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A BASIC GUIDE TO STANDARD AMERICAN BIDDING:
HOW TO VALUE YOUR HAND:
HIGH CARD POINT COUNT
Ace = 4 King = 3 Queen = 2
Jack = 1
DISTRIBUTION COUNT
1 point for each card over four in all suits (even at no trump - remember NT hands
are balanced so at most 1 point will be added in NT)
QUICK TRICKS
AK = 2; AQ = 1 1/2; A = 1; KQ = 1; Kx = 1/2
SUIT
RANK HIGH TO LOW:
No-trump ranks above all suits then in this order major suits: spades, hearts; minor suits:
diamonds, clubs
REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTSCORES-GAMES-SLAMS
A good trump suit has a 8+ cards in the two hands
First look for a major suit (spades or hearts)
If you have no major suit trump fit look for no-trump.
If
you cant bid in a major suit or no-trump, kicking and screaming you can allow yourself to play in a minor suit (diamonds or
clubs)
A part score is any final contract less then game
A major suit game (4H, 4S) usually takes about 25 or
26 points
A minor-suit game (5C, 5D) usually takes about 28 or 29 points
A no-trump game (3NT) usually takes
about 25 or 26 points
A small slam (any 6 bid) usually takes about 33 points
A grand slam (any 7 bid) usually
takes about 37 points
NOTE: Distributional (unbalanced) hands may take considerably less points
OPENING THE
BIDDING
SUIT OPENINGS
You normaly open your longest suit
Opener is the first player to make a call other
than pass
If an opponent bids a suit or NT after your side opens - He is called Overcaller (or Balancer).
If
he doubles he is called Doubler
Opener's Partner is called Responder
Overcaller's, Ballancer's or Doubler's
Partner is called Advancer
+ Means: or more
Open some 11 point hands
Open most 12 point hands
Open
any hand with 14 High Card Points
Open any hand with 3 Quick tricks
To open in a major suit (hearts or spades)
requires 5+ cards
To open in a minor suit (clubs or diamonds) requires 3+ cards
With 2, five card suits open
the higher ranking
With 2 four card minors open diamonds (does not qualify for a major suit opening)
With 2
three card minors open clubs (does not qualify for a major suit opening)
Opening 1H or 1S shows 13 - 21 points and
a 5+ card suit
Opening 1C or 1D shows 13 - 21 points and a 3+ card suit
Opening 2C shows a very strong hand
of 22+ points if balanced and the hand may have less points if it's unbalanced
Opening with a bid of 2D/H/S
shows 5 - 9 HCPs and a 6 card suit - The suit should be no less than QJ9XXX (some partnerships use these bids as strong, same
as 2C)
3 of a suit shows 5 - 9 HCPs and a 7 card suit - The suit should be no less than QJ9XXXX
4 of a suit
shows 5 - 9 HCPs and an 8 card suit - The suit should be no less than QJ9XXXXX
NO TRUMP OPENINGS
1NT shows exactly
(no more no less) 15 - 17 points (15 point hands must be all high cards)
2NT shows exactly 20 - 21 points
No
trump openings have no void, no singleton and at most one doubleton
Hands that qualify for an opening in no trump and/or
a suit are best opened in No trump
RE-VALUATION:
SHORT SUIT COUNT
Void = 3 Singleton = 2 Doubleton =
1
As opener or responder as soon as you know there is a fit with your partner (before you bid) add your short suit
count to your high card and long suit count and that is your total count
Do not count points for short suits until
you have found a trump fit (8+ cards between the two hands.
SUIT RESPONSES
AFTER PARTNERS 1 OF A SUIT OPENING
You
must respond with 6+ point
The first thing you should do if possible is support your partners Major suit if you have
the right count
Single raise of a major shows 3+ trumps and 6 to a bad 10 points
Single raise of a minor shows
4+ trumps and 6 to a bad 10 points and denies a 4+ card major
Double raise of a major (1H - 3H) shows 4+ trump &
a good 10 to 12 total points
Double raise of a minor (1D - 3D) shows 4+ trumps & 13 - 16 total points and denies
a 4+ card major
Jump to game in a major suit (1S - 4S) shows 5 - 9 HCPs, a void or singleton and 5+ trumps
1
of a new suit (1D - 1H ) shows 4+ cards , 6+ points (called a one over one)
2 of a lower ranking suit shows 4+ cards
(except 2H over 1S shows 5+ H) and 10+ points (called a two over one
Usually respond in your longest suit if not supporting
partner
Do Not bid at the 2 level in a new suit with less then 10 good points
Respond up the line with 2 or
more four card suits on any hand worth 2 bids
Respond in your 4 card major [skip the minor of 4 or even 5 cards if
your hand is a mini (6 to a bad 10 points)
A mini is worth only 1 bid unless forced to bid again by partner or making
a simple preference bid
Respond in the higher suit with 2 five card or six card suits (regardless of strength in the
suit)
Bid 1NT with less then 10 points, no support for partner and no higher ranking suit of 4+ cards that can be
bid at the one level
2 of a higher ranking suit then partners, i.e. 1D 2H (a jump shift) shows a strong hand, Exactly
17 - 19 points (No more No less) and support for partner or a very good suit of your own.
