Passed Hand

Drury

A 2♣ inquiry by a passed hand to check whether partner's 3rd/4th seat major opening is full-value.

What Is Drury?

Origin and Purpose

Drury is a convention named after Douglas Drury, a Canadian bridge player who introduced it in the 1960s. It addresses a practical and common problem: in third or fourth seat, a partner who has already heard two passes may open 1♥ or 1♠ on a sub-standard hand — perhaps 10–11 HCP with a good 5-card major — because the opponents may not have values for game and a light opening can be tactically worthwhile. This is entirely normal bridge. The danger arises when you, the second passed hand, hold a maximum pass (10–11 HCP) with 3-card support. Without Drury, you face an uncomfortable choice: raise to the 2-level and risk being passed in a thin contract, or try for game and push too high if opener is sub-minimum. The combined count of 20–22 HCP is dangerously close to game but often just short.

The Drury Mechanism

Drury solves this by converting 2♣ into an artificial inquiry. After partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth seat, a 2♣ bid by the passed hand does not show clubs — it says: "I have a maximum passed hand with support for your major. Are you full value?" This puts opener in the captain's seat. A "full value" opening (the standard is typically 13+ HCP or a very sound 12) gets a positive response, and the partnership proceeds toward game. A sub-minimum opening (10–11 HCP, opened light for tactical reasons) gets a negative response that keeps the auction at the 2-level, preventing the partnership from overreaching.

Regular vs. Reverse Drury

Two versions exist and it is critical to agree which one you play. In Regular Drury (the original version), opener's 2♦ rebid over 2♣ is the negative — it means "I'm sub-minimum, let's sign off." Any other rebid shows a full-value hand. In Reverse Drury (now more widely played), the meanings are reversed: opener's 2♦ over 2♣ shows a full-value hand (often suggesting a game try), while a rebid of 2 of the original major (2♥ or 2♠) is the sign-off showing a sub-minimum opening. Reverse Drury has become more popular because it keeps the auction lower when opener is sub-minimum and uses 2♦ — a forward-going bid — to show strength.

Two-Way Drury

Some partnerships extend the concept to Two-Way Drury: 2♣ shows 3-card support and 2♦ shows 4-card support, both promising maximum passed-hand values (10–11 HCP). This lets opener know not just the strength of responder's hand but also the exact length of the trump fit — information that can be critical for game acceptance decisions. Like any Drury variant, Two-Way Drury must be explicitly agreed and noted on the convention card. Regardless of which version is played, Drury applies only in uncontested auctions — any opponent action turns Drury off.

Core Rules

When Drury Applies

Drury is on when: (1) you are a passed hand; (2) partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ in third or fourth seat; (3) the auction is uncontested (no opponent bid or double).

Responder's Bid	Meaning	Support	HCP
2♣ (Drury)	Artificial — maximum passed hand with support. "Are you full value?"	3+ card support	10–11 HCP
2♦ (Two-Way Drury)	Artificial — maximum passed hand with 4-card support (if playing 2-way)	4-card support	10–11 HCP
2♥ / 2♠	Simple raise — not maximum, or less than 3-card support	3+ card support	6–9 HCP

Alert required: 2♣ Drury must be alerted at the table. Announce "Drury — maximum passed hand with support" and explain the convention if opponents ask. The response (especially 2♦) must also be alerted.

Opener's Rebids After 2♣ Drury — Reverse Drury (Common)

Opener's Rebid	Meaning
2♦	Full value (13+ HCP) — positive response, game possible. Forward-going.
2♥ / 2♠ (own suit)	Sub-minimum (10–11 HCP) — sign off. "I opened light, let's stop here."
3♥ / 3♠	Full value with game interest — strong hand, inviting game
4♥ / 4♠	Full value, bidding game directly
2NT	Full value, balanced, game interest
3♣ / 3♦	Full value, showing a side suit feature

Opener's Rebids After 2♣ Drury — Regular Drury (Original)

Opener's Rebid	Meaning
2♦	Negative / sub-minimum — "I opened light. Sign off in the major."
2♥ / 2♠ (own suit)	Full value — confirms the opening
Anything else	Full value — natural and forward-going

Which Drury to play: Reverse Drury is strongly recommended because the sub-minimum sign-off (2♥/2♠) keeps the auction lower, and the 2♦ positive bid is natural as a forward-going step. Agree on this before your first session together.

