Read the book: «The Times Improve Your Bridge Game»

SECTION 1: Bidding

INTRODUCTION I will be teaching a simple version of English Standard Acol, incorporating a 12–14 ‘Weak’ notrump and Four-Card Majors. I have focussed primarily on the first stages of an auction: if the first few bids are accurate, a sensible contract will normally be reached.

THE BASICS When first looking at your hand, count the high-card points (ace = four; king = three; queen = two; jack = one). An average hand will contain ten points (an ace, a king, a queen and a jack). Also look at your distribution. Are your suits of relatively similar length (‘balanced’), or is there some disparity (‘unbalanced’)?

You must then try to describe your hand to partner during the first phase of Bridge: the bidding (or auction). There are two objectives of the bidding: you must ascertain (i) whether you have a mutually compatible trump suit, a ‘fit’ (eight or more cards in one suit between the partnership), and (ii) how many of the 13 tricks for which to aim with that suit as trumps. Bids must increase, starting from 1 then 1, 1, 1, 1 notrump (NT), 2, 2….7NT. Adding six to the number of the bid made tells you the number of tricks for which you have contracted. Thus 3 means that you must win nine tricks (or more) with clubs as trumps.

Clubs and diamonds are known collectively as the minor suits. They score 20 points each trick (over the six), so bidding and making 5 and 5 is required to score ‘game’ (100 points). Hearts and spades, the majors, score at 30 points each, so 4 and 4 win game. Notrumps – literally playing without a trump suit – score slightly more than the suits: 40 for the first trick (over six), reverting to 30. Thus 2NT scores 70 points and 3NT gives game. The three most attractive game contracts are 3NT, 4 and 4. Holding 25 high-card points between the partnership is a good guide for attempting one of those games. After winning the game, you become ‘vulnerable’: half way to rubber (the first side to two games). If you now fail in a contract, your opponents receive 100 per trick as opposed to 50. Playing Duplicate Bridge (or Chicago – four deal Bridge) a bonus is given for making a game: 300 (non-vulnerable) and 500 (vulnerable). In Duplicate an extra 50 points is added to the score resulting from a making part-score. Thus Four Hearts bid and made (non-vulnerable) scores 300 (the non-vulnerable game bonus) + 120 (the tricks) = 420. Two Hearts making three (i.e. one overtrick) scores 50 (part-score bonus) + 90 (tricks made) = 140. Note that overtricks score at trick value (i.e. 30 a trick for notrumps and majors; 20 for minors).

OPENING THE BIDDING Dealer starts the bidding. If he has a bad hand, he does not open the bidding, instead saying ‘No Bid’ or ‘Pass’. If he has a little above average or better, he opens. Typically he will open One of his Longest Suit.

Question: What is a little above average?

Answer: Always open the bidding with 12 or more points. You should also open when holding slightly less with a useful shape. Use The Rule of 20, which states that you should open when the number of cards in your two longest suits added to your high-card points totals 20 or more (Tip 1).

With a choice of two equal length suits, open the higher ranking (Tip 2), except with precisely four cards in both majors in which case prefer 1 (Tip 3).

NOTRUMPS That you can win game in notrumps with just nine tricks gives it a huge significance and arguably the most important opening bid (and perhaps the most common) is 1NT. This shows a balanced hand and 12, 13 or 14 points.

Question: What precisely is a balanced hand?

Answer: It is a hand with no void (a suit with no cards), no singleton (a suit with one card), and at most one doubleton (two cards). There are just three balanced distributions: 4432, 4333 and 5332.

With one of the above shapes and 12–14 points, you MUST open 1NT (Tip 4). It is a very precise bid, so don’t open 1NT with more than 14 points, even if balanced (Tip 5), and do not open 1NT with an unbalanced hand, even if holding 12–14 points (Tip 6).

RESPONDING TO ONE NOTRUMP When responding to partner’s 1NT opener, bear in mind that, because you know so much about partner’s hand, you as responder are in charge. Partner will not bid again unless you make a strong bid. Although there will be occasions where responder needs more information, essentially the basic principle is:

1NT opener: ‘This is what I’ve got’.

Responder: ‘OK – I know so much about your hand that I can place the final contract right now.’ (Tip 7).

