Cara’s Bridge Conventions
http://www.quia.com/pages/cfulton/bridgebuddy
Value your hand with an eye to making game by counting up your HCPs (high card points) and analyzing the distribution.
HCP Distribution
A = 4 Void = 3 or 8 card suit = 4
K = 3 Singleton = 2 7 card suit = 3
Q = 2 Doubleton = 1 6 card suit = 2
J = 1 5 card suit = 1
6
5:09 PM 3/14/2014
Game = 100 points
No trump = 40 the first trick, 30 each subsequent
Majors (spades and hearts) = 30 each trick
Minors (clubs and diamonds) = 20 each trick
A Rubber is winning 2 out of 3 games.
Bidding Sequence
Clubs
Diamonds
Hearts
Spades
No trump
6
5:09 PM 3/14/2014
Points in partnership to get game
26 = 3 NT or 4 in a major
29 = 5 in a minor
33-36 = baby slam is 6 in any suit
37 = grand slam all the tricks by bidding 7 in any suit
There are only 40 HCPs in a deck (10 per suit)
Distribution Types (13 cards in a hand)
1 suited = 6 - - - 6 3 1 3
7 - - - 7 0 3 3
8 - - - 8 0 2 3
2 suited = 5 5 - - 1 2, 3 0
6 4 - - 2 1, 1 2
5 4 - - 3 1, 2 2
3 suited (rare) 4 4 4 1
5 4 4 0
Balanced = 4 3 3 3
4 4 3 2 (most common pattern 20%)
5 3 3 2
Figure out how many points you have and what kind of hand you have distribution-wise to determine your best suits. This will help you plan your bids with your partner. We bid to describe our hands to our partner to determine if we have a “fit” and see what contract to make, if any. Any 8 card combination is considered a fit.
Guidelines for Opening the Bidding
With 0 to 12 points, pass.
Exception #1: With 6-12 HCP and 7+ suit, bid 3 in that suit (a preemptive bid!)
Exception #2: With 6-12 HCP and 6 Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades and 2 or 3 of
the honors in that suit, bid 2 of that suit (preemptive). If the suit is Clubs, bid 1C.
See page 4 for more information to open with pre-emptive bids at the 2 and 3 level.
With 13-21 points, open the bidding at the one level with one of your longest suits
With 22+ points and 5+ card suit, bid 2 Clubs (a strong, artificial bid)
With 15 to 18 points and a balanced hand, open 1NT.
With 19-20 points and a balanced hand, open with 1 in a suit and jump with the next bid.
With 21-24 points and balanced distribution, 2NT
With 24+ points and balanced distribution, 3NT
Notes:
§ Only open 5 card majors; Do not open a two card minor.
§ If you have two 5 card suits, open the higher ranking one.
§ You can open a 4 card minor. A 4 card suit is biddable if it has 4 HCP.
§ Any 5 card suit is biddable but only rebiddable if it has 2 honors.
§ If you have two 4 card minors and no 5 card major, open the diamond.
§ If you have two 3 card minors and no 5 card major, open the club.
Responder bids (to opener)
§ With 0-6 points, pass unless your partner bid at the 2 clubs then you have to bid something
§ With 6-10, no biddable suit, bid 1NT
§ With 13-16 points, a balanced distribution, and all suits stopped 2NT.
§ With 16-18 points, balanced distribution, and all suits stopped 3NT.
§ With 6-10 points + 3 trumps (what the opener bid), bid 2 in that suit
(this establishes that you have a fit!) e.g., 1D to 2D or 1S to 2S
§ With 7-10 points + 4+ cards in a new suit, respond in the new suit
e.g., 1D to 1H or 1S to 2C
§ With 13-15 points, jump up a level in your best suit e.g., 1D to 2H or 1S to 3D
§ With 13-16 points and 4 trumps Double raise partner’s suit e.g., 1D to 3D or 1S to 3S
§ If your partner opened with 2 clubs, it’s an artificial bid so you’re forced to bid something. Usually, you want to bid 2 diamonds and let your partner indicate her real suit in the rebid.