Two-Way Drury Response Schedule

Bid	Meaning
2♣ (Two-Way)	3-card support, maximum passed hand (10–11 HCP)
2♦ (Two-Way)	4-card support, maximum passed hand (10–11 HCP)

Decision Tree

Two trees: the first guides responder (the passed hand), the second guides opener after the Drury bid. Click each node to expand.

Tree 1: Passed-Hand Responder After Partner Opens 1♠ in 3rd/4th Seat

Do I have 3+ card spade support? ▶

No support / weak (0–9 HCP) — what do I do? ▶

Respond naturally — bid 1NT, a new suit, or 2♠ (3-card support, 6–9 HCP). Drury does not apply.

3-card spade support AND 10–11 HCP (maximum passed hand)? ▶

Bid 2♣ (Drury) — artificial, showing maximum passed hand values and 3-card support. Asks opener if they are full value.

4-card spade support AND 10–11 HCP (playing Two-Way Drury)? ▶

Bid 2♦ (Two-Way Drury) — artificial, showing maximum passed hand values and 4-card support specifically.

I don't have support but I have 10+ HCP — can I still use Drury? ▶

No — Drury requires 3+ card support (ideally with a honor). Without support, respond naturally in a new suit or 1NT. Drury is strictly for the raise situation.

Tree 2: Opener's Decision After 2♣ Drury (Reverse Drury)

After (P) – 1♠ – (P) – 2♣* – (P), you are opener:

Is my 1♠ opening full value (13+ HCP or sound 12)? ▶

Yes — full value hand. What do I show? ▶

Bid 2♦ (Reverse Drury positive) — confirms full value. Responder may now bid game or make a further try. Other full-value bids: 2NT, 3♣/3♦ (feature), 3♠/4♠ (game direct).

No — sub-minimum opening (10–11 HCP, opened light). What do I do? ▶

Bid 2♠ (Reverse Drury sign-off) — rebidding the suit confirms "I'm sub-minimum, let's play here." Responder will pass. Under Regular Drury, the sign-off is 2♦ instead.

Reverse Drury memory aid: "2♦ = Diamonds = Diamonds are a girl's best friend = Good news = Full value." "2♠ / 2♥ = same old suit = no change = no extras = sub-minimum."

Quiz

Test your Drury knowledge. Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.

Q1. You are a passed hand. Partner opens 1♠ in 3rd seat. You hold:

♠ K 6 5 ♥ A J 4 ♦ K 4 3 2 ♣ J 7 6
11 HCP — 3-card spade support, maximum passed hand

What do you bid?

Correct: 2♣ — Drury. You have 11 HCP (a maximum for a passed hand) and 3-card spade support. This is the ideal Drury hand. Bid 2♣ to ask partner: "Are you full value?" A simple 2♠ raise would suggest only 6–9 HCP and hide your maximum. 3♠ as a limit raise could be right in standard methods but is not appropriate here — you are a passed hand and Drury is designed precisely for this situation.

Q2. You opened 1♥ in 3rd seat. Your hand is:

♠ K 3 ♥ K J 8 7 4 ♦ Q 5 4 ♣ J 6 5
10 HCP — sub-minimum opening, opened light in 3rd seat

Partner (passed hand) bids 2♣ (Drury). Playing Reverse Drury, what do you bid?

Correct: 2♥ — Reverse Drury sign-off. You opened 1♥ in third seat with only 10 HCP — clearly sub-minimum. Partner's 2♣ Drury has asked if you are full value, and the honest answer is no. In Reverse Drury, 2♥ (rebidding your own suit) is the sign-off, telling partner "I'm light — let's play 2♥ and stop here." In Regular Drury, this sign-off would be 2♦ instead. Bidding 2♦ (Reverse Drury) would be a lie — that shows a full-value hand.

