Improver Lessons 1.When to open your hand 2.Leads and discards 3.No Trumps – transfers and play 4.Defense against a 1NT opener

Improver Lessons When to open your hand

Opening bids 10+ with 6 card suit or two 5 card suits 11+ with good five card suit 12+ any shape Remember a hand with shape ie unbalanced has more value than a flat or balanced hand

Have you got a rebid?

 A K Q x x x x x x x  A K x xx 1 spade rebid 2 hearts  x x x K Q x  A x x x  Q x x Pass as no rebid  K x x x x x  A Q J x x x xx 1 diamond rebid 2D  A K x x Q x x x  A K x  x x 1 heart rebid 1NT

 A K x x x x x  Q J x x x xx 1 spade rebid 2D or 2S  J x x x x AK  xx x x x QQ Pass as no rebid / poor suit quality

But when 3 rd or 4 th in hand…… Pass Pass / ? ?

When can you open? points 2.11 points + 7 or fewer loser hand 3.11 points and suit quality of 7+ 4.Rule of 20 5.Pearsons points

12+ points Open at 1 level with points Open 2NT with points Open 2C with 20+points unbalanced 23+ any shape 4 loser or better hand and a long suit

What would you open these hands?  A K x x K x x x  x x x  Q x  A K x x K x x x  A x x  Q x  A K x Q x x x x  x x x  K x

10-11 points + suit quality 7+ Count number of cards in longest suit Count number of honours 10 and J only count as honour if A,K or Q in suit  A x x K Q x x x  Q x x  x x  A Q x K x x xx  Q x x  x x  A x x Q Jx x x  A xx  x x

11 points + 7 loser trick count or better Each suit has A,K Q Count how many in each suit you are missing  A K x x K x x x x  x x  J x  A K x x K x x  x x x  J x x  A K x xx  Q J T x x  x x

Aces and Kings are not losers (except a singleton King) Queens may or may not be losers depending on the supporting honors. Here is a listing of honor card combinations and associated LTC losers: – Void = 0 – A = 0 – A K = 0 – A K Q = 0 – A K x [x x...] = 1 – A Q x [x...] = 1 (tripleton or more) – A x = 1 – A x x [x...] = 2 – K = 1 – K x = 1 – K x x [x...] = 2 – K Q = 1 – Q J [x...] = 2

Can you open these hands?  A K x x K x x x x  J x  x x  A K x x K x x  x x x  J x x  A K x x Q x x x  J x x  J x

Rule of 20 Count total points Count number of cards in 2 longest suits Add two numbers together If total adds up to 20+, open the hand  A K x x K x x x x  x x  J x 1 heart

Pearsons points Count total points Count number of cards in spade suit Add two numbers together If total adds up to 15+, open the hand  A K x x x K x x  J x x  x x x 1 spade

 A K Q x x x x x x  A K x  x x 1 heart  x x x K Q x  A x x x  J x x Pass  K x x x x x  A Q J x x x xx 1 diamond  A K x x Q x x x  A K x  x x 1 heart