Reverse Drury

The original Drury convention had the right idea and an awkward detail. A passed hand's 2♣ showed a limit raise, but opener had to answer with an artificial 2♦ to say "my opening was light", and responder then had to sign off in two of the major. Reverse Drury turns that around. Opener is the one who knows the hand is light, so opener signs off directly by rebidding the major. Every other rebid shows a real opening. This guide covers how Reverse Drury works, what each of opener's rebids means, and how two-way Drury adds a second response to show four-card support.

The setup is the same as in any form of Drury. Responder has passed, partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth seat, and responder bids 2♣ to show a limit raise, meaning support and about 10 to 12 points. The difference lies entirely in opener's rebid.

When opener is light, the auction ends one round sooner at the same level, with no artificial bid for the opponents to double for a lead or to compete over. When opener has a real hand, the cheap 2♦ leaves room to find out how good responder's raise is.

Before anything else, opener's rebid tells responder whether the opening was light or full. Most partnerships use "full" to mean a hand that would have opened in first seat, about 12 points or more with normal shape.

Opener's 2♦ says nothing about diamonds. It only says "I have a real opening, tell me more".

An opener with a full opening and game values opposite any limit raise should not bother with 2♦. Bid four of the major at once, and the opponents learn as little as possible about the hands.

Responder's minimum and maximum

Responder's 2♣ covers roughly 10 to 12 points. Over opener's 2♦, responder bids three of the major with 10 or a poor 11, and four with a good 11 or 12. Shape counts: a doubleton with four trumps, or a good five-card side suit, makes a hand a maximum even with fewer points.

Two-way Drury splits the limit raise by trump length. A passed hand bids 2♣ with exactly three trumps and 2♦ with four or more. Opener rebids in the same Reverse Drury style, two of the major with a light opening and anything else with a full one.

Two-way Drury separates three and four trumps because the ninth trump is worth about a trick, and it changes how high the partnership should compete. Opposite four-card support, opener can accept game more freely and, when light, can compete to the three level if the opponents balance over 2♠. Opposite three-card support, opener should be more cautious. The cost is that a passed hand can no longer bid a natural 2♦, but a passed hand with long diamonds and no fit rarely needs to.

Two-way Drury pairs naturally with Bergen raises, which follow the same principle of showing four-card support at once. Some partnerships that play Bergen by a passed hand use only one-way Drury for three-card raises and send four-card raises through 3♣ and 3♦.

Change North's ♣K to the ♣J and North has 10 points, a minimum. Over 2♦ North bids 3♥, and South, with 15 points opposite a known 10, passes. Had South opened a light 11 count instead, South would have rebid 2♥ over 2♣ and played there.

Reverse Drury is a tool for uncontested auctions. If an opponent overcalls before responder bids, most partnerships switch Drury off and show the limit raise with a cue bid of the overcaller's suit. If an opponent bids over responder's 2♣, opener can simply rebid the major with a light hand, or double or bid game with a full one. Agree these details with your partner.

• Rebidding 2♦ with a light hand. In Reverse Drury, 2♦ shows a full opening. A light opener rebids two of the major.
• Raising after the sign-off. When opener rebids two of the major, responder has already described the hand and passes, even with a maximum.
• Using two-way Drury with the wrong trump count. 2♣ shows exactly three trumps and 2♦ four or more. Opener will compete on that basis.
• Forgetting to alert. Responder's 2♣ and 2♦, and opener's 2♦ rebid, are artificial.
• Playing Drury by an unpassed hand. It applies only after responder has passed. Over a first- or second-seat opening, use your normal raises, including Jacoby 2NT for game-forcing hands.

What is Reverse Drury in bridge?

Reverse Drury is the modern form of Drury. After a passed hand's 2♣ limit raise, opener rebids two of the major with a light opening and any other bid, usually an artificial 2♦, with a full opening.

What is the difference between Drury and Reverse Drury?

They differ only in opener's rebid after the passed hand's 2♣. In original Drury, opener shows a light opening with an artificial 2♦ and responder signs off in two of the major. In Reverse Drury, opener shows a light opening by rebidding two of the major, and 2♦ or any other bid shows a full opening.

What does opener's 2 diamonds mean in Reverse Drury?

It is artificial and shows a full opening bid with interest in game. Responder then bids three of the major with a minimum limit raise and four with a maximum.

What is two-way Reverse Drury?

It uses two responses by a passed hand: 2♣ for a limit raise with exactly three trumps and 2♦ for a limit raise with four or more. Opener rebids two of the major with a light hand and makes any other bid with a full opening.

Why is Reverse Drury better than the original?

Opener, who knows whether the opening was light, can sign off directly in two of the major. The auction ends sooner and the opponents get no artificial bid to double or compete over.

Is Reverse Drury used after interference?

Usually not. Most partnerships turn Drury off once the opponents overcall and use a cue bid of their suit to show the limit raise.