Q3. After (P) – 1♠ – (P) – 2♣ (Drury) – (P), you are opener with:

♠ A K J 7 6 ♥ K 4 ♦ A J 5 ♣ Q 4 3
16 HCP — full value, strong opening

Playing Reverse Drury, what do you bid?

Correct: 4♠ (or 2♦ then 4♠) — full value, accepting game. With 16 HCP and a strong spade suit, this is a textbook full-value opening. Partner has shown 10–11 HCP with spade support, so combined is 26–27 HCP. Game is clear — bid 4♠ directly. You could also bid 2♦ (Reverse Drury positive) and then commit to game on the next round. Either route is correct; the direct 4♠ is the most efficient.

Q4. The auction goes: (P) – 1♠ – (2♥ overcall) – ? You are the passed hand with ♠K74 ♥54 ♦AQ43 ♣J876 (10 HCP, 3-card spade support). Is Drury available?

Correct: No — Drury is OFF in competition. Drury is strictly an uncontested convention. Once an opponent has bid (whether a double or an overcall), 2♣ by responder reverts to its natural meaning (clubs). In this case, after the 2♥ overcall, you might choose to bid 2♠ (a competitive raise showing spade support) or pass and defend. Drury is simply not available.

Hand Examples

Example 1: Drury Saves a Game — Opener Is Sub-Minimum

The auction: (P) – 1♠ – (P) – 2♣* – (P) – 2♠** – All Pass

*Drury. **Reverse Drury sign-off (sub-minimum opening).

NORTH (Opener, 3rd seat)

♠ K Q 9 7 5

♥ A 6 4

♦ J 7 3

♣ 8 5

11 HCP — light 3rd-seat opening, rebids 2♠ (sign-off)

SOUTH (Passed-Hand Responder)

♠ J 4 3

♥ K Q 5

♦ A K 4

♣ Q J 7 6

14 HCP — but previously passed, bids 2♣ Drury

EAST

♠ 10 6 2

♥ J 9 8 3

♦ 9 8 5

♣ A 4 2

6 HCP — passes throughout

WEST

♠ A 8

♥ 10 7 2

♦ Q 10 6 2

♣ K 10 9 3

9 HCP — passes throughout

Auction explained: South had 14 HCP but passed originally (perhaps a 1st/2nd seat marginal pass with balanced shape and no 5-card suit). Now, with North's 1♠ in 3rd seat and South's 3-card spade support plus maximum values, South bids 2♣ Drury. North rebids 2♠ (Reverse Drury sign-off) — 11 HCP, sub-minimum. South correctly passes 2♠. 4♠ would be a bad contract on only 22 HCP. The Drury mechanism saves the partnership from getting to a failing game.

Example 2: Drury Helps Reach Game — Opener Is Full Value

The auction: (P) – 1♥ – (P) – 2♣* – (P) – 2♦** – (P) – 4♥ – All Pass

*Drury. **Reverse Drury positive (full-value opening).

NORTH (Opener, 4th seat)

♠ A J 4

♥ A Q 9 7 5

♦ K Q 6

♣ 9 4

15 HCP — full value, bids 2♦ (Reverse Drury positive)

SOUTH (Passed-Hand Responder)

♠ K 5 3

♥ K 6 3

♦ A 7 4

♣ J 8 7 5

11 HCP — maximum passed hand, bids 2♣ Drury

EAST

♠ Q 9 8 6 2

♥ J 8

♦ J 9 3

♣ K Q 3

9 HCP — passes throughout

WEST

♠ 10 7

♥ 10 4 2

♦ 10 8 5 2

♣ A 10 6 2

6 HCP — passes throughout

Auction explained: North opens 1♥ in 4th seat with a genuine full-value 15 HCP hand. South, a passed hand with 11 HCP and 3-card heart support, bids 2♣ Drury. North's 2♦ (Reverse Drury) confirms full value. Now South knows: opener has a real opening bid, combined count is 26 HCP with a good heart fit. South bids 4♥. The game is cold — AQ in hearts, plus all the outside controls mean 4♥ makes easily. Without Drury, South might have only bid 2♥ (too conservative) or jumped to game on pure guesswork.