Some partnerships play a
Jump Shift as weak (5-9 HCP's and a 6 card suit, the same as a weak 2 opening bid
A jump to 2NT over openers 1H/S shows
13+ points, 4+ of Opener's major and no singleton or void - a game force in Opener's major suit (Called Jacoby 2NT)
A
jump to 3NT over openers 1H/S shows 13 - 15 HCPs, the other 3 suits stopped and a balanced hand, denies a 4+ card higher ranking
major or a 5+ card lower ranking major - also denies 3+ of Opener's major
A jump to 2NT over 1 of a minor shows 13
- 15 HCP's the other 3 suit stoped and denies a 4+ card major suit
A jump to 3NT over 1 of a minor shows 16 - 18 HCP's
the other 3 suit stoped and denies a 4+ card major suit
AFTER OPENERS 2 CLUBS GAME FORCING BID
2D is a waiting
bid & asks opener to describe her hand
Any suit bid by responder other then 2D shows a good 5+ card suit At least
an Ace & King in the hand or its equivalent as a mimimum (KQXXX KXX XX XXX)KQXXX or AJTXX is the mimimum holding in your
5 card suit
NO TRUMP RESPONSES
AFTER PARTNERS 1NT OPENING
Bid 2C (artificial called Stayman) with a 4
(not longer) card major and 8+ points (regardless of length of ANY other suit
You must have exactly four cards in one
of your major suits - you may have another suit of 5 or even 6 cards)
Bid 2D (a Jacoby Transfer Bid) and partner must
rebid 2H (The 2D bid shows 5+ Hearts and does not say anything about your Diamonds)
With 5 of a Major and 4 of the
other Major use Stayman not Jacoby Transfer
Bid 2H (a Jacoby Transfer Bid) and partner must rebid 2S (The 2H bid shows
5+ Spades and does not say anything about your Hearts)
2NT invites game in No Trump and denies a 4+ card major suit
(8 - 9 or a very bad 10 points)
3NT is a signoff (10 - 15 points) and denies a 4+ card major suit
4NT invites
a small slam (16 - 17 points) and denies a 4+ card major suit
5NT invites a grand slam (20 - 21 points) and denies
a 4+ card major suit. Opener must bid 6NT with a minimum and 7NT with a maximum
6NT is a signoff (18 - 19 points) and
denies a 4+ card major suit
7NT (22+ points) and denies a 4+ card major suit
AFTER PARTNERS 2NT OPENING
Bid
3C (artificial called Stayman) with a 4 card major and 4+ points (regardless of the length of any other suit)
Bid 3D
(a Jacoby Transfer Bid) and partner must rebid 3H This shows 5+ Hearts and does not promise anything in Diamonds
Remember
with a 5 and a 4 card major use Stayman not Jacoby Transfer
Bid 3H (a Jacoby Transfer Bid) and partner must rebid 3S
This shows 5+ Spades and does not promise anything in Hearts
3NT is a signoff (5 - 11 points)and denies a 4+ card major
suit
4NT invites a small slam (12 points) and denies a 4+ card major suit
5NT invites a grand slam (16 points)
and denies a 4+ card major suit. Opener must bid 6NT with a minimum and 7NT with a maximum
6NT is a signoff (13 - 15
points) and denies a 4+ card major suit
7NT (17+ points)and denies a 4+ card major suit
MORE ON JACOBY TRANSFERS
After
an opening bid of 1NT a response of 2D (shows 5+ Hearts) and requires Opener to rebid 2H (Responders 5+ card suit)
Responder
may pass with a weak hand
Bid Game in Hearts with 6+ Hearts
Bid 2NT (Shows 5 Hearts exactly) to invite game
in either NT or Hearts - Opener may Pass - Correct to 3H and Responder will Pass - Bid game in NT (with only 2 Hearts) - Bid
game in Hearts with 3+ Hearts
Responder may bid game in NT (shows 5 Hearts exactly) Opener may correct to 4H with 3+
Hearts
Responder may bid 3 Hearts (Shows 6+ Hearts and an invitational hand - Opener may pass or bid game in Hearts
After
an opening bid of 1NT a response of 2H (shows 5+ Spades) and requires Opener to rebid 2S (Responders 5+ card suit)
Responder
