ª © ¨ § BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS : LESSON 4 ª © ¨ §
Opening one of a suit
How responder announces a trump fit
With a good 12 to 21 points (= HCP + length points), you open one of a suit unless your hand qualifies for an opening of 1NT or 2NT.
Which suit do you open?
- The popular bidding method you will use is 'Five-card majors, longer minor'.
- As the best trump suit is usually the one in which your side has the most cards, the basic principle is to open your longest suit.
- And if you have two equally long suits (here meaning five cards or more), open the higher-ranking suit, regardless of the relative strength of the suits.
- An opening bid of 1♥ or 1♠ (the major suits) guarantees a minimum of five cards (hence the label 'Five-Card Majors')
- If your hand does not contain a five-card or longer major (four is not enough), you must open your longer minor suit (clubs or diamonds) even if it is only a 3-card suit.
- With four cards in each minor and no five-card major, open 1♦.
- With three cards in each minor and no five-card major, open 1.
Finding the trump suit
The main purpose of bidding suits is to find a trump fit, preferably in a major. A suit fit of eight cards or more between the partnership is a comfortable majority.
When do we have a trump fit?
- When opener bids one of a major (1M), responder knows there is a fit when holding three cards in opener's major, which must be at least five cards long.
- When opener bids one of a minor (1m), responder knows there is a certain trump fit only when holding five or more cards in opener's suit, which may be only three cards long.
- When opener bids notrumps, responder will know there is a suit fit with a six-card suit, as opener must hold at least two of every suit in a balanced hand.
Announcing a suit fit
When partner has opened one of a major suit, responder usually tells opener at once when there is a suit fit by also bidding the opened suit. This is called raising opener's suit. And the strength of responder's hand determines how high to raise.
To assess this strength in the light of the known trump fit, the responder assigns distributional Points (DP) for such attractive features as shortages:
- For a void add 5 points
- For a singleton add 3 points
- For a doubleton add 1 point
Next responder adds HCP and DP together to find the total points (TP).
Now responder is ready to raise opener in accordance with the following agreements:
Immediate raises by responder
- When responding to an opening bid of one of a major (1♥/♠)
Responder's first priority will be to set opener's major as trumps by raising to the appropriate level whenever the hand contains three-card or more trump support.
If responder's total points (HCP + DP) are
0‑5 TP Pass, with or without a fit
6‑9 TP Raise 1 level to 2M- simple raise
Exception: If you hold 0-7 HCP, 5 or more trumps and a singleton or void – a so-called weak freak or pre-emptive game raise PGR – jump straight to 4M! It may make, or else it takes away useful space from the opponents, who may be quite strong. Just do it!
10‑12 TP Raise 2 levels to 3M - jump raise
13‑15 TP Enough values for game, but too strong to bid game immediately (which signifies a weak freak). Shift to a new suit and bid 4M over opener’s rebid – called a delayed game raise DGR.
- When responding to an opening bid of one of a minor (1♣/1♦)
Responder's priority is to introduce a four-card or longer major suit.
Failing that, responder will bid notrumps if at all reasonable.
Otherwise, responder raises the opened minor with five or more cards in support.
0‑5 TP Pass, with or without a fit
6‑9 TP Simple raise to 2m
10‑12 TP Jump raise to 3m
- Note: No mention is made of raising a minor with 13+ TP. Responder will usually bid another suit or notrumps rather than commit the partnership immediately to playing in the minor suit. Remember that minor suit tricks count for only 20 points each. And a minor suit game is way up at the five-level. The minors aren't called the minors for nothing!
Later raises in the auction
The process of bidding partner's suit at any stage during the auction is called raising and announces that a suit fit has been discovered.
After the opening bid has been made, any new suit introduced by either player, major or minor, guarantees a minimum of 4 cards in that suit. (The label 'five-card majors' applies only to an opening bid of 1M.)
Say, for instance, responder introduces a major suit into the auction in reply to opener's one of a minor, promising only four cards in that major. If opener raises that major, it shows 4-card support.
Any unsupported suit repeated (rebid) by either player now promises at least one card more than it showed the first time, and preferably six if it was the first suit bid by that player. Thus fewer cards are required in the other hand for a suit fit.
Say opener bids 1♥ and responder bids 1♠. If opener rebids 2♥ , she now promises six hearts. If responder still has interest in game she would be able to raise hearts with only two-card support.
- Note: Although an opening bid in a minor promises only three cards, a rebid by opener in that minor shows preferably six, but only five on a bad day e.g. with 4♦s and 5♣s.
