Raptor convention

The idea of utilising a 1NT overcall to denote a 5-4 two suiter seems to have originated independently in Sweden and Poland in the early eighties of the twentieth century. The name, however, comes from Ron Sutherland and his son who reinvented this approach and published it in a Toronto magazine in 1993 under the acronym “wRAP around TORonto” style.

When playing Raptor, an overcall of 1NT shows a 4 card major and a longer (5+) card minor. One of these suits will be known. For example: (1) – 1NT shows 5+ diamonds and a 4 card major. (1) – 1NT shows 4 spades and a 5 card minor.

Strength is a matter for partnership agreement. Compared with a natural 2-level overcall, the Raptor 1NT may be safe with fewer points, as it promises two places to play, and it may have a wider range, as it is forcing.

Opener		Overcaller		Meaning
1		1 NT		Shows an unknown 4-card Major suit and a 5/6-card Diamond suit
1		1 NT		Shows an unknown 4-card Major suit and a 5/6-card Club suit
1		1 NT		Shows a 4-card Spade suit and an unknown 5/6-card Minor suit
1		1 NT		Shows a 4-card Heart suit and an unknown 5/6-card Minor suit

Followups:

• A bid of the known suit is to play.
• If the major suit is known, then advancer’s cue bid shows a limit raise of the major (or better)
• If the major suit is unknown, then advancer’s cue bid requests that opener bid his major, and may be weak.
• If the minor suit is unknown, 2 asks overcaller to pass (with clubs) or correct to 2.
• Other bids tend to show values in the suit, and suggest it as trump even if the overcaller is short.