Sunday, August 14, 2011

DUPLICATE BRIDGE - NO TRUMP

NO TRUMP OPENINGS AND RESPONSES:

If partner opens 1NT and you  have 3 cards or fewer in the major suits, partnership will not as a matter of rule have an 8-card fit.  The hand will probably be played in a NT contract.

As the responder, you have 3 choices:

1.  If you have less than game going points, Pass.
2.  If you have enough points for game, invite partner to game by bidding 2NT.
3.  If you have enough points for game, bid directly 3NT.

NOTE:  There are good body points and bad body points.
              A good 8 points contains tens, nines and eights in addition to the HCP's.
              A bad 8 point hand has cards less than the rank of an eight.
              Also, 8 points with Jacks and Queens are considered bad points; 8 to 9 points with an ace and
              a king or 2 aces or 3 kings is considered a good 8-9 point  hand.

SLAM BIDDING:

Suppose your partner opens 1NT and you have 18-19 points.
This totals 34-36 points and is enough for a small slam.  6NT-6 S etc.
If partnership cannot find an 8-card fit in a major suit, then NT is the other alternative.

As a responder, you bid 4C - Gerber.
Let's say as a responder you have 16 points, partnership might have enough for a small slam but how do you ask partner if he has a maximum NT hand?

You bid 4C and 5C asking for aces and kings.
If partnership has the 4 aces and the 4 kings, bid at the 7 level otherwise, stop at the 6 level.
With a minimum NT hand, opener settles for 4NT.

2NT OPENING:

After your partner opens 2NT and you have a strong hand (12-15 pts.), bid 4NT quantitative if you have all the 4 suits stopped.
Opener passes with a minimum or bids 6NT with a maximum.
Bid 4C to ask partner about stoppers, aces and kings.

PARTNER OPENS NO TRUMP AND YOU HAVE A LONG MINOR SUIT:

You have a 6-card minor suit and invitational points.
You bid the minor suit at the 3 level.
The minor suit must be able to take at least 5 tricks with the opener's honor.

NOTE:  If you hold a 6-card major suit, bid Jacoby Transfer.

RECAP OF RESPONSES TO NO TRUMP OPENINGS:

1NT:

0 to 7 points  -  Pass
8 or more      -  2C (Stayman) partner, do you have a 4-card major?
0 to 10+ pts.  -  Jacoby Transfer, I have 5 hearts, bid 2H.   (D for H; H for S).
0 to 6 pts.      -  2S - transfer to 3C, I have a long minor suit and a weak hand.
8+ points.      -  2NT, invitational. (must have a balanced hand)

OTHER RESPONSES:

3C    --  6 clubs and invitational points for a NT game.
3D   --  6 diamonds and invitational points for a NT game.
3H   --  I have 6 hearts and slam interest.
3S    --  I have 6 spades and slam interest.
3NT  -  I have game values and no interest in a major suit game.
4C    -- Gerber, how many aces do you have.
4NT  -  Quantitative, invitation to NT slam.


NOTE:  The same is true for a 2NT opening bid.
              Bid 1 level higher.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: WEAK TWO'S AND THE RULE OF 17

THE RULE OF 17.


The rule of 17 can be used to respond to a partner who opened the auction with a weak 2 Hearts or 2 Spades in an effort to pursue game or a possible slam contract in partner’s suit.

It works as follows:

 1 – Add your HCP’s to the number of cards you hold in your partner’s opening suit.

2 – If your total equals to 17, bid game or explore further for possible slam.

3 – With 20 HCP or more, bid 2NT for further investigation of partner’s hand.

4 – Opener rebids at the 3 level to show a feature** in a side suit with 9+ points.

5 – If feature complements your hand, bid 4NT to explore slam.

6 – Opener rebids his original suit at the 3 level with 6 to 7 points and no feature.

EXAMPLES:

Partner’s Hand:   K J 10 9 5 4
                            A 9
                            10 9 5
                            9 6

Your Hands:

Q 3
K Q 10 8
A 9 5
A 7 6 5.               Respond 4 Spades.

