How might one make value judgments regarding bidding systems?
In the comments section of this question, it was noted that the late Barry Crane would open "an 11 high card point hand containing a king. With good distributional hands open lighter." The downside to...
View ArticleShould there be different standards for a strong two club bid depending on...
A strong two club bid indicates the ability to take something like eight and a half tricks, with a meaningful portion of that being tricks outside the main suit. The test that I use is something like,...
View ArticleHow far should a partnership explore altnernatives to a no trump game that is...
Here is an example of what I mean:With no one vulnerable at matchpoints, partner opened two clubs (strong) after three passes. I made the waiting bid of two diamonds, and partner bid three clubs with ♠...
View ArticleDid I have enough information to call four spades in this situation?
With only them vulnerable, partner open 1 club (possibly a "convenient" minor) in second seat. My right hand opponent overcalled four hearts (showing eight). I passed with the following.♠ AT8652 ♡2 ♢93...
View ArticleWas I wrong to open with a singleton lead in this situation?
At matchpoint duplicate bridge, not vulnerable vrrsus vulnerable, and sitting West, I held♠ AK32♡ J643♢ 6♣ JT82Partner (East) opened one heart, South overcalled one spade, I raised to two hearts, North...
View ArticleWhy might an auction go 1NT-3NT?
Sort of a follow up question to this question.In that question, the auction goes 1NT - pass - 3NT - all pass. The answers to the question point out that, by opening 1NT, declarer is saying they have...
View ArticleCan I reasonably expect my partner to have a four card suit when responding...
With only them vulnerable at matchpoints, right hand opponent opened (a weak) two hearts in third seat. I doubled (for takeout) with the following:♠ AKT♡ Q♢ AKQ642♣ A93After left hand opponent passed,...
View ArticleDid I bid properly against a (weak) 1NT opening?
With no one vulnerable at matchpoints, right hand opponent dealt and bid 1NT (which was alerted as 11-14).I made a "big double" with the following 16 point hand: ♠ QJT ♡ 6 ♢ AKJT9 ♣ AJ54, intending to...
View ArticleWAs it reasonable for me to pass my partner's 2NT bid?
With both sides vulnerable at matchpoints, left hand opponent (LHO) dealt and bid 1 diamond. Two passes followed.I doubled (takeout) with ♠ KJT5 ♡ AJT4 ♢ Q5 ♣ AT4. LHO rebid 2 clubs. Partner bid 2NT,...
View ArticlePremptive bid with too much strength in Bridge?
What happens if opener bids 3 diamonds (a preemptive bid) and everyone else passes and then it is discovered that opener had 14 points, too many to preempt?
View ArticleIf a responder to a strong 1NT bid is 5-4 in the majors, would it make better...
At matchpoints, with only them vulnerable, I dealt and opened a strong (16 point) 1NT. Partner bid a 2 heart transfer (to spades) with the following: ♠ AT843 ♡ AQ87 ♢ Q5 ♣ Q7.I duly made the forced two...
View ArticleWhat does it mean when the laws say that a forcing 1NT response cannot...
"Invitational" usually means 10-12 high card points. A forcing 1NT response typically has a range of 6-12 points.I consider it unwise to bid a forcing 1NT with only 6-7 points. Does the rule mean that...
View ArticleAm I underestimating the differences between these two hands if I bid them...
In the first case, I was in "third" position, only them vulnerable at match points. Here I pre-empted 3 diamonds with the following 13 high card point hand: ♠ 2 ♡ KT ♢ AKQ6432 ♣ J53. I would not have...
View ArticleWhat are the arguments for and against raising a "one over one" response with...
The obvious danger is that you may end up in a 4-3 "Moyesian" fit if you do so. That appears to be why many members of my club hate that bid. Yet I feel that it provides useful information and induces...
View ArticleDo good bridge players open one diamond and rebid two clubs when they are...
With no one vulnerable, partner opened 1 diamond after one pass. I bid one heart with the following:♠ J985 ♡ AT852 ♢95 ♣ A9. Partner rebid 2 clubs. I tried 2NT, thinking that partner had the minor...
