Bridge Basics

Slam Bidding Basics over Suit Openers

0
September 5, 2009
by Kitty Cooper in ,

I SLAM TRIES IN SUIT AUCTIONS: CUE-BIDDING

Point count is not very accurate with unbalanced hands that have a fit. Tricks and controls, or controls with distribution and lots of trump are the hand types that make slam easily with less than 33 points. For example, the following two deals both make slam and neither has the required points.

West East West East
AJ3
KQ1065
A3
85		 KQ10987
A97
965
6		 AJ987
4
A7652
A7		 KQ1065
A9854
5
63

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Slam Bidding Basics Over Notrump Openers

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September 4, 2009
by Kitty Cooper in ,

I. WHEN PARTNER OPENS 1NT- ADD THE POINTS UP

It takes 33 points to make a small slam and 37 to make a grand. Do you have them? When you have a good balanced hand of your own, add your points to partner’s possible minimum and maximum counts to see what the possibilities are. The following table shows your bids over 1NT, the point ranges assume a 15-17 1NT opener.

Bid Your HCPs Meaning
4NT 16-17 Please bid 6 with a maximum
5NT 20-21 Please bid 7 with a maximum, else bid only 6
6NT 18-19 This is what we can make (you may not raise)
7NT 22+ This is it.

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Preempting

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September 6, 2006
by Kitty Cooper in ,

One of the most effective strategies in competitive bidding is the preempt. When you have a long strong suit and not many points you can start the bidding at the 3 level with a 7-card suit and at the four level with an 8-card suit. This makes life very difficult for the opponents since they have lost the space needed in the bidding to find their own correct contract and most of the time doubling you will not be profitable enough.

Using the 2 level for pre-empting as well, makes it even harder on the opponents and only gives up bidding space on those very strong (22+) one suited hands that you almost never get. The bid of 2 clubs is used for all your hands of 22+ (except 21-22 balanced which are opened 2NT).

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JACOBY Transfers over Notrump

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September 5, 2006
by Kitty Cooper in ,

I. Getting the Strong Notrump Hand to Declare the Major

One of the primary objectives of bidding is to find an eight card major suit fit and play in it at the appropriate level. Jacoby transfer bids make it easier to describe hands with five and six card major suits when partner opens 1NT.

This is how it works, you bid the suit below your long major suit:

2 says “I have 5+ hearts”
2 says “I have 5+ spades”

Now partner bids your suit, 2 or 2 . This has transferred the declaring of the major to partner’s stronger hand. It is an advantage to have the hand with more high cards make the last play at trick one.

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BASIC BIDDING REVIEW: — Competition

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September 5, 2006
by Kitty Cooper in ,

. When the Opponents Open

Annoying, isn’t it? You had just decided that you were going to open the bidding with 1, when your opponent opens 1 in front of you. What to do?

When both sides are bidding, your objective is to get the best score possible. Game is unlikely, unless there is a good distributional fit. Finding an eight card major suit fit is still very important, since playing in a major will usually produce the best score.

Having a hand you would have opened is no reason to bid now. Your strategy has changed. There are only four reasons to bid once the opponents have opened:

  1. Balance of the Power. Our side might have most of the strength.
  2. Lead Direction. It could be important to tell partner what to lead.
  3. Sacrifice. We may have a good sacrifice versus their game, slam, or partscore.
  4. Obstruction. Our bidding may make it hard for them to get to the right spot.

The tools at our disposal for competing once the opponents have bid a suit are:

  1. The no-trump overcall
  2. The simple suit overcall
  3. The take-out double
  4. The jump overcall
  5. Various 2 suited bids

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BASIC BIDDING SUMMARY after 1 of a suit

1
September 5, 2006
by Kitty Cooper in ,

I. What Is Your Objective?

One of the primary objectives of bidding is to find an eight card major suit fit to play in. The other main objective is to determine how many points the partnership has. These are the two questions you should ask yourself every time it is your turn to bid:

  1. Do we have an 8 card or longer major suit fit ?
  2. Do we have the 26 points needed for a game ?

Once either partner knows that there cannot be 26 points, it is that player’s job to stop in a makable contract. This usually means passing, or making the cheapest bid in a previously bid suit. Conversely, if you know your side has enough points for a game, do not make a bid that your partner can pass!

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