A Q 8 7
K Q10 8
9 7
A 5 4.                  Respond 4 Spades

Q 9 8 6
K Q J 10
A 9 8
A 2               Respond 2NT

K Q 9 5
K Q J 10 9
A K 5
A                 Respond 2NT

A J 2           
Q J 9 5    
K 10 7 
J 10 5         Respond Pass

Weak two opening bids can be assumed to take 5 tricks.
** A feature can be either a King or an Ace.




Friday, July 15, 2011

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: GLOSSARY II

GLOSSARY II:

ACE SHOWING RESPONSES  --    A response to the artificial strong 2 C opening bids.  This response is made on the assumption that the opener is more interested in first round control rather than a particular long suit of other distribution.

ASTRO CONVENTION  -- A method of competing against an opponent 1 NT opening bid.  It often uses the bid of a minor suit overcall to show a distribution hand of a major and a minor suit.  The Astro bidder promises 9 cards in two suit with the high card points concentrated in those two suits.

2 C shows hearts and a minor suit. 2 D shows spades and a minor suit.

FOURTH-SUIT FORCING – A style of bidding where the responder bids the only unbid suit at his second turn to bid.  It is artificial and it is forcing at least, to game.

GRAND SLAM --  A contract to take all 13 tricks.

LOSER TRICK COUNT – An alternative to value a bridge hand other than high card points.  LTC is a convenient way to value a hand in situations where shape and fit are more significant than HCP’s.

LIMIT RAISE  --  A type of response to an opening bid of one of a suit at the 3 level that is invitational rather than forcing to game or beyond.

LEBENSOHL  -- A convention to handle interference after partner open 1NT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
  • 2 in any suit – natural, non-forcing
  • 3 in any suit except overcalled – natural, forcing to game.
  • cuebid (3 in the overcalled suit) – asking partner to bid a 4-card major.
  • 3NT – to play, denying a stopper by agreement.
NEW MINOR FORCING – A bridge convention that has the responder bid a previously unbid minor over a 1 NT rebid by opener.  The bid is artificial and is used when a partner is looking for a three-card support for your 5-card major.   The bid shows a hand of 11 high card points or more.

PUPPET STAYMAN  --  A refined version of the Stayman Convention primarily used in response to 2 NT opening bid.  After a 2 NT opening, a 3 C response promises game-going values and asks opener if he has a four or a five card major.  With 5 cards, opener rebids the major at the three level.  If opener has 4 H or 4 S he rebids 3 D .  With no four or five card major, opener rebids 3 NT.

ROMAN KEY CARD BLACKWOOD -- A variation of Blackwood whereby in addition to counting the four aces, you also include the king of trump for a total of five key cards.  In addition, RKCB also allows you to check on the queen of trump. RKCB was developed and made popular by the Italian Blue Team and thereby the name, “Roman.”  The responses are: 5 C = 0 or 3 key cards; 5 D = 1 or 4 key cards; 5 H = 2 key cards without the queen; and 5 S = 2 key cards with the queen.  

QUANTITATIVE NOTRUMP – A natural non-forcing bid. Ex: Partner opens 1 NT, you bid 4 NT inviting partner to bid slam. It usually works this way, 1 NT – 2 NT – 6 NT.

REVERSE (OPENER) -- A rebid of a new suit that prevents responder to bid opener’s original suit at the 2 level.

REVERSE (RESPONDER)  -- The bid of a second suit by the responder,  preventing opener to bid responder’s first suit at the 2 level.

RULE OF 500 --  A rule stating the amount of tricks a partnership can afford to lose when doubled by the opponents.  If vulnerable, a bidder must not overbid by more than two tricks because the penalty for two tricks doubled is 500 (200-500).  When not vulnerable, the guideline is to overbid by three tricks because the penalty for three tricks doubled is also 500 ( 100-300-500).

