Jacqueline Beder’s Lessons in the ACOL System of Contract Bridge Lesson 4 Opening Bids The opening bid is when a player elects to make the first bid. The decision to open a hand is made after counting the high card points in the hand. Sort the hand into suits ranging from spades down to clubs. Remember: Ace=4 King=3 Queen= 2 Jack =1 Deal out hands and practice counting the Hand No Trump Openings No Trump (NT) openings describe balanced hands. One No Trump is opened with 12–14 high card points and a balanced hand. The distribution should be 4–3–3–3 or 4–4–3–2 or 5–3–3–2 where the five card suit is a minor. The following hands are examples of 1 NT opening hands: K J 7 6 J 8 6 K 6 Q 9 8 A Q 3 A 7 6 2 K 8 4 Q 9 6 10 9 7 4 A 9 3 K 10 8 7 K Q 5 A 7 K 6 3 K 10 6 A 8 Q 7 3 K 9 6 4 2 K J 8 5 4 K 10 8 Responses to One No Trump 1. Direct Rises The values required for direct rises in No Trump are a matter of simple arithmetic. The partner of the No Trump bidder, called responder should have a balanced hand and bear in mind that 25 points are needed for a No Trump game. Responder know his partner has a maximum of 14 points so with less than 11 points (and a balanced hand) he should pass. With 11–12 points raise to 2 NT. With 12 plus points raise to 3 NT. 11 Jacqueline Beder’s Lessons in the ACOL System of Contract Bridge Examples of direct rises: Responder holds: Q 6 2 Q 6 3 A 6 3 Q 2 Q 2 Q 2 Q 9 6 2 J 9 6 2 J 9 6 2 K J 8 6 A Q 8 6 A Q 8 6 10+14 (opener’s 11+14=25 so raise to 2 NT 13+12 =25 (opener’s maximum) = 24 which is inviting game if opener minimum) so raise to not enough for game. has maximum 3 NT Pass. 2. Weak Take Outs A take-out in a suit at the two level (except 2 which we shall discuss later) is a weak bid and in the nature of a rescue bid made on a long suit – at least five and – more likely to be of value as trumps than in a No Trump contract. The weak take-out is reserved strictly for weak hands in which responder knowing his partner’s limits sees no chance for game and prefers the the suit contract to No Trumps. For example: 10 8 7 5 3 2 7 2 Q 7 5 7 5 If partner opens 1 NT take out to 2 which, if used as trumps, are bound to be valuable whereas opener, if left to play 1 NT can never hope to get anywhere because of lack of entries to your hand. The story would be the same if the suit were either hearts or diamonds. 8 Q 8 7 8 7 6 K J 9 7 5 3 Here again take out to 2 , which should be a safer contract than No Trumps. It will be noted that in both these examples there is no chance of the combined hands reaching game because of lack of points. In both the above examples the suit used for rescue was a six card suit. With a weak unbalanced hand and a five card suit correct judgement is a little more difficult. 12 Jacqueline Beder’s Lessons in the ACOL System of Contract Bridge Q 6 J 7 5 4 2 8 7 Q 10 7 3 On this hand it is probably wiser to pass. You have no reason to believe the hand will play more safely in No Trump and with a combined value of 18 to 20 points the possibility is that the contract belongs with the opponents. The Stayman Convention The Stayman convention is part and parcel of all bidding systems and is used by responder to a No Trump opening to find a 4 – 4 fit in a major. The bid of 2 after a 1 NT bid by partner asks opener to bid a four card major if he has one. If he has no four card major he bids 2 . The 2 bid is used when you hold enough points to invite a game and one 4 card major or both majors 4–4, 5–4, or 5–5. Opener's rebid after 2 response to 1NT 1. Holding one four card major suit bid at at the 2 level. 2. Holding 2 four card major suits bid hearts first and if partner responds 2 NT bid 3 . 3. If he has no four card major bid 2 . Responder's 2nd Round Bid 1. If opener’s rebid suits his hand he can raise to 3 or 4 depending on his point count. 2. If opener’s bid is not what he hoped to hear he can convert to 2 NT or 3 NT once again according to his point count. 3. If responder holds two five card majors a further conventional bid can be employed i.e. 3 which shows this holding. 4. If responder held a 5–4 holding in the majors he can call his five card major. Holding three of this major opener can raise or holding only two convert to No Trump. N.B. In some cases responder will have a long weak club suit. How to call clubs and not Stayman. In this case responder calls 2 and whatever opener bids responder then bids 3 . 13 Jacqueline Beder’s Lessons in the ACOL System of Contract Bridge Examples of responses to 2 club Stayman Convention: K 9 7 K 9 7 K 9 7 6 K 8 6 5 A 9 7 K 10 6 5 K 8 6 K 8 6 5 K 7 A 9 7 K 8 6 A 9 8 You open 1 NT to which When partner responds 2 When partner responds partner responds 2 . to your 1 NT opener. 2 to your 1 NT opener Bid 2 You rebid 2 bid 2 . If partner responds with 2NT bid 3 . Responses with unbalanced strong hands With a five or more of a major and enough points for game a bid of 3 or 3 should be made. These bids are forcing and opener should either show three card support by raising to game or rebid 3 NT. For example: A K 9 6 4 A 10 Q 8 7 J 3 2 This hand has 14 HCP and one distributional point giving a minimum combined point count in the two hands of 27. Bid 3 which partner should either raise to 4 or convert to 3 NT. Jump takeout response to game level An immediate take-out of the 1 NT opening into four of a major denotes a very unbalanced hand containing a long suit and very little else. The bid announces that the hand is worthless except when played in the suit named by the responder. 7 A J 10 9 8 7 3 J 9 7 5 7 There is no point in forcing with 3 here, and then taking opener’s probable response of 3 NT out to 4 when you know the hand must be played in hearts and that there is a good chance of making game. An immediate jump to 4 is as above and made on a hand which is virtually a ‘blizzard’ except for seven or eight diamonds missing two of the top honours. A jump to 4 cannot be made as this bid has a conventional meaning. 14 Jacqueline Beder’s Lessons in the ACOL System of Contract Bridge Two no trump opening An opening bid of 2 NT is made on an evenly balanced hand with 20–22 honour points. For example: A K 9 K J 10 A J 4 2 K 8 6 5 A Q 8 2 A J 8 A K 5 A Q J 7 A Q 4 K 10 3 K 6 A Q 4 Responses to 2 No Trump Responder should raise to 3 NT on as little as 5 honour points or even four points if the hand contains good intermediates or a five card suit. There is no immediate weak take-out to a 2 NT opening bid as there is over a 1 NT opening, so responder cannot bid three of a suit hoping to be left to play in it. The only complete sign off is a pass. There is an important difference between a response of three and four. A response of 3 or 3 requires opener to either show three card support by calling games in the suit or rebid 3 NT. A direct jump to four of a major is a mild slam try in a hand which must be played in the suit named. Q 5 4 5 4 3 K 9 8 6 5 8 6 4 6 4 6 Q 8 6 4 9 7 6 8 6 3 J 9 8 K J 9 8 4 Q 7 6 4 Bid 3 NT Bid 3 NT Bid 3 Q J 9 8 7 5 4 K Q 10 8 6 4 8 9 K 8 7 A 10 7 6 4 3 2 9 7 8 6 K 2 3 8 6 5 J 2 Bid 3 Bid 4 BID 4 The Baron Convention This is a call of three clubs by responder after a 2 NT opener.