Common Partnership Misunderstandings

1. "We Hadn't Agreed Which Version of Drury to Play"

You bid 2♣ Drury. Partner has a sub-minimum hand. Playing Regular Drury, the sign-off is 2♦. But partner is playing Reverse Drury and rebids 2♦ thinking it means "full value." You now take a game try based on false information — and end up in a failing contract. This is the single most common Drury disaster.

Fix: Agree explicitly before every session: "Regular Drury (2♦ = negative/sign-off) or Reverse Drury (2♦ = positive/full-value, 2♥/2♠ = sign-off)?" Write the agreed version on the convention card. Reverse Drury is the modern standard and recommended for new partnerships.

2. "I Used Drury in 1st or 2nd Seat"

A player bids 2♣ Drury after partner's 1♠ opening in first seat. But Drury only applies when the 2♣ bidder is a passed hand — someone who passed in first or second seat. In first or second seat, 1♠ is presumed to be a full-value opening, so there's nothing to ask. A 2♣ bid in that position shows clubs naturally or is the beginning of a 2♣ forcing auction depending on the system.

Fix: Drury requires two conditions: (a) YOU are a passed hand, AND (b) partner opened in 3rd or 4th seat. If either condition is missing, Drury is not applicable. In 1st/2nd seat, use standard forcing responses (2♣ natural or game-forcing depending on your system).

3. "Partner Forgot 2♣ Was Drury and Treated It as Natural Clubs"

You bid 2♣ Drury and partner, unfamiliar with the convention or momentarily forgetting, responds to your "club suit." They might bid 2♦ as a preference (trying to help you find the minor), or 3♣ as a raise. The auction becomes a comedy of errors because the two players are having completely different conversations.

Fix: This is an alerting and preparation issue. The 2♣ Drury bid must be alerted by opener's partner (or announced by responder in some jurisdictions). Before play, run through the convention verbally: "After you open 1♥ or 1♠ in 3rd/4th seat and I have passed, my 2♣ is Drury — not clubs." Consistent pre-game review prevents in-session surprises.

Practice Sequences

6 complete sequences covering the main Drury situations and variations.

Sequence 1 — Reverse Drury: Sign-Off (Sub-Minimum Opener)

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♠
P	2♣*	P	2♠**
P	P
Drury (max passed hand, spade support). *Reverse Drury sign-off — South opened light (10–11 HCP). North passes 2♠.

Sequence 2 — Reverse Drury: Full Value → Game Accepted

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♥
P	2♣*	P	2♦**
P	4♥	P	P
Drury. *Reverse Drury positive (full-value opening). North has enough to bid game directly — 4♥. All pass.

Sequence 3 — Two-Way Drury: 4-Card Support Response

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♠
P	2♦*	P	4♠
P	P
*Two-Way Drury — 4-card spade support, max passed hand. South has full 14 HCP and bids game knowing the 9-card fit exists.

Sequence 4 — Regular Drury: 2♦ as Sign-Off (Original Version)

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♥
P	2♣*	P	2♦**
P	2♥	P	P
Drury. *Regular Drury negative — sub-minimum opening. North bids 2♥ (sign off) and all pass. (Compare Sequence 2 — same 2♦ bid, opposite meaning in Reverse Drury.)

Sequence 5 — Drury Turned Off by Competition

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♠
2♥	3♠*	P	4♠
P	P
After West's 2♥ overcall, Drury is off. North makes a competitive 3♠ raise (natural). South with full values bids game.