§ Double Jump shift if you have 19 points and a 5+ suit e.g., 1D to 3H or 1S to 4D
§ If your partner opened with 1 NT and you have 8+ HCP and at least 1 4-card major, bid 2C (STAYMAN). Opener’s rebids: 2D No four-card major; 2H Shows a four-card heart suit. Opener may also have four spades; 2S shows a four-card spade suit, but not four hearts.
§ If your partner makes a preemptive bid, you may pass or you could bid something if you have a strong hand.
Rebids by opening bidder
Since the opening bid and response bids are usually quite indefinite (an opening at the one level indicates any where from 13-21 points; a response bid at the one level indicates any where from 6 – 18 points. A response bid at the two level indicates any where from 10-18 points). The rebid is where you can get more specific:
A. Minimum hand of 13 -15 points
B. Above average hand of 16-18 points
C. Strong hand of 19-20 points
D. Game insisting hand of 21-22 points.
A. To indicate a minimum hand of 13-15 points you have 4 choices:
Presume the bidding has gone
Opener: 1 diamond
Rsponder: 1 heart
1. Rebid in your own suit. In this example, bid 2 diamonds. This indicates you have 13-15 points with at least 4 HCP in the diamonds or at least 5 diamonds.
2. Bid 1 NT. This indicates a balanced hand (and no great suit) with 13-15 points.
3. Bid 1 of another suit such as 1 spade. This indicates a 2 suiter hand with 14 points.
4. Bid 2 in suit of responder. In this example, it would be 2 hearts. This indicates that you have 13-15 points and trump support in partner’s suit (at least 3 with an honor).
B. To indicate an Above average hand of 16-18 points you have 2 choices:
1. Bid in a new suit at the three level (jump shift!)
2. Double raise your partner’s responder suit (jump!)
C. To indicate a Strong hand of 19+ points you have the same 2 choices:
1. Jump shift
2. Jump
D.. To indicate a Game insisting hand of 21-22 points.
- Double jump shift
- Bid game
If you opened with 1 NT and your partner responded with the Stayman 2Clubs, rebid:
§ 2D To show no four-card major
§ 2H Shows a four-card heart suit and maybe four spades too
§ 2S Shows a four-card spade suit, but not four hearts
Bridge bidding guide
Here are the opening bids from the most to the least preferred.
Openings
3NT / 24+ points, balanced hand2 / 22+ points, at least a 5+ card suit, forcing for a turn.
At next turn, bid that suit (Strong, artificial 2C convention)
2NT / 21-23 points, balanced hand
1NT / 16-18 points, balanced hand (some play a weak 1NT of 15-18)
1 / 13-21 points, 5+ spades
Bid the longest major; if of equal length, with 16+ points bid 1 or else 1
1 / 13-21 points, 5+ hearts
Bid the longest major; if of equal length, with 16+ points bid 1 or else 1
1 / 13-21 points, 3+ diamonds
Bid the longest minor; if of equal length, bid 1 with 3 cards, else 1
1 / 13-21 points, 3+ clubs
Bid the longest minor; if of equal length, bid 1 with 3 cards, else 1
3, 3, 3, 3 / 6-12 points, 7+ cards in this suit.
2 / 6-12 points, 6 hearts
This suit must hold 2 of the 3 honors or 3 of the 5 honors
2 / 6-12 points, 6 spades
This suit must hold 2 of the 3 honors or 3 of the 5 honors
2 / 6-12 points, 6 diamonds
This suit must hold 2 of the 3 honors or 3 of the 5 honors
Glossary
All suits stopped – A, KQ, QJ10, or J1098 in each suit to prevent opponents from taking a run of tricks.
Blackwood convention
To bid a slam you need a strong combined trump suit, 33+ points, no immediate losers in any one suit, and at least 3 aces between you. Use the Blackwood convention bid of 4NT to find out if you have enough aces. Here are the responses and translations:
5c: 0 or all 4 aces; 5d: 1 ace; 5h: 2 aces; 5s: 3 aces
After you ask for aces and find that you have all four, you may want to make a grand slam, so you’ll need to locate any missing kings with 5NT! Responses:
6c: 0 or all 4 kings; 6d: 1 king; 6h: 2 kings; 6s: 3 kings
Dealer – the person who deals out the cards also bids first.
