1. PSI Bridge Course Winter 2017-2018
Lecture 01
There is a first time for everything

2. Structure of the lecture
History of the game
Demographic information
The PSI Bridge Club
Description of the game
Auction (conventions)
Play (declarer, dummy)
Scoring
Behaviour
Practice
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Lecture 01

3. Demographic information
American Contract Bridge League (
25 million Americans over the age of 18 can play bridge
Educated: 79% with college degree
Average age: 51 years
World Bridge Federation (
At least 200 million people play bridge worldwide
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Lecture 01

4. World Teams Championships
Bermuda Bowl (open)
Venice Cup (women)
d’ Orsi Bowl (seniors)
The Blue Team
Walter Avarelli - Giorgio Belladonna
Pietro Forquet - Benito Garozzo
Massimo D'Alelio - Camillo Pabis Ticci
13/19 Bermuda Bowls between 1957 and 1975
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5. https://clubs.web.psi.ch/bridge/lectures
The PSI Bridge Club
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6. Description of the game
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7. Description of the game: The play
A trick is a set of four cards played in the right sequence
There are thirteen tricks in total
One must follow suit (play a card in the suit of the first card of the current trick)
The highest card wins the trick
If trumps are defined, one may trump/ruff if one cannot follow suit; the highest trump wins such a trick
In a no-trump (NT) contract, one cannot win a trick if unable to follow suit
The winner of the trick starts the new trick
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8. Description of the game: The auction
The goal of the game: maximise your profit (equivalently, minimise your loss)
Determine your appropriate contract
Determine your optimal contract
Eliminate bidding space from your opponents
Development of bidding systems (natural, artificial)
Development of conventions
A bidding system is essentially a language you agree to speak with your partner; if this is not a standard language, the opponents may request a translation (even if not alerted)
E-W and N-S may follow different bidding systems
British Acol, enriched with some new conventions
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Lecture 01

9. Description of the game: The auction
The auction starts at the level of seven tricks  opening 1 means: “I believe that, with partner’s hand, our side can make 6+1 tricks with hearts as trumps”
7,7,7,7,7NT
Grand slam N
6,6,6,6,6NT
Small slam
5,5,5,5,5NT W E
4,4,4,4,4NT
3,3,3,3,3NT
Pass
Double
Redouble S
2,2,2,2,2NT
1,1,1,1,1NT
Contract points
NT: first trick 40 pnts, each subsequent 30 pnts
Major suits: ,  (30 pnts per trick)
Minor suits: ,  (20 pnts per trick)
Game: ≥ 100 pnts  3NT, 4, 4, 5 , 5
Vulnerable (more benefit for games and slams, greater loss in failure)
Non-vulnerable
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10. Description of the game: Example of an auction
Opening lead
Dummy
Declarer
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11. Description of the game: The play
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12. The declarer plays his hand and the dummy’s against the two opponents
Description of the game: Example of another auction; Preparation for the play
Opening lead W N E S -
1NT 3 x 5 xx N W E S
Declarer
Dummy
Contract: 5xx
The declarer plays his hand and the dummy’s against the two opponents
When the play is over, N scores the deal; one of the opponents checks the scoring
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13. Point-Count System (PCS)
Charles Goren ( )
Point-Count System (PCS)
Honour pnts (HPs)
A: 4 pnts
K: 3 pnts
Q: 2 pnts
J: 1 pnt
Distribution pnts
For the fifth and sixth card in a long suit: + 1 pnt
For each card above the sixth: + 2 pnts per card
Combined value of the hand: HPs + distribution pnts
Shortness pnts
Opener
Void: + 3 pnts
Singleton: + 2 pnts
Doubleton: + 1 pnt
Supporting partner
Void: + 5 pnts
Singleton: + 3 pnts
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14. When to open the auction?
There are 40 HPs in the deck
An A is expected to correspond to one trick
To be able to make one trick more than the opponents, your side should have 22 HPs vs. 18 HPs of the opponents
This is how the magical number of 13+ HPs has been derived
usually 11+ or 12+ in competitions
Combined-Point Count (including distribution)
Other systems to assess opening strength do exist
two and a half defensive tricks (A/AK) + distribution
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15. Should the following hands be opened?
 5 4
 K
 K Q 2
 A J 3
 4 2
 A 3
 K J
 K 3
 A 8 7
 A K 8 4
 9 5 3
 Q 9 4
 A Q
 A 7 2
 Q 9
 7 6 2
According to Goren’s PCS, all these hands should be opened
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16. Estimates of minimal numbers of combined points for the ‘interesting’ contracts
Game
3NT: ≈ 25 pnts
4,4: ≈ 26 pnts
5,5: ≈ pnts
Small slam: 33 pnts
Grand slam: 37 pnts
Game with only 16 HPs
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17. An interesting deal W N E S - 1NT 2 3 4 W N E S 2 x 4 - Table
Contract
Result 1
4xW
+3 (E-W: 1390) 2
4N
= (N-S: 620)
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18. Math is great, but do not overdo it!
Goren’s PCS is a general guide, i.e., neither an always-working recipe nor a rule which must be followed
Personal judgment is important, in particular with regard to:
the opponents’ bidding, bidding system, and bidding style,
the position of the caller in the auction,
the position of the caller with respect to the opponent with the strong hand,
the vulnerability,
the overall performance of the partnership on the specific day,
the experience of the opponents, etc.
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19. Behaviour Do not stare at the opponents (bridge is not poker!)
Do not take peeks at the opponents’ cards
Protect your cards
Do not comment during the auction and the play
Do not pass extraneous information to the partner
Alert your opponents when following a unusual convention/bidding system
Count your cards in the beginning; shuffle and return them to the pockets in the end; do not let others to touch your cards
While acting as dummy, you may
help the declarer with the cards on the table,
prevent the declarer from committing an irregularity, and
remind the declarer to lead from the hand or from the table
Summon the tournament referee (Director) in case of an irregularity
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20. Do not forget!
Pass is an acceptable call!
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21. Good luck!
Question: What is the difference between a serial killer and one’s bridge partner?
Answer: One can reason with the serial killer
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