ª©¨§ BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS : LESSON 2 ª©¨§
ª©¨§ BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS : LESSON 2 ª©¨§
Opening the bidding
Opening balanced hands of various strengths
Starting with the dealer, each player in turn has the opportunity to be the first to open the bidding. With fewer than a good 12 points you normally pass (exceptions in Lesson 9 when we look at weak hands with good(ish) long suits) and let someone else open.
A 'good' 12 might be one with a 5-card suit headed by at least one of the top three honours, or a hand with points concentrated in two suits. It is a hand that does not have a preponderance of queens & jacks - such an unappealing hand is wonderfully described as quacky. Also, a 12-count with lone queens or jacks in a short suit is not so good. Prefer to have your lower honours accompanying other honours in longer suits.
Thus it may be wiser to pass with
ªQJx ♥Kxxx ♦QJx §QJx or
ªAxx ♥KJx ♦Qxxx §Qxx,
but very reasonable to open with:
ªx ♥AQxx ♦KQJx §xxxx or
ªKJT ♥QJx ♦AJTxx §xx
That was certainly the way I was taught when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
But modern theory holds that it’s a bidder’s game. Get in there if at all
possible. And no tournament players today would pass with either hand above.
Even non-quacky hands with 10 or 11 HCP are opened at the one level when they have shape, hands such as ªx ♥AQTxxx ♦Axx ♣xxx or ªKxxx ♥x ♦AKJxx ♣xxx. ‘Just do it!’ is the modern catchcry.
If you have 13 or more points, either as dealer or if the players before you have all passed, then you must open the bidding.
Balanced and unbalanced hands
The choice of opening bid is determined by the shape of your hand. The shape depends on the way in which the 13 cards are distributed among the four suits. If you have an even distribution of the four suits the hand is balanced. The way you tell partner you have a balanced shape is by bidding notrumps as soon as the strength of your hand permits.
A balanced hand has no missing suits (voids), no one-card suits (singletons), and at most one two-card suit (doubleton). Thus the only balanced distributions are:
a. xxx b. xxxx c. xxx
xxxx xx xxx
xxx xxx xxxxx
xxx xxxx xx
Each x above represents any card, regardless of rank.
hand (a) is a 4‑3‑3‑3 shape
hand (b) is a 4‑4‑3‑2 shape
hand (c) is a 5‑3‑3‑2 shape
All other hand patterns are unbalanced.
How to bid balanced hands
Count HCP to assess strength, adding one point for a strong 5-card suit. Then, with:
0‑11 HCP Pass
15‑17 HCP Open 1NT
20‑21 HCP Open 2NT
And what about balanced hands outside these notrump opening ranges?
- 12-14 HCP balanced
Bid 1 of a suit intending to rebid notrumps at the lowest level unless you immediately uncover a major suit fit.
- 18‑19 HCP balanced
Bid 1 of a suit, planning to jump one level in notrumps unless you find a major fit
- 22 + HCP balanced
Open 2♣ (a conventional bid to show any very strong hand - Lesson 9)
Thus with a balanced hand of any strength the principle is to open with notrumps if the HCP fit, or rebid notrumps at your first opportunity unless a major suit fit is immediately discovered.
Which suit do I open?
To assess your hand for opening purposes add your HCP and next add an additional point for every card more than 4 in your long suits.
Then use the following guide:
0‑11 pts Pass
12‑21 pts Open 1 of a suit (occasionally 2♣)
22 + pts Open 2♣
When you play, as we do, a 'Five-Card Major System', the general principle is to open:
- your longest suit unless that suit is only a 4-card major
- the higher-ranked of two equally long (5+) suits
- your longer minor when your longest suit has only 4 cards
- 1♦ with no 5-card major & 4-4 in the minors
- 1♣ with no 5-card major & 3-3 in the minors
The opening bids of 2♦/♥/♠ and 3 or 4 or 5 of a suit are reserved for weaker hands with long suits. (Lesson 7)
Responding to an opening one of a suit
A reply to partner's opening is called a response. At this stage you need only know that opener's partner, who is called the responder, must reply to an opening of one of a suit with 6+ points. Then the partnership can explore for a trump suit and decide on the final level.
This lesson concentrates on notrump bidding and responding with balanced hands.
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Responding to notrump openings with balanced hands
Responding to an opening of 1NT
With an unbalanced hand responder will not only have to decide what level to reach, but also which suit, if any, should be trumps. How this is done will be covered next time.
With a balanced hand facing opener's balanced hand, responder knows that the final strain should be notrumps. Playing in a trump contract is best only when there are shortages so that tricks can be made from ruffing (trumping).
