Drury

Quick Summary of the Drury Convention

Context	Problem Solved	Description
Applies to a passed hand whose partner has opened 1♥ or 1♣ in 3^rd or 4^th seat.	Opening light is 3rd seat is a common winning strategy. Using a jump raise to show an invitational hand with a fit risks getting too high opposite a potentially light 3rd or 4th seat opener.	Use an artificial 2♣ response to show an invitational raise for partner’s suit, allowing the partnership to stop in their suit at the 2-level if the 3rd seat opener has no game interest.

Rationale for Drury

Light 3^rd Seat Openers

Opening light in 3^rd seat is a common winning tactic. A light 3^rd seat opening bid can direct the lead, obstruct the opponents auction, and force the opponents to use their defensive bidding agreements. The downside is the risk of getting too high when your partner has an invitational hand.

Light 4^th Seat Openers

Similarly, it is common to open light in 4^th seat with spade length. Many players use the “Rule of 15” when deciding whether to open in 4^th seat. The Rule of 15 advises opening your hand in 4^th seat if your HCP + the number of spades you hold is 15 or more. So a hand like ♠Aqxxx ♥Axx ♦xxx ♣xx would be opened 1♠ in 4^th seat. The Rule of 15 is effective because when the auction begins with 3 passes, and you hold 10 HCP, the points are likely to be equally divided. If your partnership has a spade fit, you are well positioned get a plus score. You are likely to make 2♠, and the opponents will have difficulty competing at the 3-level. So it pays to open mediocre hands with spade length in 4th seat.

The Risk of Opening Light in 3^rd and 4^th Seats

Because opening light in 3^rd and 4^th seats is a common winning tactic, you need to consider the possibility your partner doesn’t have full values for the 3rd or 4th seat opening bid. If your partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in 3^rd or 4^th seat and you have an invitational raise (3+ card support and 11 or more Support Points), you need to show your support and invitational values. Failing to do so risks missing a game. However, using a jump raise to show your support and invitational values risks getting too high.

Using the Drury Convention to Reduce Risk

To show an invitational raise and reduce the risk of getting too high, use an artificial 2♣ response to show an invitational or better raise for your partner’s 3rd or 4th seat 1♥ or 1♠ opening bid. Drury allows your partnership to stop at the 2-level when your partner has no game interest.

Context: Only a passed hand can use the Drury convention. It applies when your partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in 3^rd or 4^th seat. An artificial 2♣ response is used to show 3+ card support for your partner’s major and 11 or more Support Points.

In the auction below, the requirements for a Drury raise are met:

South is a passed hand
North opened 1-of-a-major in 3rd or 4th seat

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♣*

South’s 2♣ response is an artificial Drury bid showing 3+ card support for partner’s major and 11+ Support Points. South might have a hand like ♠Kxxx ♥AQxx ♦x ♣xxxx (12 Support Points)

Opener’s Rebid Over Drury

Here is a summary of opener’s rebid after responder’s passed hand Drury bid showing 3+ card support and 10+ Support Points.

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	1♥	Pass
2♣*

Typically opener will bid 2-of-their major, showing no game interest, or 4-of-their major accepting the game try. Other bids are game tries or slam tries. Opener’s 2♦ rebid is a special case. It shows a full opener which doesn’t have the extra values to bid game or make a game try. It is useful because responder may have a shapely hand which upgraded to a game force opposite a full opener.

Opener's Rebid	Explanation
2♥	Denies a full opener Note: This treatment is called Reverse Drury which is now the common way to play Drury
4♥	Accepting the invitation
2♠. 2NT, 3♣. 3♦, 3♥	Game try (sprecific meanings depend on the partnership’s game try agreements). Can also be used with hands which later plan to make a slam try.
3♠. 4♣. 4♦	Splinter Bid slam try, showing shortness in the suit bid
4NT	Blackwood or Roman Key Card Blackwood
2♦*	Artificial, showing a full opener which lacks the extra values to bid game or invite game. This helps find games when partner’s passed hand has upgraded substantially.

2-Way Drury Versions

Many pairs use both 2♣ and 2♦ as Drury responses. Typically one response show 3-card support for partner's major, and the other shows 4+ card support. The downside of using 2♦ as a Drury bid is that opener cannot rebid 2♦ to show a full opener lacking the values to make a game try. That leaves a responder whose hand has upgraded to 13+ Support Points guessing whether to make another game try and risk the 3-level.

If playing 2-Way Drury and holding a hand like ♠Axxx ♥AQxx ♦x ♣xxxx (13 Support Points) on the auction below, don't use the 2♦ Drury (even if it shows 4+ card support).

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	1♥	Pass
2♣*

Use the 2♣ Drury response to give your partner a chance to use a 2♦ rebid to show a full opener. This will help you reach game opposite a full opener, and stay at the 2-level opposite a light opener.