Suit responses to a 1NT opening (15-17)
With an unbalanced hand, responder may elect to play in a suit instead of notrumps. Whenever responder has a 6 card or longer suit there must be a suit fit because opener's hand is balanced and must contain at least a doubleton in any suit.
- Responding to 1NT with a 6-card major Responder should always elect to play with the long major as trumps by bidding:
0‑9 TP 2 of the Major (also with 5 cards)
10‑15 TP 4 M
16‑21 TP 6 M* {or 3M followed by
22+ TP 7 M* 4NT Blackwood }
Opener must pass whenever responder, who is master of the auction, chooses one of these terminal bids.
- Responding with a 6-card minor
When the partnership has the 25-32 HCP needed to make game, the nine-trick 3NT game is usually easier to make than eleven in five of a minor even though responder's is not balanced.
Responder bids:
0‑7 TP 2 of the minor
8‑9 TP 2NT
10‑15 TP 3NT
16‑21 TP 6m* {or 3m followed by
21+ TP 7m* 4NT Blackwood }
*Making slam (or grand slam) requires not only 12 (or 13) tricks - you would also like to know beforehand that the opponents cannot defeat you immediately by cashing two aces (or one against a grand slam).
There is a useful convention called Simple Blackwood designed to prevent this catastrophe. A sudden leap to 4NT (except immediately after an opening bid in notrumps) asks partner how many aces she holds.
The coded replies to 4NT Blackwood are:
5♣ = 0 or 4, 5♦ = 1, 5♥= 2, 5♠ = 3.
The asker can then decide whether it is sensible to bid on to slam or else bail out in five of the trump suit if two aces are missing.
Suit responses to a 2NT opening(20-21)
As opener is now stronger, responder needs fewer points to be able to bid on to game, small slam or grand slam. You can easily work out the numbers required for yourself!
Playing suit contracts
You generally elect to play in a suit contract because you have an unbalanced hand and more trumps than the opponents. You can often afford to rid the opponents of their trumps (to draw trumps) and still have trumps left later for the purpose of making extra tricks by trumping (ruffing).
By drawing trumps you eliminate the danger of opponents trumping your winners with small trumps that would otherwise not win tricks.
You should count how many trumps are outstanding and stop playing trumps as soon as the last outstanding trump has appeared.
Sometimes you postpone drawing trumps to attend to more urgent business.
QUIZ
- What opening bid would you make with each of the following hand
a. ♠ Jxxxx ♥ AKxxx ♦ Ax ♣ x
b. ♠ Axxx ♥ KQxx ♦ A ♣ Qxxx
c. ♠ AKxx ♥ AJxx ♦ Qxx ♣ xx
d. ♠ Kx ♥ AQx ♦ Jxxx ♣ AKQx
e. ♠ AKQx ♥ Kxx ♦ Jxx ♣ Jxx
f. ♠ Kx ♥ QJxxx ♦ KQJ ♣ Axx
- What is your response to partner's opening 1♥?
a. ♠ xx ♥ Qxx ♦Axx ♣KQJxx
b. ♠ Kxx ♥ Qxx ♦AJxxx ♣xx
c. ♠ Kx ♥ Qxx ♦xx ♣ Jxxxx - What is your response to partner's opening 1♦?
a. ♠ ATxx ♥ xx ♦ QJxxx ♣ Jx
b. ♠ Axx ♥ x ♦ xxxxx ♣ Qxxx
c. ♠ KJx ♥ Ax ♦ Qxxxx ♣ Kxx
- What is your response to a 1NT opening?
a. ♠ Jxx ♥ Qxxxxx ♦ x ♣ xxx
b. ♠ x ♥ Jxx ♦ Kxx ♣ KQJxxx
c. ♠ KTxxxx ♥ QJx ♦ Qxx ♣ x
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Board 1 Dlr: N Nil vul
NORTH
♠ 96
♥ A9652
♦ AJ4
♣ A52
WEST EAST
♠ AK532 ♠ QJT74
♥ J8 ♥ T4
♦ 7 ♦ T853
♣ KT983 ♣ QJ
SOUTH
♠ 8
♥ KQ73
♦ KQ962
♣ 764
Bidding: N E S W
1♥ P 2♦ P
3♦ P 4♥
(An expert pair might well bid to small slam via a splinter response of 3♠, but a little early in your career to go down that track!)