Balanced hand responses to 1NT
0‑7 HCP Pass - can't have 25 between you
8‑9 HCP 2NT invite - may have enough
10‑15 HCP 3NT enough for game, but not slam
16‑17 HCP 4NT invite slam
18‑19 HCP 6NT enough HCP for small slam only
20-21 HCP 5NT enough for small or grand slam & asks partner to choose
22+ HCP 7NT enough HCP for grand slam
This is not an arbitrary list of figures to be memorized. Understand the logic below and you will find it much easier to know how to respond.
As responder you know that opener holds 15‑17 HCP. If the combined total is 16‑24, game is most likely not on. Signal this by passing 1NT. If the total is 25‑32 bid 3NT, game. If the tally is 33‑36 HCP, 6NT, small slam, should be bid. And with 37 or more bid 7NT, grand slam.
As responder, because you know the combined tally, you are in charge of the bidding. Responder is the master of the auction. Thus all bids of game or slam by responder are final decisions which opener must pass.
Invitations by responder
Sometimes as responder, even though you know the combined tally, you cannot be sure if the values for game or slam are there. Why? Because you do not know if opener is bottom of her range or top.
For example, with 8‑9HCP as responder you know that the partnership may have the 25 needed for the game of 3NT. It is foolish to guess, or to optimistically bid 3NT or pessimistically pass, depending on your personality, if there is a better option. And there is! Respond 2NT which invites opener to bid game unless minimum.
Similarly, holding 16‑17HCP as responder, when the 33 needed for small slam is possible, responder invites slam by bidding 4NT.
With these two invitations, opener is expected to pass with 15, and go on with a good 16 or with 17. A 'good' 16 is just about any hand that is not an aceless 4-3-3-3. A 5-card suit is especially attractive - add one length point.
With 20-21, responder bids 5NT to invite opener to choose between 6NT(min) &7NT(max). This is a very rare bid and you have my full permission to forget it!
Responding to a 2NT opening (which shows 20-21 HCP balanced)
4‑11 HCP 3NT12 HCP 4NT
13‑15 HP 6NT
16 HCP 5NT
17 + HCP 7NT
With an unbalanced hand responder will choose a trump suit - to be dealt with next time.
With a balanced hand responder calculates the combined assets of the partnership in exactly the same way as over a 1NT opening before passing, bidding game or slam, or inviting to slam.
0 -3 HCP Pass
Again, 4NT is an invitation to small slam and 5NT asks opener to choose between small slam and grand slam. Immediate game and slam bids by responder are terminal bids by the master of the auction.
BIDDING QUIZ Answers below
- What opening bid do you make with each of the following hands?
a. ♠A ♥AQT2 ♦K43 ♣K9752
b. ♠A74 ♥632 ♦A6 ♣AKJ72
c. ♠J7532 ♥A5 ♦AKQ72 ♣3
d. ♠K95 ♥AQ3 ♦J752 ♣AKQ
e. ♠AKQ ♥85 ♦KQJT ♣AK73
f. ♠K53 ♥Q7542 ♦AJ6 ♣A4
- What is your response to partner's 1NT opening with each of the following hands?
a. ♠J42 ♥Q96 ♦K32 ♣7542
b. ♠752 ♥63 ♦A92 ♣KQJ73
c. ♠KJ5 ♥AQJ7 ♦KQ4 ♣Q92
d. ♠KT5 ♥72 ♦QJT63 ♣Q74
e. ♠A93 ♥KQ76 ♦AK ♣AQ42
f. ♠KQ5 ♥A2 ♦753 ♣AK972
Playing notrump hands
As declarer you should first count your sure tricks when dummy goes down - the aces, kings and other honours that are immediate winners.
If there are not enough to make your contract, you will have to devise ways of establishing extra winners. It is normal to play first on the suit in which you are likely to establish the most tricks - often the suit with the most cards in the combined hands - even if it means losing the lead to the opponents. You can usually afford to let the defenders win a trick early in the play if they do not hold enough winners to defeat you at this time.
A useful guide to developing enough tricks to make your contract is to do your losing early, if there is a profit in it.
Generally it is a bad move to play on the suit that the opponents have led because this is usually their side's longest and strongest suit. When you have two or three suits that are equally long, then play first in the stronger suit, the one that contains the most honour cards.
How to play your long suit
Play the high card(s) from the hand that has the least number of cards, the short hand, first. This avoids blocking the suit. When you start winning tricks from the long hand, you will be able to take the maximum number of tricks possible in an uninterrupted way.
For example, imagine the following heart holding:
YOU DUMMY
♥ AK742 ♥ Q9
The easiest way to cash your winners is to play first the queen - the honour in the short hand. (Don't worry if the lead is in your own hand. Simply play a low one from your hand across to dummy's queen.) Then play the nine back to your ace and king. If the opponents' cards are distributed 3-2, you will be able to take five tricks on the trot.
