Reverse Drury

Quick Summary

Reverse Drury is a modification of regular Drury where opener’s rebid of 2 of their major shows a real opening bid (not a light third/fourth seat opener).

Regular Drury vs Reverse Drury

Convention 2♣ Response 2♥/2♠ Rebid Means

Regular Drury 3+ support, 10-12 pts Light opener, sign off

Reverse Drury 3+ support, 10-12 pts Real opener, invitational+

The meanings of the rebids are reversed, hence the name.

Why Reverse Drury?

In regular Drury, opener rebids their suit with a light hand:

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (Drury) (Pass) - 2♠ = “I was light, let’s stop”

The problem: you end up in 2♠ when opener has a good hand but no extras beyond an opening bid.

In Reverse Drury, 2♠ shows a sound opener:

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (Drury) (Pass) - 2♠ = “I have a real opener”

Now responder can pass 2♠ or raise to game based on their hand.

The Structure

After (Pass) – 1♥/1♠ – (Pass) – 2♣ (Reverse Drury):

Opener’s Rebid Meaning

2♦ Sub-minimum or light third-seat opener

2♥/2♠ Sound opening bid, nothing extra

2NT 18-19 balanced

3♣/3♦ Natural, good hand, secondary suit

3♥/3♠ 6+ card suit, invitational

4♥/4♠ Accepting game opposite limit raise

How 2♦ Works

After opener rebids 2♦ (light/subminimum):

Responder’s Bid Meaning

2♥ Pass or correct (if opener has hearts)

2♠ To play (if opener has spades)

Pass Only if opener opened 1♥ (diamonds becomes contract)

Most commonly, responder simply bids 2 of opener’s major after 2♦.

Example Hands

Example 1: Light Opener Signs Off

Opener (third seat): ♠KQ974 ♥J5 ♦Q72 ♣K83 (10 HCP) Responder: ♠A862 ♥K84 ♦K53 ♣754 (10 HCP)

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (Reverse Drury) (Pass) - 2♦ - (Pass) - 2♠ Pass

Opener was light, shows it with 2♦. Responder signs off in 2♠. Down in 4♠ avoided!

Example 2: Sound Opener, Game Made

Opener (third seat): ♠AKJ74 ♥Q5 ♦K72 ♣J83 (13 HCP) Responder: ♠Q862 ♥A84 ♦A53 ♣754 (11 HCP)

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (Reverse Drury) (Pass) - 2♠ - (Pass) - 4♠ Pass

Opener shows a sound hand with 2♠. Responder has a maximum Drury bid and jumps to game.

Example 3: Sound Opener, Responder Declines

Opener (third seat): ♠AQ974 ♥K5 ♦J72 ♣A83 (13 HCP) Responder: ♠K862 ♥J84 ♦Q53 ♣754 (8 HCP)

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (Reverse Drury) (Pass) - 2♠ - Pass

Opener is sound but minimum. Responder is minimum for Drury. 2♠ is plenty.

Two-Way Reverse Drury

Some partnerships add another layer:

Responder’s Bid Meaning

2♣ 3-card support, limit raise values

2♦ 4+ card support, limit raise values

This lets opener evaluate game chances better, knowing exact trump length matters!

After 2♦ (4-card support): – Opener may jump to game with 5-card suit + sound values – With only 4 trumps, opener is more cautious

Reverse Drury in Competition

When the opponents interfere over 2♣:

(Pass) - 1♠ - (Pass) - 2♣ (2♥) - ?

Opener’s Bid Meaning

Double Extras, interested in game

2♠ Minimum, competitive

Pass Sub-minimum, uncertain

3♠ Distributional, not high cards

Why Most Experts Play Reverse

Regular Drury’s logic was: – Light hand = fast sign off (2M) – Sound hand = slow exploration

But Reverse makes more sense because: 1. Most common case is sound — third-seat light openers aren’t that frequent 2. 2♦ is forcing — opener can still describe light hands 3. Natural continuation — after 2M, responder can raise or pass

Key Takeaways

2♦ = sub-minimum/light — responder usually bids 2M next
2M = sound opening, real values, nothing extra
Reverse = standard among experts, more natural than regular Drury
Only after passed hand opens, third or fourth seat
Two-Way adds trump length — 2♣ = 3-card, 2♦ = 4-card

See also: Drury (original version), Bergen Raises (alternative way to show support)