Note that it is much better to have a go at the nine-trick game of 3NT rather than the 11-trick games of 5 and 5 (Tip 8). Also note that you should never bid to increase the size of the part-score: thus raising 1NT to 2NT invites 3NT, rather than trying for 70 points as opposed to just 40 (Tip 9).

RESPONDING TO ONE-OF-A-SUIT When partner opens One-of-a-Suit, he could have anything from 12 points (even less if he satisfied the Rule of 20) up to 19 (with 20 or more he would open at the two-level). Because he could have as many as 19 points, you as responder should keep the bidding open with at least six points (Tip 10).

The top priority response is support – always support partner with a known eight-card major-suit fit (Tip 11). And the stronger your hand, the more you should bid in support. Use the Responder Line (Tip 12), noting that no supporting bids, even jumps, force partner to keep bidding (Tip 13).

When you have less than four-card support for the suit opened, you should try to find a fit in another suit – the general principle being to bid your longest suit at the lowest level. Thus avoid precipitate leaps to 2NT (Tip 14) and 3NT (Tip 15). Also, to avoid a very common mistake, you should prefer a four-card suit at the one-level to the nebulous 1NT response (Tip 16). Note that with two four-card suits, you should prefer the cheaper (Tip 17).

The level of the response must be considered, however. Whereas a one-over-one response can be made with just six measly points, a two-over-one requires a modicum of extra strength. The partnership is already at the eight-trick level and has no guarantee of a fit. A useful guideline is The Rule of 14 (Tip 18): respond in a new suit at the two-level when your total high-card points added to the number of cards in the suit you are planning to bid gets to 14. Otherwise respond 1NT (Tip 19), the only occasion you should respond notrumps to a one-of-a-suit opener.

OVERCALLING If an opponent opens the bidding, you become the overcalling side. You do not need an opening hand to overcall, merely one chunky suit of at least FIVE cards (Tip 20). It is worth overcalling on relatively weak hands: even if you do not ultimately declare, you have disrupted the opposing auction and indicated a lead to partner. On the other hand, there will be some hands of opening strength that should not bid after an opponent’s opening (Tip 21), especially with no five-card suit (Tip 22).

The knowledge that partner has at least a five-card suit for an overcall means that three cards are sufficient for support (Tip 23). And the more cards you have in support, the higher you should bid – straight away (Tip 24).

Bidding 1NT as an overcall over the opponents’ one-of-suit opener, however, is more dangerous – you might be sandwiched between two strong hands. So a 1NT overcall shows a strong hand (15–19 points), more than a 1NT opener (Tip 25).

OPENER’S REBID Returning to the opening side, arguably the most pivotal bid in an uncontested auction is opener’s rebid. It is this bid that gives much more specific information, both about shape (whether or not the hand is balanced) and strength.

A balanced opener should plan to bid/rebid notrumps (Tip 26), whereas an unbalanced opener should not (Tip 27). The three balanced distributions are 4432, 4333 and 5332 (Tip 28). With 12–14 balanced, you open 1NT; with 15–19 you open a suit and plan to rebid notrumps at the appropriate level (Tip 29), although you should in preference support with four cards in responder’s major (Tip 30). The only time you cannot make your notrump rebid is if your right-hand opponent makes a higher bid. You should then pass (Tip 31).

An unbalanced opener has three choices of rebid after responder has changed the suit: supporting responder’s suit, repeating his own suit, or trying a new suit. As usual, the top priority is support. You can use the Opener’s Support Line (Tip 32), or, in certain situations, the Losing Trick Count (Tip 33). Without support, you should try to avoid repeating your first suit with fewer than six cards (Tip 34). The only time you may have to repeat a five-card suit is when it is cheaper to do so than introduce a new four-card suit. If introducing this second suit would force responder to the three-level in order to give preference back to the first suit, you have ‘reversed’^* and should have a decent 15 points or more (Tip 35).

When repeating a suit – implying six cards – you must remember to jump the bidding with 16+ points. Use the Opener’s Repeat Line (Tip 36). Repeating a suit does normally show six cards, so you do not need to bid it a third time to confirm your sixth card (Tip 37). But note that just because you have six cards in a suit does not mean that you have to repeat it – it is better to bid a cheaper four-card suit than repeat an anaemic six-card suit (Tip 38).