On the other hand, if you play the ace (or king) first and then a low one to the queen you will, at least temporarily, be stuck in dummy. You will be said to have blocked the suit. You will have to return to your hand via another suit. In bridge jargon you need to have an outside entry to your winning hearts. And if you don't have that entry your winners will be stranded, waving forlornly at you from their desert island.
Count the missing cards in long suits
When running off tricks in your long suits always follow this rule: first count how many cards you have between dummy and your hand. Deduct this number from 13 and you will then have the defenders' total card count in the suit.
Now as you cash your tricks, count the number of cards played by your opponents each round. You will then know if any small cards left in your hand, or in dummy, are now winners.
Board 1 Dlr:N Nil Vul
NORTH
♠ K6
♥ A74
♦ KQ83
♣ KQ76
WEST EAST
♠ 8532 ♠ QJT94
♥ KQ92 ♥ T83
♦ T4 ♦ J75
♣ T83 ♣ J2
SOUTH
♠ A7
♥ J65
♦ A962
♣ A954
Bidding: N E S W
1NT P 3NT
North shows a balanced 15-17. South, holding a balanced 13-count, knows that notrumps is a good place to play and that their combined assets are 28-30, enough for game but not slam. Thus she takes charge by jumping to the game contract of 3NT.
Hoping to establish winners in his long suit East leads ♠Q – top of a sequence, promising, against a notrump contract, ♠JT as well, or possibly ♠J9. (Without such a sequence e.g. Q9642, the fourth highest card is conventionally led, in this case the four.)
You take stock as declarer. There are nine sure tricks - two in spades, one in hearts and three in both clubs and diamonds. Look for overtricks.
Which suit should you play on first? Either clubs or diamonds - they are the same length and equally strong. In each suit you should be thinking: we have 8 cards and they have 5.
Now as the ace, king and queen are cashed, the defenders both follow on the first 2 rounds and their remaining card falls on the third round. Thus all their cards in the suit have gone and the last club and diamond will become tricks 10 and 11.
Make sure you notice what suit was discarded by the defender who had only a doubleton in the suit led. If you play diamonds first, for example, West might decide to discard a club on the third round of diamonds.
Well done if, by counting the opponents' cards, you made two overtricks in your non-vulnerable game for a score of 5x30 + 10 + 300 = 460.
Board 2 Dlr:E NS Vul
NORTH
♠ JT42
♥ 7532
♦ J94
♣ 84
WEST EAST
♠ AK7 ♠ Q986
♥ A84 ♥ K6
♦ K632 ♦ AQ5
♣ KJ7 ♣ AQT9
SOUTH
♠ 53
♥ QJT9
♦ T87
♣ 6532
Bidding: E S W N
1NT P 6NT
East opens 1NT. With 18 HCP West knows that the partnership assets are 33-35 HCP, enough for small slam but not more. She leaps immediately to 6NT - no pussyfooting by the master of the auction.
South leads ♥Q, again top of a sequence, promising JT or J9. As declarer you can count twelve sure tricks, three spades, two hearts, three diamonds and four clubs.
While that is very reassuring, it is always necessary to look for more – matchpointed duplicate games reward greed! Where could an extra trick come from?
You have seven cards in both spades and diamonds, and so the opponents have six. If either of those suits breaks 3-3, you will make an extra trick. Of course, when you play off each of those suits you will have to count.
First win ♥K and play out your winning clubs. Why? Because a foolish defender may throw away a vital spade or diamond. (But North will discard 2 small hearts and hang on to her promising 4-card spade holding.)
Play first a small club to the king (the short club hand), play §J and then back to your 2 club winners in hand, discarding dummy's ♥8. Watch carefully what North discards.
Defenders should be very unwilling to discard from any 4-card holding (except 5432!) when dummy holds four or more or when declarer may do so.
Next you might try spades by playing small to dummy's ace and king (the short spade hand) and then back to the queen. Alas there is still a spade out - your ♠9 is not a winner. This time, watch what South discards.
Now try your luck in diamonds. First play ♦AQ (from the short diamond hand) and over to dummy's king observing that ♦6 is a winner.
You have 13 tricks in your non-vulnerable slam for a score of 7x30 + 10 + 300 + 500 = 1020.
Board 3 Dlr:S EW Vul
NORTH
♠ KQJ4
♥ JT53
♦ QT4
♣ 62
WEST EAST
♠ 87 ♠ T653
♥ A87 ♥ K94
♦ 865 ♦ A7
♣ JT983 ♣ Q754
SOUTH
♠ A92
♥ Q62
♦ KJ932
♣ AK
Bidding: S W N E
1NT P 2NT P
3NT
When South opens 1NT, North cannot guarantee the combined values for game as she holds only 9 HCP opposite 15-17. But since game is possible if partner does not hold a minimum, North takes charge by inviting game with a bid of 2NT. South, with a super-maximum, accepts.