With 13TP and at least a nine-card trump fit, South bids game in the major via a DGR beginning with 2♦. North prefers to rebid 3♦ (ideally promising 4 ♦s) rather than 2NT with such weak spades. East leads ♠Q (top of a sequence). If West allows ♠Q to win, East's most attractive switch (= change of suit when on lead) since dummy is now void in spades, is to §Q, again top of a sequence, and West wins with the ace and returns a club.
As declarer, you take stock. You can count 11 top tricks ‑ 5 hearts, 5 diamonds and ♣A.
Before the 5 diamond tricks can be taken, the opposition's 4 trumps must be drawn. Hence you play two rounds of hearts and when the defenders follow to both, stop playing trumps.
Next play ♦A & ♦J (honours from the short hand) and then ♦4 to ♦KQ9, discarding ♣2 and ♣5 and on dummy's last two diamonds.
Don't discard a spade because a twelfth trick can be made by trumping a spade in dummy.
Well done if you made your two overtricks for a score of 6x30 + 300 = 480.
**********
Board 2 Dlr: E NS Vul
NORTH
♠ QT86
♥ AK54
♦ T3
♣ T87
WEST EAST
♠ K9 ♠ A4
♥ 2 ♥ QJ6
♦ AQ962 ♦ KJ754
♣AK962 ♣ QJ3
SOUTH
♠ J7532
♥ T9873
♦ 8
♣ 54
Bidding: E S W N
1♦ P 4NT* P
5♦* P 6♦
West has 20TP in support of diamonds and so might choose to boldly bid small slam at once. But it is much wiser to check via the Blackwood 4NT convention in case between you, two aces are missing.
Since East's reply to 4NT is 5♦, showing one ace - only one is missing. West can bid 6♦ happily.
South leads ♥T (top of a sequence). North wins with the king. It is customary when following suit as a defender to win - or attempt to win - with the lowest of a sequence.
This is a sensible convention, not a nitpicky rule sent to torture you. The idea is to give partner as much help as possible. When North plays the king, South knows she has the ace as well (since declarer would presumably win if holding the ace). But if North plays the ace, South knows that declarer now has a winning heart.
Don't confuse this with playing the top card of a sequence when you are leading to the trick.
Knowing from partner's lead that declarer holds ♥QJ, North might switch either to a safe trump or to ♠6 (a low card conventionally suggesting a lead from an honour).
As always, you pause as declarer to consider your plan. You should be able to win 5 trump tricks, 5 club tricks, and 2 spades.
Win the spade switch and draw the enemy trumps in two rounds.
Only now is it quite safe to play your club winners. Make sure you start with QJ (honours from the short hand) and then across to the ace, king and 9, discarding two hearts from your hand.
Small slam bid and made for a score of 6x20 + 300 + 500 = 920.
Board 3 Dlr: S EW Vul
NORTH
♠ A98
♥ KJ5
♦ A762
♣ A94
WEST EAST
♠ KQJT ♠ 6542
♥ 94 ♥ A8
♦ J84 ♦ KQT93
♣ JT73 ♣ 85
SOUTH
♠ 73
♥ QT7632
♦ 5
♣ KQ62
Bidding: S W N E
P P 1NT P
4♥
South and West are not strong enough to open the bidding at the one level. (Later, in Lesson Nine, you will discover that South's hand is suitable for an opening at the two level of a weak 2♥.)
When North opens 1NT (showing a balanced 15-17 HCP) South knows that there must be at least an 8-card heart fit. In that case her 7 HCP are upgraded via distributional points for the singleton and doubleton to 11 TP, enough for game.
West leads ♠K. As declarer you can count 10 tricks - 5 hearts, 3 clubs, 1 spade and 1 diamond.
First you must draw trumps, even though you do not hold the ace. Make sure you play a high trump to flush out the ace. Then when you regain the lead you must play a second round of trumps to draw out all the opposing trumps.
Now ♣A (honour from the short hand) followed by ♣KQ can be cashed without fear they may be ruffed by East‑West.
As West still has the winning §J, you can trump the losing §6 with dummy's remaining trump and make 11 tricks for a score of 5x30 + 300 = 450.
If you played too many trumps earlier, instead of merely drawing trumps, you will lose a club because there is no trump left in dummy to ruff your loser and thus make only 10 tricks for 420.
**********
Board 4 Dlr:W All Vul
NORTH
♠ T9763
♥ 93
♦ 86
♣ 7543
WEST EAST
♠ 5 ♠ AJ84
♥ K75 ♥ AQ82
♦ KJ9754 ♦ AQ2
♣ K62 ♣ A8
SOUTH
♠ KQ2
♥ JT64
♦ T3
♣ QJT9
Bidding: W N E S
P P 2NT P
6♦
West is a little too weak for a 1♦ opening. (Lesson 9 will show you that the West hand qualifies as a weak 2♦ opening!)