Finally, let us consider the third option for an unbalanced opener with his rebid: introducing a new suit. Although it can create awkwardness for the (mercifully rare) 4441 shape, it is sensible to assume that bidding two suits shows (at least) a five-four shape. Put another way, you should not bid a second suit with just four cards in the suit you opened (Tip 39). Normally, you bid a new suit at the lowest level. But because responder is allowed to pass the new suit rebid with an unpromising six or seven points, if you want to force the bidding to game as soon as you hear partner respond, you must jump in your second suit (Tip 40).

RESPONDER’S REBID After opener has rebid, responder knows a huge amount. If opener has rebid notrumps (Tip 41), repeated his suit (Tip 42), or supported, responder knows the precise point-count and can act accordingly. Only when opener has bid a new suit does responder know less about his strength. When that happens (i.e. the first three bids are in different suits) it is responder’s job to show his strength with his rebid (Tip 43), using the Responder Line (Tip 44).

Sometimes there is no good option for responder, and a return to opener’s first suit should be regarded as preference (often on a doubleton) rather than genuine support (Tip 45). Sometimes there is more than one good option: with two fits, he should prefer the major to the minor at game level (Tip 46).

Two of the commonest mistakes here are responder forgetting to jump with 10+ points when repeating his suit (Tip 47), and forgetting that three cards in opener’s first suit make a fit (Tip 48).

DOUBLE The literal meaning of double is to increase (by at least double) the size of penalty should the contract fail, but at the risk of increasing the opponents’ reward should the contract succeed. However, until partner has bid, you cannot really judge whether or not their contract (if a suit bid) will fail; therefore such doubles are for ‘take-out’ (Tip 49).

Double – for take-out – is one of the most useful bids in Bridge, and one of the most underused. It is a popular bid with partner too, as it asks him to describe his hand: ‘What do you think over there?’ The double of a suit opening bid shows: Shortage in the suit opened, at least Opening values, and Support for all unbid suits (Tip 50). Assuming the next hand passes, partner must respond to the double (Tip 51). Until partner has made a positive bid, even later round doubles are for take-out (Tip 52); so if you don’t want partner to bid (because you are happy defending), don’t double (Tip 53).

If partner has made a positive bid, however, your double is for ‘penalties’. All penalty doubles express the opinion that you think the opponents are going to fail in their contract, with the accompanying increase in score. Partner will therefore generally leave in a penalty double. Because it is nonsense to be short in the suit bid when it is notrumps, the double of a 1NT opener is for ‘penalties’ (Tip 54). This – by far the most common penalty double you will encounter – will only be removed by partner when holding a hand that is both very weak and very shapely (Tip 55).

Two of the commonest mistakes in respect of the take-out double are failing to double (for take-out) after the opponents have bid two suits with four or five cards in both unbid suits (Tip 56); and failing to jump in response to partner’s take-out double with nine(+) points (Tip 57).

Perhaps the commonest mistake in the penalty double area is doubling the opponents too readily. They may then either retreat to safer havens or stay put and make the contract because you have revealed that you have good trumps (Tip 58). Better to keep quiet.

After the opponents double, you can redouble. This is an expression of confidence; but be wary of redoubling a contract you think you will make if you have reason to think the opponents might then wise up and bid on (Tip 59). Redouble is better restricted to those occasions in which an opponent has doubled partner’s opening bid and you have 10+ points (Tip 60), but no good fit (Tip 61).

PRE-EMPTIVE BIDDING Bidding at a relatively high level with a weak hand and a long suit robs the opponents of bidding space on a deal where you do not need it (you have only one playable trump suit). The standard situation is a three-level opener, showing a seven-card suit and less than opening values (Tip 62). The suit must be good (Tip 63), but you should have as little outside the suit as possible and you certainly do not need an ace (Tip 64). With an eighth card in your suit (one more trick), open at the four-level (Tip 65).

To pre-empt after an opponent has opened, you need to make a double-jump (1 – 3) i.e. to miss out two lower levels of your suit (Tip 66). A single jump overcall (1 – 2) is a strong bid (Tip 67). Whether opening or overcalling pre-emptively, note that you have shown your hand so should not bid again (Tip 68).

