1. Lesson 9: Strong 2 and slam bids (Chapters 10, 12 & 13 of Zia’s book) Surendra Mehta February 2007

2. Surendra Mehta, February 20072 RECAP Recap from previous lessons

3. Surendra Mehta, February 20073 Counting points (Suit ranking: , ,,  & NT) High Card points Length pointsSupport 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)

4. Surendra Mehta, February 20074 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: 4-3-3-3 4-4-3-2 4-3-3-2

5. Surendra Mehta, February 20075 Unbalanced hand Could have a void Could have a singleton Could have more than one doubleton Examples of unbalanced hands: 5-5-3-0;5-4-2-2;6-3-3-1

6. Surendra Mehta, February 20076 Opening bid one of a suit Requires: Unbalanced hand of > 12 points; or Balanced hand of with > 14 points BID LONGEST suit; If two 4-carder, bid lower ranking; If three 4-carder, bid middle ranking; If two 5-carder or two 6-carder, bid higher

7. Surendra Mehta, February 20077 Game zones In No trump3(9 tricks) In major ( or  )4(10 tricks) In minors (  or  )5(11 tricks) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Grand slam37 points Small slam33 points Game (in majors)25 points Game (in minors)28 points Part game<25 points

8. Surendra Mehta, February 20078 Supporting partner’s major suit ( or  ) NEED 4 CARDS IN THAT SUIT 0-5 points 6-9 points 10-12 points 13 or more points Pass Raise to the two level Raise to the three level Raise to the four level

9. Surendra Mehta, February 20079 No interest partner’s major suit (Balanced hand) 0-5 points 6-9 points 10-12 points 13 or more points Pass Respond 1 NT Respond 2 NT Respond 3 NT

10. Surendra Mehta, February 200710 Responding to partner’s major suit (in a new suit) 0-5 points 6-9 points > 10 points Pass Bid a new suit only if you can bid at 1 level. Otherwise bid 1 NT Bid a new suit (even if it is at the two level)

11. Surendra Mehta, February 200711 Penalty V/S Takeout doubles (How do you distinguish them?) PENALTY if: Your partner has already made a bid or The opponents are in a game zone Look to defeat the contract by at least 2 tricks TAKEOUT if: Double at 1 or 2 level; and When your partner has not already made a bid

12. Surendra Mehta, February 200712 Responses to takeout doubles 0 – 9 points 10 – 12 points 13 or more points Bid your suit as inexpensively as possible Bid your suit jumping 1 level Bid to the game zone in your suit

13. Surendra Mehta, February 200713 Rebidding after a minimum response from your partner 12 – 15 points 16 – 19 points 19 or more points Pass Raise 1 level Raise 2 level

14. Surendra Mehta, February 200714 OPENING BIDS OF TWO REFER TO ACOL BIDDING SUMMARY ALL THE TIME Now we move to strong two bids Opening two of a suit or 2NT Weak two/strong twos

15. Surendra Mehta, February 200715 Strong two bids - Requirements More than twenty points or 8 tricks 23 points or more or 10 tricks – open 2  whether balanced or unbalanced – artificial and need not have any clubs – forcing bid 20 – 22 points Balanced – open 2NT Unbalanced – open 2 , 2 or 2S; NOT 2  Opening bid of 2 , 2 or 2  is forcing for only one round

16. Surendra Mehta, February 200716 Opening 2  bid - examples  9 A K Q 9 4  A K Q J 4  A 3  A K 9 K Q 8  A Q J 9  A J 5  A K Q 10 9 8 7 A 8  A K 5 2  - 23 HCP; if bid 1 and partner passes (if no pts), you will miss the game Bid 2  (forcing) 24 HCP & bal; 2NT will indicate 20-22 pts Bid 2  (forcing), planning to rebid NT 20 HCP; lot of trick taking power (10); open 2  since you want to end up in Game zone

17. Surendra Mehta, February 200717 Opening ACOL two bid of , or  - Requirements 20 -22 points; or Expect to take at least 8 tricks Powerful two suited hands (strong 5-carders) Unbalanced hand (bid 2NT if balanced) Forcing for one round Natural not artificial (2  bid is artificial) If your suit is club; choice between 1  or 2  opening, planning to rebid 3 

18. Surendra Mehta, February 200718 Opening ACOL two bids - examples  A K Q 10 9 8 A  A 7 3  J 6 3  A K 7 9 8  A Q J 10 8 6 2  3  9 A K Q 9 8  A K J 8 7  J 4 18 HCP; 8 tricks Open 2  14 HCP; 8 tricks Open 2  18 HCP; two strong five card suits; Open 2 (higher ranking)

19. Surendra Mehta, February 200719 Opening Bids for Balanced hands 12-141NT 15-161 of suit, planning to rebid 1NT 17-19 1 of suit, planning to jump in NT 20-222NT 23-242 , planning to rebid 2NT 25-272 , planning to rebid 3NT

20. Surendra Mehta, February 200720 Responding to 2   9 7 8 6 3 2  8 4 3  J 9 4 2 Only 1 HCP Would like to pass but cannot pass as 2  is an artificial and a forcing bid Artificial response of 2  denotes a weak hand (0-7 pts) The auction might go: North (partner) 2  2  East Pass Pass South (You) 2  ?? West Pass Partnership must be in the game zone Bid 2NT to keep going If partner bids 3 to your 2NT, you reply 4

21. Surendra Mehta, February 200721 Responding to an opening bid of 2   K Q 10 8 5 K 9 2  7 5  10 8 5  Q 9 7 Q 10 4  K 8 5  Q 10 6 3  8 2 10 4  A Q J 8 4 2  9 4 3 8 HCP; a good 5-card spade suit; Bid 2  9 HCP & bal; Bid 2NT; if opener replies 3, bid 4 7 HCP + 2 but cannot bid 2  as it indicates a weak response; bid 3  instead

22. Surendra Mehta, February 200722 Responding to 2 , 2 or 2  (2NT reply is a weak response 0-7 pts) Partner opens 2  J 7 5 8 6  J 8 7 4 2  10 8 5  8 5 3 Q 7 2  A 9 5 2  Q 6 2  K J 10 8 5 2 3  K Q 8 2  7 3 2 HCP; MAKE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE OF 2NT; IF HE BIDS 3, YOU PASS 8 HCP; make a +ive response; if partner bidding with a 5- carder, you only need 3 to support; bid 3 9 HCP; make a positive response; Bid 2S

23. Surendra Mehta, February 200723 Responding to 2NT Weak response is pass (0-3 pts) For 4 or more HCP, bid as follows: Balanced – reply 3NT Unbalanced – Bid 4 or 4 , if you have 6-carder major; Or bid 3 or 3  with a 5-card major suit

24. Surendra Mehta, February 200724 Responding to 2NT  10 8 5 J 7 3  10 6 4 2  J 6 2  Q J 8 7 4 2 8  Q 9 3  6 4 2  7 5 K J 6 4 2  8 5  Q 6 4 2 2 HCP; YOU PASS 5 HCP; 6 card major; total at least 8 in that major; Jump bid to 4  6 HCP; 5 card major; Bid 3

25. Surendra Mehta, February 200725 Bidding slams Combined strength of 33 or 37 points Look to bid a SLAM Rare chance and large bonuses First priority is to find denomination Invite slam by bidding new suits or bidding beyond the game zone Blackwood (or Gerber) Conventions to ask for Aces and Kings

26. Surendra Mehta, February 200726 Blackwood – asking for Aces – Bid 4NT 5  No Aces (or all 4 Aces) 5  1 Ace 5 2 Aces 5  3 Aces ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5NT 6  No Kings (or all 4 Kings) 6  1 Kings 6 2 Kings 6  3 Kings

27. Surendra Mehta, February 200727 Gerber – asking for Aces – Bid 4  4  No Aces (or all 4 Aces) 4 1 Ace 4  2 Aces 4NT3 Aces ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5  5  No Kings (or all 4 Kings) 5 1 Kings 5  2 Kings 5NT 3 Kings (ONLY USE GERBER IF CLUB NOT BID)

28. Surendra Mehta, February 200728 Slam bidding – partner opens 2 , you reply 2, partner rebids 3, what do you bid?  7 4 K J 6 4 2  Q 9 8 2  J 5  7 4 K Q 6 4 2  K 9 8 2  Q 5  7 4 K Q J 6 4 2  10 8 2  J 6 7 HCP+1; positive resp of 2 ; ptnr resp of 3 sets denmn; bid 4 10 HCP+1; since partner has 23+ pts, slam zone; ptnr resp of 3 sets denmn; bid 4  Gerber 7 HCP+2; bid 5 in case he is much stronger than 23; avoid 4

29. Surendra Mehta, February 200729 Slam bidding – partner opens 1   A Q 9 8 K 10 3  A Q 10  J 8 7 partner opens 1  16 HCP; you reply 1  partner jumps to 2NT – bal hand of 17 or 18 pts Combined total of 33 pts – slam zone Best denomination is NT Bid 4 NT Blackwood

30. Surendra Mehta, February 200730 Slam bidding – you open 1  A J 9 A Q 10 8 6 2  A J 4  Q With 18 HCP, you open 1 partner jumps to 2NT – bal hand of 17 or 18 pts Combined tot 35+ pts – slam zone Best denomination is NT Bid 4  Gerber

31. Surendra Mehta, February 200731 OTHER CONVENTIONS FOR SLAM BIDDING Cue bidding

32. Surendra Mehta, February 200732 Next Lesson Pre-emptive bidding (Chapters 11 of Zia’s book)