RULE OF TWENTY – In the third and fourth position and in the event that you do not have the 13 required points to make the opening bid, count the HC points and the length of the two longest suits.  If that amounts to 20, you can open that hand.  Ex: 5 S , 6 H and 9 HC points = 20

RULE OF FIFTHEEN  – In the first or second position and in the event that you do not have the 13 required point to open a hand, count the HC points and the spades in your hand.  If that equals to 15, you can open that hand. Ex:  5 S and 10 HC points = 15

RULE OF ELEVEN --  In  bridge, the rule of 11 pertains to the opening lead card being the fourth best.  Subtracting that card from 11, a defender can intellingently guess how many cards are higher than the card partner has led.  Ex:  West leads the 7 and East applies the rule of 11.  (11 - 7 = 4)  This shows that there are 4 cards higher than the 7 that Dummy, Declarer and East hold.

SURE TRICKS – tricks that can be won by not giving up the lead.  A very important guideline for Notrump hands where giving up the lead often allows the opponents to run a long suit.

SMALL SLAM – A contract to take 12 out of 13 tricks.

SMOLEN  -- A transfer bid that allows the 1 NT opener to name his suit after the 2 C bid (Stayman) by responder and the 2 D rebid by opener.  This is usually done with a 5-4 in the majors and at least 10 HC points. 

Ex:  After partner 1 NT opening, you bid 2 C .  If he will responds 2 D (he does not have a 4-card major), you jump to 3 of the shorter major conveying to your partner that you have 5-cards in the other major.

Opener                                Responder                                        K 10 5                        Q J 3 2

1NT                                     2 C                                                     K 9 7                          A Q 10 8 7

2 D                                     3 S                                                       A 6 5                                Q 9 8

4 H                                     Pass                                                        K Q J 8                             10

1 – Stayman – Do you have a four card major?

2 – No.

3 – Smolen: I have 5 H and 4 S .

SWISS CONVENTION  -- A response of 4 C  or 4 D to an opening bid to one of the major suits showing a forcing raise to the 3 level of the opening suit.  It is usually done with 13-15 high card points.

TEXAS TRANSFERS --  After 1 NT opening by partner, a Texas Transfer may be used to describe a hand with six cards or longer in a major suit.   When partner opens 1 NT he guarantees at least 2 cards in each suit so responder knows right away the suit contract they want to be in.
Playing Texas Transfers, responder jumps to 4 D for hearts and 4 H for spades.

TRUSCOTT 2NT – A jump of 2 NT (conventional) after an opponent’s takeout double to show a limit raise or better in partner’s opening suit.

TWO-CLUB OPENING – An unbalanced hand of 19 to 21 high card points.

THREE-NOTRUMP OPENING  -- A balanced hand of 25 to 27 high card points.

TWO-OVER-ONE GAME FORCE  -- An agreement that a 2-level response after an opening bid of one of the majors is forcing to at least game.

TWO DIAMONDS NEGATIVE RESPONSE – A response  of 2 D to a forcing strong 2 C opening bid showing a minimum hand of 3-5 points.  It is usually called a waiting bid.

TWO DIAMONDS POSITIVE RESPONSE  -- An agreement used by some players whereby the 2 D response after a strong 2 C opening is the only possible positive response.

VOID SHOWING BIDS  -- The use of an unusual bid at the four or five level that has no possible meaning other than, showing a void in the suit.  This is usually done after a fit with the partner’s suit has been agreed.

VOIDWOOD BLACKWOOD  --  A jump bid showing interest in slam after partnership has found a trump fit (usually in a major suit).  The jump suit shows a void and invites partner to bid slam.

WEAK JUMP SHIFT – A type of response to to an opening hand of 1 of a suit, showing a 6-card or a 7-card suit with less than 6 points, lacking support for partner’s suit and a hand not suitable to bid 1 NT.

Ex:  At the two level showing a 6-card suit

       At the three level showing a 7-card suit.

