| Opener (Your Partner) | Responder (You) |
| 1♣ | 1♥ |
| 1NT | ? |
When your partner rebids 1NT, here’s what you know about her hand:
It’s a minimum-range hand (12 to 14 HCP).It’s a balanced hand with a likely four clubs and fewer than four spades (no 1♠ rebid). Two likely distributions are 3-3-3-4 with four clubs or 3-2-3-5 with five clubs and two hearts.
If you, too, have a balanced hand, add your points to your partner’s (the 1NT rebid shows 12 to 14 HCP, so assume 13 points as a ballpark figure). Your next move is to decide whether the two hands have a combined total of 25 RP, enough to try for game, 3NT. Don’t forget to tack on an extra point if you have a five-card suit headed by two honor cards or two extra points if you have a five-card suit headed by three honors.
The three examples provided here give you a chance to decide what to do after your partner’s 1NT rebid.
You can respond to your partner’s 1NT rebid in one of several ways.
You have a balanced hand in all the examples here, so notrump is your home (you want the bidding to end in a notrump contract). Now you just need to decide how high to bid.
In the first hand, you have nine revalued points and should pass because you have no chance for the 25 points you need for game.
In the second hand, you have 14 revalued points and should raise to 3NT because you know of at least 25 HCP between the two hands.
In the third hand, you have 11 revalued points and should invite game by bidding 2NT; you may or may not have 25 RP between the two hands — you have to let your partner tell you whether you do. If your partner has 13 HCP and a good five-card suit or 14 HCP, your invitation will be accepted; with less, it should be passed.