Delta is a primary trump asking bid in Opener's trump suit and always promises a very
strong hand, ostensibly 24+ points but this can be shaded with a very powerful and
distributional 2-suiter with exceptional playing strength. The criteria for using Delta should not
be devalued far, however, because it's use is game-forcing and initiates an Asking Bid even when
Responder may have a very weak hand wth no fit for Opener. Delta is therefore generally only used
when Opener has game values in his own hand alone and is so strong that they can
afford the space used by Delta and its responses.
In practice, Delta is used in only two very specific situations:
A jump-shift immediately over a negative 1♦
response to 1♣ (or, when opps intervene over the 1♣ opening and responder
either passes or doubles, an immediate jump-shift over the pass or double.
A jump-shift immediately over any of the semi-positive responses to 1♣.
There are no other situations where a bid can be Delta. Bear in mind, however,
that Theta uses responses that are identical to those of Delta, and that
Iota is a contracted Theta. Delta is not available over a positive response
to &1clubs; (in which situation a jump-shift is Zeta, not Delta)
The responses to Delta are as follows (in all cases, honour cards shown are generic rather than specific):
: - or x
: Q or xx
: Qx or xxx
: KQ or Qxx
: xxxx
: KQx or Qxxx
: KQxx
: xxxxx or xxxxxx
: Qxxxx or Qxxxxx
: KQxxx or KQxxxx
A 4-step response agrees the suit. Although Delta is normally used only with 5-card or longer suits
Opener may sometimes be forced to use it with a 4-card suit (eg: a 24+ point 4441-shape hand) and
should bear in mind that Responder will agree the suit with only 2 honours doubleton or with 3-card
support with one top honour.
Handing over the Captaincy
If Responder's declared holding in the suit is insufficient for trump purposes, then
an immediate bid in No Trumps over the response to Delta hands over the Captaincy and Asking Bids lapse. For
practical purposes this will always be at game level or higher (except for the sequence
1♣-1♦-2♥-2♠-2NT)
and Opener should be aware that the action of handing over the Captaincy at game-level or above is
not forcing in this instance. Similarly, Responder should be aware that Opener has an
extremely strong hand and not settle for, for example, 3NT if they have a near maximum negative and there
is a slam potentially in the offing elsewhere. Handing over the Captaincy at the level of 2NT (ie: as in the
sequence shown above) is forcing.
(1) In the same suit
Whatever Responder's initial response to Delta was, immediate Repeat Delta Asks in the same suit are available
below game level and these ask for
clarification of Responder's exact holding. Where Responder has shown two alternatives (ie: not a 5 or 7-step
response) then the shorter holding is shown as the 1-step response to the repeat Delta Ask. Opener should
not normally need to make a repeat Ask over a 5 or 7-step response to the initial Delta. If they do, however,
then this is just asking about possession of the Jack in addition (and the 1-step response denies). A repeat
Delta in the same suit always agrees the suit as trumps, whatever length Responder
originally showed and whatever their response to the repeat Delta.
(2) In a different suit
In the event of a response to Delta of less than 4-steps (ie: e negative response) immediate repeat Asks in a
different suit are Iota and are
uncondtionally forcing, even at game level. The responses to Iota are similar to those for Delta except that
steps 1 & 2 are combined into a 1-step response of "Less than Qx or xxx". If Responder made a
positive response to Delta (ie: 4-step response or better), then the new suit bid is
Epsilon, of course, because the Delta suit is now agreed as trumps.