WEAK JUMP OVERCALLS  --  A direct bid (overcall) showing a weak hand with a long suit. 

                                                          
WAITING BID – A bid asking for further information about the shape of a partner’s hand.

WEAK NOTRUMP  -- An opening bid of 1 NT not in the customary point range of 15-17 high card points.  It is a minimum strength opening showing 12-14 or 13-15 high card points.















DUPLICATE BRIDGE: GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY/ DEFINITIONS:





ACE SHOWING BIDS – A method response showing specific aces often employed when partnership has

                                            interest in bidding slam.    See also CUEBIDDING



ACE SHOWING RESPONSES  --  Responses to show specific aces over strong two bids (usually 2C)

                                                            Over the artificial 2C, the responses are as follows:

2 D  shows no aces

2 H  - 2S - 3C - 3D shows that ace

2NT  shows zero aces but at least 8 points

3NT  shows two aces.



ACBL STANDARD YELLOW CARD  --  List of conventions often used by partnerships in yellow card

                                                                        bridge events.  



ALERT  --  a warning to the opposing side that a call by your partner has a conventional message rather

                    than the meaning of a natural bid.



ACOL 4NT OPENING  --  An opening bid of 4NT asking for specific aces.  The responses are:

5C shows no aces

5D  - 5H  - 5S  - 6C   shows that ace

5NT shows two aces



ASTRO CUE-BID  --  A way of describing two-suited hands after an opponent opens one of a suit.  A

                                      direct cuebid of opener’s suit shows a long minor suit (6 cards) and a shorter major

                                       suit (4 cards).

2C  over 1C  shows diamonds and hearts

2 D over 1D  shows clubs and hearts

2H  over 1H shows clubs and spades

2S   over 1S   Shows clubs and hearts



ACOL THREE NOTRUMP OPENINGS  --  A stronger version of the GAMBLING THREE NOTRUMP

                                                                           with a long minor suit and at least two outside stoppers. 

                                                                           Also see GAMBLING THREE NOTRUMP.



ATTITUDE  --  The play of a card to tell your partner to return a card in a particular suit.  A high card is

                            encouraging while a low card is discouraging.



BLACKWOOD CONVENTION  --  once partnership agrees on a trump suit, a bid of 4NT is

                                                              conventional and asks partner how many aces he has in his hand.  
The responses are:

5 C   - zero or four

5 D  - one ace

5 H   - two aces

5 S   - three aces



BROKEN SEQUENCE  --  A sequence when two cards are touching but a card is missing before the next

                                               card (Q – J – 9)  or ( J – 10 – 8).



BALANCED HAND  --  A hand with no voids, no singletons and no more than one doubleton.  (4-4-3-2);

                                         (4-3-3-3); (5-3-3-2).



BERGEN RAISES  --   A bidding style of a major suit whereby one reaches at the three level with a
                                        four-card support. 

BECKER  --  A convention that utilizes and overcall of 2C  over an opening bid of 1NT to show both

                       minor suits and an overcall of 2D  showing both major suits.





CUEBID  --  An artificial forcing bid.  The bidding of an opponent’s suit or a control bid when partnership

                       is interested in slam-force bidding.   Usually showing an ace control.



CONTROL  --  A void or and ace that prevents the opponents from winning a trick in a suit.  There are

                           first-round controls, aces and voids; and second-round controls, kings and singletons.



CONTROL RESPONSES  --  A convention response whereby partner shows the number of controls

                                                  (aces and kings) he holds when responding to a strong forcing bid. 



CROSSRUFF  --  The play of a hand where tricks are won by both the declarer and the dummy.  Ruffing

                               losers in both declarers hand  and in the dummy’s hand.



COMBINED POINTS  --  The total number of high-card points in a partnership.



CAPPELLETTI  --  A convention that prescribes the following values to overcalls of an opponent’s 1NT 

                                  opening bid. 

Double is for penalty.

