When to Use Drury in Bridge?
Drury is used when you are the partner of the player who has opened 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth position, but you have fewer than 12 high-card points. In this situation, the opener may sometimes have a weaker hand than usual, as they often open for tactical reasons (not allowing the opponent to open).
The goal of Drury is to check the strength of your partner’s opening before committing too much in the bidding. It is used to signal support for the opened major suit, but with a moderate hand, typically between 10 and 11 points.
What is a Drury Response in Bridge?
A Drury response consists of bidding 2♣ or 2♦ after your partner has opened 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth position. This indicates that you have support for the major suit and that your hand contains around 10-11 points.
- 2♣ in standard Drury indicates a fit (support) with 3 or more cards in the opening suit, with around 10-11 points.
- 2♦ in some variations (like Reverse Drury) can be used to specify particular types of hands (we will cover this later).
Is Drury Alertable in Bridge?
Yes, Drury is an alertable convention. This means that when you use this convention (for example, bidding 2♣ as a Drury response), your partner must alert the opponents by saying “alert”. This informs the opponents that the 2♣ bid has a specific meaning (support with 10-11 points) and is not simply a natural suit opening.
What is Reverse Drury in Bridge?
Reverse Drury is a variation where the Drury response 2♦ is used instead of 2♣. It is a more specific way of describing the responder’s hand. For example:
- 2♦ can indicate a fit with 10-11 points, but also specific distributions such as a singleton or doubleton in a particular suit.
- 2♣ can then be used to show stronger support or a stronger hand than in standard Drury.
This variation allows for more detailed communication between partners but is less commonly used than the standard Drury convention.
Concrete Examples of Drury Usage
Example 1:
Standard Drury Your partner opens 1♠ in third position. You have the following hand:
You have support for spades with 10 high-card points. Therefore, you respond 2♣ Drury, indicating your support with a moderate hand. Your partner will know that you have 3 cards in spades and around 10-11 points, which will help them adjust their contract.
Example 2:
Reverse Drury Your partner opens 1♥ in fourth position. You hold:
With 4 hearts and 11 points, you might respond 2♦ (Reverse Drury) to indicate your support and signal a specific distribution, such as a singleton in spades.
Drury is a valuable convention for adjusting your bidding based on the strength of your partner’s hand when they open in third or fourth position. It helps prevent overbidding with a weak hand and assists in finding the right contract based on the combined strength of your team.
In summary:
- Use Drury after an opening of 1♠ or 1♥ in third or fourth position, with support and about 10-11 points.
- Drury is alertable, and it generally does not apply after a takeout double.
- Reverse Drury is a variation that can be used for more specific hands.
Next time you play bridge, don’t forget this convention—it might just save you from a poor contract!