may pass with a weak hand - Bid Game in Spadess with 6+ Spades - Bid 2NT to invite game in either NT or Spades - Opener may
Pass - Correct to 3S and Responder will Pass - Bid game in NT (with only 2 Spades) - Bid game in Spades with 3+ Spades
Responder
may bid game in NT (shows 5 Spades exactly) Opener may correct to 4S with 3+ Spades
Responder may bid 3 Spades (Shows
6+ Spades and an invitational hand - Opener may pass or bid 4 Spades
After an opening bid of 1NT a response of 2S (shows
5+ Clubs or Diamonds - and a weak hand) and requires Opener to rebid 3C - Responders will Pass or correct to 3 Diamonds and
Opener will pass
LIMIT BIDS & CAPTAINCY
Any bid that limits the hand in points is a limit bid
The
PARTNER of the limit bidder is the CAPTAIN The CAPTAIN determines the final contract
Opening NT bids limit the hand
in both point count and shape
A NT responses limits the hand as to point count (not shape)
Single raise of a
suit (1H - 2H) limits the hands point count (6 to a bad 10)
Double raise of a Major suit (1S - 3S) limits the hands
point count (10 to 12 CALLED A LIMIT RAISE)
Rebidding a suit that has been bid before limits the hand in value [1D
- 1H; 2D (shows 12 - to a bad 16) or 1D - 1H; 3H (shows a good 16 to 18 points)]
REBIDS BY OPENER
12 to a bad
16 points make a minimum rebid. Rebid a new suit at the 1 level or at the 2 level in a lower ranking suit then your opening
suit. Raise Partners suit (sometimes with only 3). Rebid your own suit (shows six). Rebid 1 Notrump or 2 Notrump if it is
not a jump
With a good 16+ to 18 points make a jump rebid in your suit or partner's suit or bid 2 of a higher ranking
suit then the one you opened (1D-1S; 2H) This is called a reverse (a reverse is a 1 round force)
With 19+ points make
a jump shift or a reverse
A reverse is bidding a new suit at the 2 level in a suit higher ranking then your first bid
suit
When you reverse your 1st suit is ALWAYS longer then your 2nd suit
A simple rebid of your suit (1D - 1H;
2D) shows 12 - 16 points, and a 6+ card suit
A jump rebid of your suit (1D - 1H; 3D) 16 - 18 points, 6+ card suit
A
jump shift (1D - 1H; 2S) 19+ points, 4+ cards in the 2nd suit
A single raise of partners suit (1D - 1H; 2H) 12 -16
points, 4+ cards in partners suit (this can be made with 3 good trumps over a major response Q9X when you have no better bid)
A
double raise of partners suit (1D - 1H; 3H) 17 or 18 points, 4+ cards in partners suit
A jump raise to game (1H - 1S;
4S)shows a good 19+ points, 4+ trumps
A jump rebid in NT (1D - 1H; 2NT) 18 - 19 points, other suits stopped, no major
4+ card suit
TAKE OUT DOUBLE
Double for takeout after the opponent opens the bidding when you have an opening
bid of your own 11+ HCP's and support for the other 3 suits (1S - X shows support for H, D & C)
OVERCALLS
AFTER
YOUR OPPONENT OPENS
With 8+ points and a good 5 card suit overcall (one of a suit) at the 1 level
With 10+ points
and a good 6 (sometimes 5) card suit overcall at the 2 level in a lower ranking suit
Overcall 1NT with an opening
1NT hand
A jump overcall (1D - 2S) shows a weak hand (same as an opening weak 2 bid; 5 - 9 HCPs with a 6 card suit)
BALANCING IN THE PASSOUT SEAT
When you bid in the pass out seat you are called the balancer
1D - P -
P - ? Borrow a King from partner and bid accordingly - (you should bid if you have any excuse to do so - with good shape 7
or 8 HCP's is enough) (Length in the openers suit is a reason not to balance)
A 1NT bid in the ballancing seat shows 11 - 14 points, a balanced hand and at least one
stopper in the opponet's suit
Partner of balancer recognizes partner may be weak and bids accordingly (he knows partner has already bid 3 of his points)
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