Bridge for Beginners Lesson 7 Starting Bidding Suits

Homework – Hand 1 N1NT  A75 Q98  K63  AJ62  964 J54  QJT9  KQ3 N W E S Dealer N SPass  N has 14 HCP  S has 9 HCP  Total = 23  Not enough for game

Homework – Hand 2 N-3NT  A75 Q98  K63  AJ62  K96 J54  QJT9  KQ3 N W E S Dealer S S1NTPass  S has 12 HCP  N has 14 HCP  Total = 26  Bid the game

Homework – Hand 3 N1NTPass  J6 Q42  AK75  KJ87  75 J9865  432  T92 N W E S Dealer N S 2 2  N has 14 HCP  S has 1 HCP  Total = 15  1NT is a disaster  Bid the weakness take out

Homework – Hand 4 N- 4444  KQJ753 A62  87  K5  T2 K53  A962  AQ97 N W E S Dealer S S1NTPass  S has 13 HCP  N has 14 HCP  Total = 27  N bids the game with a known fit

Homework – Hand 5 N1NT 4 4  KQJ7 A62  87  K953  A52 KT953  K2  AT7 N W E S Dealer N S 3 3 Pass  N has 13 HCP  S has 14 HCP  Total = 27  S shows the 5 card major  And enough for game  N agrees the suit with 3 card support

Homework – Hand 6 N-4NT  KQJ7 AQJ  A76  K92  A52 KT53  K32  AT7 N W E S Dealer S S1NT6NT  S has 14 HCP  N has 20 HCP  Total = 34  S opens 1NT  N bids a ’minimaxi  With a maximum S bids the slam

Homework – Hand 7 N1NTPass  KQJ7 986  A76  Q94  A52 JT53  K32  AT7 N W E S Dealer N S2NT  N has 12 HCP  S has 12 HCP  Total = 24  N opens 1NT  S shows HCP  With a minimum N passes

Homework – Hand 8 N-2NT  KQJ7 986  A76  Q94  A52 JT53  KQ2  AT7 N W E S Dealer N S1NT3NT  S has 14 HCP  N has 12 HCP  Total = 26  S opens 1NT  N shows HCP  With a maximum S bids game

Bidding in Suits  We now know the 1NT openings  But 12 – 14 HCP balanced will be a small proportion of the hands you get  You will bid in suits far more often  This week we will consider  When you should open 1 of a suit  Some of the replies when partner opens 1 of a suit

Bidding Objectives  To find a Fit  Preferably in a Major  8 cards in a suit  To bid game with enough strength  With too few HCP for game to stop at the lowest level in a part score we can

Game Priorities  With enough for game  The priorities are  Game in Major with a fit  Game in NT without a major fit  Game in a Minor as a last resort  Without enough for game any fit will do  But remember that a minor suit scores less

When to open 1 of a suit  When you have 12+ HCP  Not fitting the 1NT criteria  You must bid 1 of your longest suit  With 2 suits the same length bid the higher ranking  Except when you have 4 ’s and 4 ’s  Except when you have 4  ’s and 4 ’s  When you open 1  When you open 1

With less than 12 HCP  The Rule of 20  Add the number of cards in your 2 longest suits to the HCP count  If the result is 20 or more  Bid 1 of your longest suit

What do you open?  13 HCP  Open 1  Open 1 66 AA KK J T 8 6 AA 99 77 5 JJ 77

What do you open?  14 HCP  Open 1  Open 1 AA QQ 99 K J 8 6 AA 55 5 44 2 22

What do you open?  18 HCP  Open 1  Open 1 AA KK Q T 8 3 AA KK 66 JJ 33 JJ 66

What do you open?  11 HCP  Rule of 20?  21  Open 1  Open 1  66 55 44 A K 8 6 AA TT 99 5 66 33