Meanwhile, the partner of the pre-emptor should simply ‘put up or shut up’ (Tip 69). Because the pre-emptor will be profoundly short outside his suit, partner should value aces (especially) and kings, but attach little value to outside queens and jacks (Tip 70). Sometimes, partner may consider raising pre-emptively (with a poor defensive hand), and the more cards he has in the pre-emptor’s suit, the more bold he should be, generally bidding to the ‘level of the fit’ (Tip 71).

Pre-empting is fun – although you will occasionally get caught for a big penalty. Defending against opposing pre-empts is less fun – you have to start at a high level and the splits are likely to be bad (Tip 72). However, do not be too frightened to enter the bidding – in spite of the high level; bear in mind that one opponent is very weak, so your partner rates to hold some values.

A reasonable rule of thumb is to double (for take-out) if you would have doubled a one-level opener in the suit (Tip 73); and overcall 3NT if you would have overcalled with 1NT over a one-level opener, bearing in mind that it is especially important to have a stopper in the pre-emptor’s suit. There is a good chance of being able to shut the pre-emptor out of the play (Tip 74). But without a stopper (you cannot bid 3NT), or a good suit (you cannot overcall), or insufficient length in the other major(s) (you cannot double), you have little option but to go quietly (Tip 75).

TWO-LEVEL OPENERS Whereas the three-level is reserved for weak openers, the two-level is used for strong ones. 2NT is the only bid that can be passed by partner, and should be opened with a balanced hand (including a 5332 shape with a good five-card suit) and 20-22 points (Tip 76).

2// openers show unbalanced 20-22 point hands with good five/six card suits. But be prepared to upgrade a powerful-looking hand with just under 20 points if it has ‘eight playing tricks’ (Tip 77). You are sometimes stuck when you have 20-22 points with a good club suit, as 2 shows any 23+ point hand. In this case it is better to open 1 and hope the auction does not continue pass-pass-pass (Tip 78).

2// openers must be kept open a round by partner, even with nothing (Tip 79). With fewer than eight points, make the conventional negative reply of 2NT (Tip 80). The negative reply to 2 is 2 (0–7 points), on grounds of economy (Tip 81). These negative responses prioritise – such that all other bids (positives) show eight(+) points (Tip 82).

SLAMMING The ultimate goal in the bidding is to bid and make all 13 tricks on a deal – a grand slam. This is generally inadvisable – it’s tough enough to make all 13 tricks, let alone to bid for them and risk losing everything if even one trick gets away.

More reasonable is to bid for 12 tricks – a small slam – which will be possible about one deal in fifteen. 33 partnership points is the guideline for contracting for a small slam – though less if there is a big fit and interesting distributions. A small slam is doomed, however, if the opponents have two aces (unless you have a void in one of those two suits).

Because of the importance of aces, the bid of 4NT ‘Blackwood’ is used to ask partner how many aces he possesses. But beware when clubs (and to a lesser extent diamonds) are trumps – the reply to Blackwood (5 = 0 aces; 5 = 1; 5 = 2; 5 = 3) may take you overboard (Tip 83). If the reply indicates that one ace is missing, go ahead and bid the small slam (Tip 84); to bail out in Five of the trump suit would be inconsistent with your decision to go slamming.

Blackwood is useful but, because it only solves the problem of how many aces partner has, only use the convention if that is the key piece of information about which you wish to know (Tip 85). If you are interested in a grand slam and the reply to Blackwood indicates that all the aces are present, you can follow with 5NT to ask for kings. But because grand slams are generally to be avoided, it will rarely be right to do so (Tip 86).

Note that the Blackwood bidder is in control – do not overrule him (Tip 87). Finally note that 4NT is not always asking for aces. If the immediately preceding bid was in notrumps, it is a quantitative invitation to 6NT, asking partner if his hand is minimum or maximum for his bidding to date (Tip 88).

Bidding to a sensible contract is one thing. Making it is quite another…

^* NB: There is much to be said for not playing ‘reverses’. Although you will occasionally bid too high, at least you KNOW that partner has six cards when he repeats his suit (provided he opens/rebids notrumps with a 5332 shape).