2C  - shows a one suited hand.

2D - shows hearts and spades

2H  - shows hearts and a minor suit.

2 S  - shows spades and a minor suit.



DISTRIBUTION  --  The number of cards held in a suit by a partnership. 



DISTRIBUTION POINTS  --  The valuation of a hand that takes in consideration the shape of a particular

                                                     hand i.e. length points, shorts, voids etc.



DOUBLE  --  A call that increases the value of tricks when scoring a contract i.e. Penalty Double.



DOUBLE (TAKEOUT)  --  A convention that asks partner to bid his best suit..



DOUBLE (NEGATIVE)  --  A variation of the takeout double usually when an opponent overcalls at the

                                                low level.



DONT  --   A convention that assigns the following meaning to an overcall of an opponent’s 1NT opening

                   bid.

Double – shows one-suited hand

2C  - shows clubs and another suit.

2D - shows diamonds and a major suit

2H  - shows hearts and spades

2 S  - shows spades.



DRURY  --  A conventional response of 2 clubs to a major suit opening ( 1H or 1S ) in third or fourth

                     position asking partner if he has a full opening bid.



DUMMY POINTS  --  Valuation points for voids, singletons, doubletons etc;  Void = 5; singleton = 3;

                                       doubleton = 1.



DEFENSIVE SIGNALS  --  Cards played by the defenders so that each defender can paint a clear picture

                                                of their hand so that they can make the right decision or choice in playing the

                                                proper cards to defeat a contract.



FINESSE  --  A play to win a trick with a card lower in rank than a crad held by the opponents.



FEATURE  --  The holding of an ace or a king.



FORCING BID  --   A bid that requires a partner to bid. 



FOURTH BEST  --  The fourth highest card in rank in a long suit. i.e. K – 10 – 7 – 5 – 3. 



FOURTH SUIT TRANSFER BIDS  --  Transfer bids after partner opens 1NT.

2 D  for H

2H     for S 

2S    for  C 

2  NT  for  D



FORCING STAYMAN  --  A variation of the Stayman Convention (2C ) that has responder bid 2H  or

                                               2S  forcing opener to at least bid 2NT.



FLANNERY  --  A convention of 2D  opening bid showing 4 spades and five hearts and at least an

                             opening hand (11 to 15 points.) 



FIRST ROUND CONTROL  --  An ace or a void when playing in a suit contract.



FIVE CARD MAJORS --  Bidding style where a 1H or 1S  promises at least a five-card or longer suit.



FORCING RAISE  --  A response to the three level to an opening bid of one of a suit forcing to at least

                                       the game level.



FOURTH SUIT FORCING  --  A bid in the fourth suit by the responder at his second turn to bid.



FLAT HAND  --  A  hand lacking a distribution feature.  4-3-3-2 and 4-4-3-2 are flat hands.



GAMBLING 3NT  --  An opening bid of 3NT that has a long, solid minor suit rather than the traditional

                                      hand of 25 to 27 points.



GERBER  --  A conventional bid of 4C  after a bid of 1NT or 2NT to ask partner for aces.  Partner

                       Responds as follows:

4D   - 0 or 4 aces

4H   -  1 ace

4 S   -  2 aces

4NT  -  3 aces

*** If partnership has all the four aces, a bid of 5C asks for kings with the same responses at the 5 level.



GOOD SUIT  --  A suit headed by two of the top three honors or three of the top five honors.



GRAND SLAM  --  A contract to take all thirteen tricks.



JACOBY TRANSFER BIDS  --  A popular method of responding to notrump opening bids.  Over a

                                                        partner’s 1NT opening bid, a response of 2D  shows hearts; 2H  shows

                                                        spades.



JACOBY 2NT  --  An artificial forcing raise of partner’s major suit opening bid.  Over 2NT opener must

                               describe his hand as follows:



-- 3 of a suit shows that singleton or void.

-- 3 of the agreed major shows 16 or more points.

-- 3NT shows 14 or 15 points.