Declarer – the person who first bid a suit which becomes the contract. This person then plays the cards.
Double! Another bid is the double. If the bidding ends after an opponent “doubles,” then all points are doubled in the scoring. Bidders can redouble, which doubles the doubled points! There’s a code behind doubling too. Here are two of them:
The takeout double
The takeout double is a defensive bid that you usually do after your right hand opponent opens in a suit you only have a singleton or doubleton, but no long suit to overcall. The takeout double tells your partner that you have 13+ HCP along with 3 or 4 card support in each of the unbid suits. That also means that your partner should bid in one of those unbid suits if she can because you have already shown support in all those suits. It's really very nifty!
The Penalty Double (again the bidder just says Double)
Double the opponents when you don’t think they can make their bid, but wait until they’ve already hung themselves.
Dummy – the partner of the declarer. This person lays his or her cards out on the table after the opponent to the left of the declarer plays. Dummy can then leave the table.
Finesse – a method of winning a trick with a card not as high as one held by the opponent, provided the card is held by the right opponent, normally a 50/50 chance of winning. Example: you have the 3-2 and dummy has the K-7. If you play the 3 and the Ace is on your left, and your opponent plays it, you can play the 7 in dummy and the K is now a winner later. If the opponent does not play the Ace, play the K as the winner (hopefully).
Forcing bid – If your partner uses an artificial bid such as the Stayman, then you must bid
Gerber convention - convention of bidding 4 Clubs to ask for aces over no trump sequences. Gerber responses are as follows: 4 diamonds = zero or four aces; 4 hearts = one ace; 4 spades = two aces; 4 no trump = three aces
Overcalls – bidding after your opponents. If your opponent bids 1H and you bid 1S, it’s a one-level overall. It’s more important to have a strong suit than opening points to overcall.
Promoting lower ranking cards: You have the KQJ and opponents have the A. By leading the K and giving up the trick to the A, your QJ are now winners later.
STAYMAN – convention for responding to 1NT opener. Bid 2Clubs to opening of 1NT with 8+ HCP and at least 1 4-card major. Opener’s rebids: 2D No four-card major; 2H Shows a four-card heart suit. Opener may also have four spades; 2S Shows a four-card spade suit, but not four hearts.
Rubber Bridge Scoring
As its name suggests, rubber bridge is played in rubbers. A rubber is the best of three games. A game is won by the first team to score 100 or more points for successful contracts, over several deals if necessary.
A side which has already won one game toward the current rubber is said to be vulnerable. A side which has not yet won a game is not vulnerable. A side which is vulnerable is subject to higher bonuses and penalties than one that is not.
The score is kept on a piece of paper divided into two columns headed WE and THEY, for the two teams, with a horizontal line part-way down (see example). Scores for successful contracts are entered below the line, and count toward winning a game. Other scores, such as bonuses for tricks made in excess of the contract (overtricks), or penalties for tricks short of the contract (undertricks) are entered above the line, and do not count toward winning the game.
Score for making the contract
For a successful contract, the score below the line for each trick (in excess of six, which is referred to as “book”) bid and made is as follows:
· If trumps are clubs or diamonds: 20 per trick
· If trumps are hearts or spades: 30 per trick
· If notrump: 40 for the first trick, and 30 for each subsequent trick
If the contract was doubled the above scores are doubled. If it was doubled and redoubled, they are multiplied by 4. In addition, the declarer’s side scores an extra 50 points above the line if they succeed in a doubled contract. This is sometimes known as “50 for the insult.” For making a redoubled contract the bonus is 100 above the line.
Because of the difference in score, clubs and diamonds are called the minor suits, and hearts and spades are the major suits.
Slam bonus
A contract to make 12 tricks is known as a small slam. A contract to make all 13 tricks is called a grand slam. For bidding and making a slam, declarer’s side gets an extra bonus above the line, depending on their vulnerability, as follows: