1. Essential Techniques To Play Better Bridge

2. To play better Bridge a partnership must do the following: Play a sound bridge system that each player knows well Play certain conventions to improve their bidding Play some form of signalling method Be disciplined in your bidding

3. The bidding system does not have to be complicated It can be a fairly basic system, but you have to play certain conventions That help you reach the correct contract Your bidding system should include either a weak or strong opening 1NT and all the responses to an opening NT – are they weak and non-forcing or are they forcing and constructive? Are your two openings weak, showing a six card suit? Or are they strong and forcing(showing 8 playing tricks)? You can play any of the above, as long as both you and your Partner play the same system and have good judgement in your bidding *

4. Your system must incorporate certain conventions that help the bidding I recommend that you use the following conventions; (a)Stayman after a 1NT or 2NT opening – (essential convention) and transfers (b) An ace asking convention, be it Gerber, Blackwood or Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB) (c)Unassuming cue bids – you may unaware of this convention, but it is essential that you play it (d) Fourth suit forcing - this is another very worthwhile convention and is particularly useful in reaching the correct contract (e) Negative doubles(Sputnik) – This is also very useful, but for another date

5. Unassuming cue bids These are bids that you make if your partner has overcalled a suit and you have good support and a good hand ♠ AQ1087 ♥ K5 ♦ 54 ♣ Q1052 ♠ KJ4 ♥ A654 ♦ KQ76 ♣ 43 WE N E S W 1 ♦ 1 ♠ Pass ? What does east bid? - 2 ♠, 3 ♠ or something else? They should bid 2 ♦ an unassuming cue bid. This tells partner you have support and Good values, the emphasis is now on you, do you Sign off in 2 ♠ or do you try for game? 2 ♠ shows support and a maximum of 11 points – 3 ♠ is weak and a pre-emptive bid

6. A method of asking your partner to lead a certain suit is essential - Otherwise you are working in the dark! There are a choice of methods; (a) A high card in a certain suit is encouraging in that suit(Attitude) (b) A low card in a certain suit is encouraging in that suit(Reverse Attitude) (c) A high card discarded in a suit, is asking for the higher ranking suit - a low card discarded is asking for the lower ranking suit(McKenney) There are various methods, but the three above are the most common You should also use a method for showing your length in a suit!

7. You can use standard count or reverse count methods Standard Count; Play a high card, then a low card this indicates an even number of cards in the suit If you play a low card, followed by a higher card This indicates an odd number in the suit Reverse Count; This method is the reverse of the above High-low, shows an odd number of cards in the suit Low-high, indicates an even number of cards in the suit

8. Why are count signals important? The more bridge you play, you find out how essential count signals are Here is an example of a hand I defended a few years ago ♠ Q653 ♥ Q85 ♦ K5 ♣ 10642 ♠ AK109 ♥ AK973 ♦ Q7 ♣ K9 N S WE N E S W Pass 1 ♦ X 1 ♥ Pass 2 ♣ 2 ♥ 3 ♣ Pass 4 ♣ X all pass You lead the A ♥, then the A ♠ then what? You can cash one more King, but which one? If you do not cash the correct king, the contract will make Declarers hand is; ♠ 7 ♥ 64 ♦ AJ1093 ♣ AQJ75

9. Fourth Suit Forcing This is a method of finding out more about partners hand If you bid the fourth suit, it does not infer that you have that suit - but it is forcing! This convention is played differently by certain bridge players. I play it forcing to game, others play it forcing for one round - the way I play it, after you have used it, you do not have to jump bid afterwards Here are some examples; ♠ K9 ♥ 98 ♦ A43 ♣ AQJ763 ♠ A653 ♥ KJ107 ♦ Q7 ♣ 1087 W E N E S W pass 1 ♣ Pass 1 ♥ pass 2 ♣ Pass 2 ♠ pass 3 ♦ (FSF) Pass 3NT all pass (This has right sided the NT)

10. Fourth Suit Forcing W E ♠ KQ98 ♥ J72 ♦ AK975 ♣ 9 ♠ J5 ♥ KQ1086 ♦ J83 ♣ AJ8 Partner You 1 ♦ 1 ♥ 1 ♠ ? Bid 2 ♣, this is merely a waiting bid You are interested in game, but not strong enough to jump This is one of the best bid hands of the last Camrose - It was bid by Wales W E ♠ KQ98 ♥ 7 ♦ AJ865 ♣ A65 ♠ AJ105 ♥ AK982 ♦ Q93 ♣ 7 West East 1 ♦ 1 ♥ 1 ♠ 2 ♣ (Game Force) 2 ♦ 2 ♠ (This has set the trump suit) They cue bid to reach a small slam in ♠ Scotland only reached 4 ♠, against them!

11. To be a good bidder - you have to be disciplined! Try the following examples. ♠ Q1097 ♥ K ♦ Q54 ♣ AQ1052 (a) You open 1 ♣ and partner responds 1 ♥, your next opponent bids 2 ♦ - What do you bid? You should definitely pass – Be disciplined! ♠ Q1097 ♥ K54 ♦ Q ♣ AQ1052 (b) The bidding is the same as above - What do you bid? This time you should bid 2 ♥ ♠ AQ1064 ♥ K5 ♦ Q6 ♣ Q953 (c) This time you open 1 ♠ and partner responds 2 ♦, your opponent bids 2 ♥ What do you bid next? This time you should also pass – you have a minimum hand, so tell your partner If partner has fair values, they will bid again

12. Remember which conventions you are playing! As Ever – Happy Bridging!