Raptor convention


The Raptor 1NT overcall over an opposing 1-level suit opening is a contract bridge convention that indicates a two-suited hand with exactly four cards in the unbid major and a longer suit in an unbid minor.
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 1980s. The name, however, comes from Ron Sutherland and his son who re-invented 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 card minor. One of these suits will be known. For example:
- 1NT shows 5+ diamonds and a 4 card major.
- 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.
Followups: