1. Lesson 2: ACOL System (Chapters 2 to 5)
Surendra Mehta
January 2007

2. Counting points High Card points Length points Support points Ace - 4
King – 3
Queen – 2 Jack – 1
5-card suit - 1
6-card suit - 2
7-card suit - 3
8-card suit - 4
Voids - 5 Singleton - 2 Doubleton - 1
(when responding)

3. Suit ranking
Clubs
Diamonds
Hearts
Spades
No trumps

4. Balanced hand
A hand that has 3 or more cards in each suit, except it can have one doubleton.
No void, no singleton, no more than one doubleton.
The following combinations permitted:

5. Unbalanced hand Could have a void Could have a singleton
Could have more than one doubleton
Examples of unbalanced hands: ; ;

6. One No-trump opening bid
Balanced hand
12 or 13 or 14 points
(ie not < 12 and not >14 points)
(IT IS IMPORTANT TO STICK TO THIS RULE RIGIDLY TO PASS A CONCISE MESSAGE TO YOUR PARTNER)

7. How will you open the bid?
S K 5 3
H A Q 9
D A
C A B - (17)
S K 10 9
H Q J 5 2
D K J 7 5
C A B - (14)
S A 4
H A
D A
C J U - (13)

8. Opening bid one of a suit
Requires:
Unbalanced hand of > 12 points; or
Balanced hand of with > 14 points
BID LONGEST suit;
If 2 4-carder, bid lower ranking;
If 3 4-carder, bid middle ranking;
If 2 5-carder or 2 6-carder, bid higher

9. Opening bid – 1 of a suit (consider)
S K Q 2
H A J
D Q J 8
C A 7 B (17) 1H
S A J 10
H K Q J D
C A 6 3
B (15) 1D
S A
H K Q 3 2
D A J
C Q 9 7
B (16) 1H

10. Game zones In No trump 3 (9 tricks) In majors (H or S) 4 (10 tricks)
In minors (C or D) 5 (11 tricks)
Grand slam 37 points
Small slam 33 points
Game points
Part game < 25 points

11. Responding to 1 NT (0 to 10 points)
Balanced hand – pass
Unbalanced hand with 6-carder or 5-carder - Bid 2D, 2H or 2S in longest suit
(Why not 2 clubs? – Stayman)
Pass with no 5 or 6 carder suits

12. Responding to 1 NT (11 to 12 points)
Partner (1NT)
Responder
Total
BID 2NT & INVITE PARTNER TO GAME
TRY 2NT IF YOU FEEL AGGRESSIVE

13. Responding to 1 NT (> 13 points)
You have at least 25 points; thus in game zone or slam
If total between 25 and 32 points – game zone
Decide denomination – 3 NT or 4H or 4S
If 6-card major – bid 4 of that major; otherwise bid 3NT

14. Responding to 1 NT (> 13 points) – consider (Partner opens 1NT)
H A 4 2
D K Q 8 4 3
C A 10
B(13) – 3NT
S A
H K J 10
D Q J
C K 7
(U(14) – 4S
S K 7
C A U(14) – 3NT