What do you open?  17 HCP  Open 1  Open 1 AA AA 44 J T 8 6 KK 55 33 KK QQ 33

What do you open?  15 HCP  Open 1  Open 1 JJ AA 66 K J 6 AA QQ 77 5 22 TT 99

Bidding Suits  Remember these rules:  With 12+ HCP not balanced  Open 1 of your longest suit  With 2 equal length bid the higher  Except 4 ’s and 4 ’s  Except 4  ’s and 4 ’s  When you bid ’s  With just under 12 HCP Rule of 20  This covers most of your opening bids  Except 4441 hand shapes

4441 Shapes  Are the three 4 card suits touching?  i.e. ’s, ’s and ’s  i.e.  ’s, ’s and  ’s  Or ’s, ’s and ’s  Or ’s,  ’s and  ’s  If so bid the middle of the touching suits  If not touching suits  i.e. ’s, ’s and ’s  i.e.  ’s, ’s and  ’s  Or ’s, ’s and ’s  Or  ’s,  ’s and  ’s  Bid the suit below the singleton

4441 – Example 1  What do you open?  13 HCP  Touching suits  Open the middle  Bid 1  Bid 1 JJ QQ 99 A K 6 AA TT 77 5 22 77 66

 What do you open?  14 HCP  Non -touching suits  Open the suit below the singleton  Bid 1  Bid 1  AA 44 Q T 6 AA KK 77 5 2 – Example 2 JJ TT 22

 What do you open?  13 HCP  Non -touching suits  Open the suit below the singleton  Bid 1  Bid 1  AA KK 3 AA 99 77 2 – Example 3 JJ TT 22 JJ TT 44

 What do you open?  16 HCP  Touching suits  Open the middle suit  Bid 1  Bid 1  AA QQ A K 6 9 – Example 4 QQ TT 22 JJ 55 44

Partner has opened 1 of a Major  Responses to partners opening bid  With < 6 HCP  PASS  With > 5 HCP  BID!!

Partner has opened 1 of a Major  If you have 4 cards in partner’s major you have a fit  With 6-9 HCP bid 2 of partner’s suit  With HCP bid 3 of partner’s suit  With 13+ HCP bid game in partner’s suit

Partner has opened 1 of a Major  Often you will not have 4 of partner’s suit  Do you have a 4 card suit above partner’s?  If yes bid 1 of that suit  If no with 6-9 HCP Bid 1NT  This does not show a balanced hand  It shows the HCP count  And no 4 card suit above partner’s  With >9 HCP bid your longest suit at the cheapest level you can

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You have a fit  You have 8 HCP  Bid 2  Bid 2 66 JJ 99 K 8 6 AA 88 77 5 77 66 55

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You have a fit  You have 11 HCP  Bid 3  Bid 3 JJ QQ JJ A K 6 TT 88 77 5 77 55 55

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You have a fit  You have 13 HCP  Enough for game  Bid 4  Bid 4 QQ QQ JJ A K 6 TT 88 77 5 77 JJ 55

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You do not have a fit  You have 8 HCP  Bid 1NT KK JJ 99 K 8 6 TT 88 77 JJ 99 88 55

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You have a fit  You have 4 HCP  Bid PASS 88 JJ 99 K 8 6 TT 88 77 66 33 22 4

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You do not have a fit  You have 6 HCP  You have a higher 4 card suit  Bid 1  Bid 1  TT KK 55 K 8 6 TT 88 77 77 22 44 33

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You do not have a fit  You have 14 HCP  You have a higher 4+ card suit  Bid 1  Bid 1  TT QQ JJ A 3 AA KK 77 77 33 TT 44 22

Partner has opened 1 Partner has opened 1  What do you respond?  You do not have a fit  You have 14 HCP  Bid your longest suit at the cheapest level  Bid 2  Bid 2  KK TT 99 K Q 6 QQ JJ 77 QQ JJ 88 55

Partner opens 1 of a minor  Now we have different priorities  Do we have a major suit fit?  Should we play in NT?  Even with a fit only support partner’s minor with no other reasonable option available  Try to bid another suit if possible  The rules are the same as for a major

Bidding in Suits  More flexible than NT openings  But still clear rules  Always open with 12+ HCP  Remember rule of 20  Next time lots more on responses to suit opening bids.