West leads ♣J (promising T9 as well) hoping to establish some eventual winners in his long suit. A bridge player does not even think of leading ©A – that high card is a useful entry back to his hand later. Beginners love to lead aces. Try instead to take a longer-term view – invest in the future.
As declarer you can count only six sure tricks, four spades and two clubs. Where will the extra tricks come from?
Your diamonds are strong, missing only the ace. By driving out ¨A, you can establish four tricks in diamonds. Do your losing early when there is a profit in it. By losing one diamond you will establish four tricks - an excellent investment.
Win ♣A and play a small diamond to dummy's queen (the short diamond hand) and continue with the ten (still the honour in the short hand) if necessary to drive out the ace.
You will always be able to make 10 tricks for a score of 4x30 + 10 + 300 = 430.
Board 4 Dlr:W All Vul
NORTH
♠ 8652
♥ QJT62
♦ T93
♣ 3
WEST EAST
♠ KQT ♠ A9
♥ A3 ♥ K75
♦ AQ52 ♦ K864
♣ AQ52 ♣ K764
SOUTH
♠ J743
♥ 984
♦ J7
♣ JT98
Bidding: W N E S
2NT P 6NT
With 13 HCP opposite partner's 20-21, East confidently bids small slam, knowing their combined assets are 33-34.
North leads ♥Q (promising JT or J9). You can count only eleven top tricks - three spades, two hearts, three clubs, and three diamonds. Start planning.
There is a possible extra trick in each minor suit. With eight cards in each minor, if the outstanding five cards fall under the ace, king and queen i.e. if they break 3-2, you will make an extra trick.
Win the ♥K and play three rounds of clubs. No luck - there is still a big club out.
Now try diamonds. After three rounds the opponents have none left - the last diamond is the 12th trick. Phew!
For twelve tricks in your vulnerable small slam you score 6x30 + 10 + 500 + 750 = 1440.
ANSWERS TO QUIZ
- a. 1♣ - unbalanced, open your longest suit
b. 1NT - 16HCP and a balanced 5-3-3-2
c. 1♠ - unbalanced, open the higher ranking of two 5-card suits, regardless of strength
d. 1♦ - 19 HCP, too strong for 1NT, too weak for 2NT - planning to jump in NT next bid
e. 2♣ - 22 HCP- too big for 2NT
f. 1♥ - balanced 14 HCP- too weak for 1NT - planning to rebid cheaply in notrumps unless partner raises hearts
2. a. Pass - no hope of game
b. 3NT - your 10 HCP puts the partnership in the game zone with a combined 25-27
c. 6NT – small slam with a combined 33-36
d. 2NT - 8 HCP + one length point = 9 - invite to game with a combined 24-26
e. 7NT – grand slam with a combined 37-39
f. 4NT - invite to small slam with 32-34 (adding one length point)
HOW’S MY PROGRESS AFTER LESSON TWO?
- What range of points does an opening of one of a suit indicate?
- Which are the three balanced hand shapes?
- How many HCP required to open 1NT?
- And to open 2NT?
- What do you open with a balanced 22+ HCP? An unbalanced 22+?
- What are you required to do if partner responds 3NT, or 6NT or 7NT, to any NT opening?
- And if partner replies 2NT to a 1NT opening?
- Or replies 4NT to an opening of 1/2 NT?
- Or responds 5NT to a 1/2 NT opening?
- Thus, can you work out which of the responses in 6-9 are ‘terminal’? (= 'This is it, partner.')
- Which are ‘invitational’? (= 'Pass, with a bare minimum, partner. Go on with better.')
- And which are ‘forcing’? (= 'Don't pass, partner. You must bid - the auction isn't over yet.')
- Which member of the partnership, after a notrump opening, is the master of the auction?
- Which suit does the opening leader against an uncontested notrump contract normally select? Why?
- Which card is led against notrumps from each of the following holdings:
a. KQJ74
b. KQT74
c. KQ742
d. KJ97
e. QJT8
f. QJ7642
g. JT964
h. QT87?
- How many top tricks is a holding of AQ62 opposite dummy’s ♣K753?
- What is the maximum number of tricks with this holding at notrumps? How?
- What about a holding of AQ3 opposite dummy’s ♣K654 at notrumps? How?
- What particular care must be taken with this holding when K is dummy’s only high card?
- What is the maximum number of tricks holding AQT8 opposite ♣KJ9 at notrumps?
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