East opens 2NT to show a balanced 20-21 HCP. As in the previous hand, responder knows there is a fit when she holds a 6-card suit. Her hand is worth 13 TP, enough for small slam - 6♦.
- Note: It is worth mentioning that 4NT by West would NOT be Blackwood after a 2NT opening. It would ask opener to pass with a bare 20 and bid 6NT with a good 21.
North leads ♠T. As declarer you can count 12 top tricks - 6 trumps, 1 spade, 3 hearts and 2 clubs. Can you do even better?
An extra trick can be made by trumping a club in the short trump hand, dummy. Win the opening lead with dummy's ace and draw trumps - only two rounds are needed.
Now you play ♣A, a club to the king and ruff your last club with dummy's remaining trump. As in the previous deal, you can see how wise it may be not to play more trumps than are necessary to draw the enemy trumps. You must now make all 13 tricks.
Vulnerable small slam with an overtrick for a score of 7x20 + 500 + 750 = 1390.
ANSWERS TO QUIZ
- a. 1♠ - higher-ranking of two 5-card suits
b. 1♣ - longer m(inor) in the absence of a 5-card M(ajor)
c. 1♦ - the same. Only ever 3♦s with this exact shape.
d. 1♦ - with 4-4 in the minors & no 5M, too strong for 1NT, too weak for 2NT
e. 1♣ - with 3-3 in the minors & no 5M
f. 1NT - with any 5-3-3-2 & 15-17 HCP - a. 2♣, planning a DGR to 4♥ next, with support and 13TP.
b. 3♥ - jump raise with 3+♥s & 10-12 TP
c. 2♥ - simple raise with 3+ ♥s & 6-9 TP
- a. 1♠ - explore for major suit fit first even with a minor suit fit
b. 2♦ - no 4+M, unbalanced, 5+♦s & 6-9 TP
c. 2NT - enough values for game, no 4+M, easier contract than 5♦ with a balanced 13-15 (more next lesson)
- a. 2♥ - 6+ ♥s (maybe only 5) & 0-8 TP - notrumps looks horrible
b. 3NT - 9 tricks easier than 11
c. 4♠ - with 6 ♠s there is a fit & 11 TP
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOW’S MY PROGRESS AFTER LESSON FOUR?
- What point range is indicated by an opening bid of one of a suit?
- What is the minimum number of points required to respond to an opening bid of one of a suit?
- What about responding to an opening 1NT bid? How weak can you be?
- With, say, 14 HCP, what is my opening bid with each of the following hand shapes?
a. ♠xxxx ♥xxxx ♦xxx ♣xx
b. ♠xxxxx ♥x ♦xxxxxx ♣x
c. ♠xxx ♥xxxx ♦xxx ♣xxx
d. ♠xxx ♥xx ♦xxxx ♣xxxx
e. ♠xxxxx ♥xxxxx ♦xx ♣x
f. ♠xxx ♥x ♦xxxx ♣xxxxx - How many cards in the combined hands constitute a trump fit?
- If partner opens one of a major, how many cards in that suit do I need in order to raise?
- And if she opens one of a minor?
- Even if I know I have a fit with opener’s minor, & at least 6 TP, when do I choose not to raise?
- When, and only when, do I count distributional points?
- How do I assign distributional points?
- How many total points required for a simple raise of one of a suit to two?
- And for a jump raise of one of a suit to the three level?
- And for a game raise of one of a major to the four level?
- When partner opens in notrumps, how many cards in a suit do I need to guarantee a suit fit?
- What is indicated by the last bid of 5♥ in the following sequence: 1♠ by opener, 3♠ by responder, 4NT by opener and 5♥ by responder?
- What is normally promised by the lead of an honour in an unbid suit against a suit contract?
- How is this different from what is promised by the lead of an honour against notrumps?
- What, exactly, is meant by ‘drawing trumps’?
- Why is it advisable to do so?
- Why is it rarely right to play out all our trumps?
- In a notrump contract, what is the maximum number of tricks to be made from a holding of ♦KQT987 opposite ♦AJ6?
- And the maximum in a diamond contract from the same holding? How?
- If my partner leads a low card and dummy holds only low cards, which card do I play in third seat from QJT? From AK8? From KJT? Why?
- If dummy held Q64 and the four was played, which card do I play in third seat from KJT? Why?
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