 3 over partner's 3 bid.

Jump to game in your suit (4) - solid 6-7+ card suit that should play for no losers opposite a singleton.

The unbid suit (3) - forcing and could be artificial. Like "New Minor Forcing", this bid can be used when you have good values (8+ pts.) and 5 cards in your first suit. Opener will bid 3 of your suit if he has 3-card support, or will make another descriptive bid if he doesn't.

Jump in the unbid suit (4) - splinter, showing a singleton in that suit, 4-card support for partner's second suit, and at least slam-try values.

4th suit as Lebensohl after a minor Reverse

After the auction: 1 - 1 - 2, or 1 - 1 - 2. Here are the meanings of your other actions:

The unbid major becomes Lebensohl. This allows opener to do one of three things:

• Bid 2NT with stoppers in the fourth suit thus right siding the possible NT contract. This is an improvement on 2NT, when it happens, because it increases the chance of the strong hand declaring notrump. After all, a very common hand pattern for a Reverse is 5431 with a single in responder's suit.
• Show 3 card support for responder's major.
• Make some other descriptive bid.

2NT is natural showing (8+ pts) and stoppers in the unbid suit, and also allowing opener to further describe their hand at the 3 level if they want.

The other bids remain the same

Say you hold x AQx KQxx AKJxx and partner responds to your 1 opening with 1 . You Reverse to 2. If partner were to have a weak hand, without re-biddable spades, he has to bid 2NT and now you play 3 of a minor or 3NT from the wrong side. By allowing him to use 4th suit 2 here as the artificial, usually negative response, you as opener get to bid 2NT! From the right side.

Change your hand to AQx x KQxx AQJxx and have the same opening, response and Reverse. If he has to bid 2NT, you are torn between 3 and 3. If he has 5 spades, 3 is definitely best, but if he has 10xxx Kxx xxx Kxx, you want to play 3. How do you know?

Well, allow him to bid 2 and you bid 2 : a perfect description of your 3-1-4-5 hand. Now you find the 5-3 spade fit (and find decent games when he'd have passed 3 over 2NT) while allowing him to play 2 rather than 3, or allowing him to intelligently decide between playing spades and clubs.

Also, responder can now comfortably bid 2NT naturally when 4th suit would be available: establishing a game force, showing stopper(s) in the unbid suit and allowing opener free rein at the 3-level to further describe his hand.