View ArticleWhere would modern bridge players draw the line in the following paradigm?
Take a hand like ♠ AK ♡ K ♢Txxxx ♣ Txxxx. In the old days (about 100 years ago), some experts might have evaluated the hand at 2.5 quick tricks and two five card suits and opened it 1 diamond (or 1...
View ArticleShould bidders take "controls"into account when trying to bid a no trump slam?
By "controls," I mean the situation whereby an ace is worth two controls, and a king one. Given four aces and four kings, there are 12 controls in all.If two partners have 31 (random) high card points...
View ArticleHow to bid a very strong hand with values in only 2 suits?
This hand happened to me in online play. I had:♠AKQ109 ♥AKQ75 ♦3 ♣QJThat is 21 high card points, mostly in hearts and spades, both as 5 card suits. So game in either hearts or spades looks good, No...
View ArticleIs it more important for a responder to bid their suit or raise partner under...
With only us vulnerable at matchpoints, I oponed one heart after dealer passed. The second opponent passed and partner had the following for a response: ♠ AQJ74 ♡ 742 ♢K754 ♣ 7.I would have expected a...
View ArticleBridge: Is it a rule that you must announce the meaning of partners opening bid
Bridge Playing SAYC Is it a rule for partner to announce to the defenders what an opening bid (eg '1C minimum 3') means
View ArticleForced Response to a Convenient Minor Opening?
My bridge club plays by a rule that an opening of a convenient minor requires a demand response by the partner unless intervening opponent does an overcall.Situation: My partner opened with 1-Diamond;...
View ArticleWhat Are The Key Features Of The "Fantunes" Bidding System?
Zia Mahmood's Bridge column for the Guardian newspaper today tells of two players with world titles to their names, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes, who apparently have an intriguing bidding...
View ArticleWhen are nine and ten hcp point hands worth opening at the "one" level?
With a holding like AKQTxx in one suit, and no side honors, I could usually open with a "weak two." But suppose the suit were clubs. Then I can't open with two clubs because that is a much stronger...
View ArticleIs it OK to make an "offshape" bid if you can handle any likely response?
With no one vulnerable at atchpoints, left hand opponent opened with one heart. Partner passed, right hand opponent raised to two hearts (both of them had minimums for their bids).I passed, holding ♠87...
View ArticleDid I act reasonably by raising following my takeout double?
All vulnerable at matchpoints, right hand opponent opened one club. I doubled (takeout) with the following: ♠KQ75 ♡ T752 ♢ AKJ9 ♣ 3.Left hand opponent passed, and my new partner bid one spade (forced)...
View ArticleHow strong a suit do you need for an overcall above the one level in direct...
If someone opens say, one club, the next person will mostly likely overcall, say, one spade with a decent five card suit and about ten high card points, even though the hand is slightly too weak to...
View ArticleCalling "No Trump" as trump in Euchre
I come from a long line of Euchre players. When all players have turned down ordering up trump and it goes to each player to name a suit, we have also included "No Trump" as an option. Meaning if you...
View ArticleCan one reasonably make inferences about partner's first bid based on the...
With no one vulnerable at matchpoints, my (occasional) partner dealt and bid one diamond with the following:(s) 752 (h) QT7 (d) AQJ52 (c) A8.I bid one heart. She re-bid two diamonds, and I reluctantly...
View ArticleShould I have tried for slam in the following situation, and if so, did I do...
With only them vulnerable at matchpoints, my (new) partner dealt and opened one club. After a pass by opponent, I bid one diamond with the following: (s) 7 (h) KQ (d) KT98543 (c) KT3.Partner bid 2NT...
View ArticleIn which, or all of the following situations does a raise of a no trump bid...
Opener bids one club, responder bids one heart. Opener rebids 2NT (18-19 high card points, balanced). Responder raises to 4NT. I take that to be a "quantitative" bid, aiming for 6NT. The reason is that...
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