Sequence 6 — Drury → Slam Probe After Full-Value Response

West	North	East	South
P	P	P	1♠
P	2♣*	P	2♦**
P	3♠	P	4NT
P	5♣	P	6♠
P	P
Drury. *Full value. North raises to 3♠ (game interest). South with 17 HCP probes with 4NT (RKCB). 5♣ shows 0 or 3 keycards — slam bid.

Expert Mistakes

Even experienced players using Drury encounter these pitfalls. Awareness is the best prevention.

Mistake 1: Not Agreeing Regular vs. Reverse Drury Before the Session

Two experienced players sit together. Both know Drury but have played different versions throughout their careers. One plays Regular; the other plays Reverse. Neither checks before play. On the second board of the session, the sign-off bid (2♦ in one version, 2♥/2♠ in the other) is misread as a positive response. A bad game goes minus three, a top to the opponents.

Fix: Make it a pre-game habit: "We're playing Reverse Drury — 2♦ over 2♣ Drury is the positive (full value), 2♥/2♠ is the sign-off." Thirty seconds of clarification prevents disasters. Write it clearly on the convention card for opponents to see.

Mistake 2: Using Drury With Only 2-Card Support

A passed hand with 10 HCP and ♠Kx (2-card support) bids 2♣ Drury, figuring the king is "good enough." Opener treats it as 3-card support and bids game expecting a decent trump fit. The 7-card fit proves fragile — trump control is lost early and game fails on a ruff.

Fix: Drury requires a minimum of 3-card support, and ideally includes a meaningful honor (Qxx, Kxx, or better). With only doubleton support and 10 HCP, bid naturally — perhaps 1NT or a new suit. The whole premise of Drury is that you're offering a genuine trump fit; without it, the information misleads opener.

Mistake 3: Failure to Alert Drury Properly at the Table

Responder bids 2♣ without alerting. The opponents, thinking it shows clubs, make poor decisions based on the incorrect information. When the Drury misunderstanding comes to light, it can result in a director call, adjusted scores, and frustration for everyone. Failure to alert a conventional bid is an ACBL rules violation.

Fix: Alert the 2♣ Drury bid immediately. Say "alert" and be ready to explain: "2♣ is Drury — an artificial bid showing a maximum passed hand with support for the major. It does not show clubs." Also alert opener's response (especially 2♦ in Reverse Drury). Consistent alerting respects the opponents and keeps the game honest.

Convention Card

How to document Drury on your ACBL convention card, in the "Passed Hand" and "Slam/Game Conventions" sections.

PASSED HAND CONVENTIONS — DRURY

Convention: Drury ✓ (2♣ over 1♥/1♠ in 3rd/4th seat is artificial by passed hand)

Version: Reverse Drury (2♦ = full value positive; 2♥/2♠ = sub-min sign-off)

Applies when: Responder is a passed hand; opener bids 1♥/1♠ in 3rd or 4th seat; uncontested

2♣ shows: 3+ card support, 10–11 HCP (maximum passed hand). Alert required.

2♦ by opener = Full-value opening (13+ HCP). Alert required.

2♥/2♠ by opener = Sub-minimum opening — sign off here. Alert required.

2-Way Drury: 2♣ = 3-card support; 2♦ = 4-card support (if played — confirm with partner)

Competition: OFF — Drury does not apply after any opponent bid or double

QUICK REFERENCE — REVERSE DRURY

Responder's 2♣ Max passed hand (10–11 HCP), 3+ trump support

Opener's 2♦ Full value (13+ HCP) — positive response

Opener's 2♥/2♠ Sub-minimum — sign off in the major

Opener's 4♥/4♠ Full value, bidding game directly

Alert reminder: All three bids in the Drury sequence require alerts: (1) responder's 2♣ Drury, (2) opener's 2♦ positive (Reverse), and (3) opener's 2♥/2♠ sign-off (Reverse). Explain meanings clearly to opponents when asked.

Convention card summary text: "Drury: By passed hand, 2♣ over 1♥/1♠ = 3-card raise, max pass (10–11 HCP). Reverse: 2♦ = full value; 2♥/2♠ = sub-min. OFF in competition."