-- 4 of a suit shows a good 5-card suit

-- 4 of the agreed major shows a minimum.



JUMP SHIFT  --  The use of a jump-shift response to show a fit for partner’s suit and another real suit.  It

                               is often used by a passed hand.



KANTAR CUE-BID  --  A special cuebid response to partner’s opening bid of one of a suit; a direct

                                          cuebid of an opposing overcall shows a three-suited hand with shortness in the

                                          opposing suit.



KEY-CARD BLACKWOOD  --  A specialized way to respond to Blackwood in which the king of trump

                                                        is included as an ace producing five key cards instead of four.  The

                                                        responses are as follows:

n       5C   shows 0 or 4 key cards

n       5D shows 1 or 5

n       5H   shows 2 key cards

n       5S   shows 3 key cards



LIMIT RAISES  --  A jump raise from 1 to 3 in the opener’s suit to invite partner to game.  The hand of

                                  the jump raiser shows 10 to 12 points.



MICHAELS CUE-BID  --  The use of a direct cue-bid of an opponent opening bid of one of a suit.   The

                                               cue-bidder promises a two-suited hand.

2 C  over 1 C  shows hearts and spades

2 D over 1 D  shows hearts and spades

2H  over 1H   shows spades and any one minor

2S   over 1S   shows hearts and any one minor.



NEGATIVE DOUBLE  --  A double by the responder used as a takeout double after partner’s opening bid

                                            of one of a suit is overcalled by the opponent.  The negative doubler shows

                                            support in the two unbid suits.



PUPPET STAYMAN  --  A variation of the stayman convention.  The 2C response to opener’s opening

                                            bid of 1 NT forces opener to rebid 2 D  (except to show a 5-card major suit). 

                                            Responder rebids as follows:

2 H  shows a 4-card spade suit.

2 S   shows a 4-card heart suit.

2 NT shows both majors and invitational strength.

3 NT shows both majors and game strength.



ROMAN BLACKWOOD  --  Another variation of Blackwood that will pinpoint which ace is missing

                                                  when partnership holds three aces.  The responses are:

5 C  shows 0 or 3 aces

5 D   shows 1 or 4

5 H   shows 2 aces of the same color or next to each other in rank.

5 S   shows 2 unlike aces



SPLINTER BID --  The use of an unusual jump bid to show a singleton or a void in the suit bid and

                                  excellent trump support for partner’s last bid suit.   This kind of bid is forcing to game

                                  and shows slam interest.



STRONG JUMP OVERCALLS --  A jump overcall in a suit to show a hand of 16 –18 points and at least

                                                            a six-card good suit. 







STEP RESPONSES  --  The popular method of showing controls over a partner’s forcing opening

                                         Strong bid of 2C .

2 D  shows 0 or 1 controls

2 H   shows 2 controls.

2 S   shows 3 controls, an ace and a king

2 NT shows e controls, 3 kings

3 C  shows 4 controls





UNUSUAL NOTRUMP OVERCALL  --  An notrump overcall used as an artificial takeout bid.  It is

                                                                       often used as a direct jump overcall bid.  It was invented by

                                                                       Alvin Roth to show minor suits. Many players use this bid

                                                                       exclusively as a takeout to show the two lower unbid suits.



UNUSUAL 2NT OPENING BIDS  --  An opening bid of 2 NT to show the holding of two minor suits at

                                                                least 5-cards in each. 



UNUSUAL OVER UNUSUAL  --  A type of defense bidding against an opponent’s unusual NT overcall. 

                                                           The responses are as follows:

                                                           3 C  and 3 D   are artificial showing hearts and spades.





VOID SHOWING OVER BLACKWOOD  --  A type of bid to show a void in a suit when responding to

                                                                               Blackwood.

The responses are:

6 C   shows 0 aces and a void.

6 D  shows 1 ace and a void

6 H   shows 2 aces and a void.

6 S   shows 3 aces and a void.