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Standard American
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Opening Bids
Bridge can be very confusing. The same bid can have different meanings depending on the position of the bidder. For example, the opening bid of one diamond in first seat says, "Partner, I have at least 3 diamonds and at least 13 points". An overcall of one diamond (i.e., 1 club, 1 diamond) says, "Partner, I have 8 to 15 high card points, and I promise at least 5 diamonds".
See the difference? The opening bid of 1 diamond can be a much stronger hand, containing up to 19 or 20 points, while the overcall of 1 diamond has limited its point count to 15. With this in mind, let's look at opening bids.
Opening with a Minor Suit
Opening with a Major Suit
Opening 1NT
Opening 2NT
Gambling 3NT
Two Club Strong Opening Bids
Weak Two Bids
Preempt Bids on the Three Level
Opening with a Suit at Game Level
Flannery
Third and Fourth Seat Openings
Responsive Bids
You pick up your cards, sort them in suits and see that you hold
Jxxx ~~~ Qxx ~~~ Axx ~~~ Kxx
Only 10 points. You stifle a yawn. Boring. But then you hear partner open the bidding in first seat!! You sit straight up in your chair. Your 10 measly points just got interesting!!
When partner has opened the bidding, this can drastically change the reflection of your hand. It also shifts the burden of responding to partner's opening bid to you. You want to be careful. Partner is waiting breathless for a description of your hand and getting to the right contract may depend on the first responsive bid you chose to make.
Responding to Partner's Minor-Suit Opening
Responding to Partner's Major-Suit Opening
Responding to Partner's No Trump Opening Bid
Stayman
Smolen
Jacoby Transfers
Minor Suit Stayman
Texas Transfers
Responding with 5/5 in the Majors over Partner's 1NT
Drury - Responding to Partner's Third or Fourth Seat Opening Bid
RONF - Responding to Partner's Weak Two Opening Bid
Ogust - Responding to Partner's Weak Two Bid
Jacoby Two No Trump
Weak Jump Shifts
Splinter Bids
Doubles
To Double or Not to Double....
My favorite bid in the whole game of bridge is Double. It is so versatile. A double can say: "Partner, I have help in your suit"; or it can say, "Oh, partner!! I have the other major!!"; or "I have points, but I don't really have a bid...tell me more about your hand"; or my favorite (when it is not being used on me...giggle), "No way our opponents are gonna make this bid! Penalty!!"
Takeout Doubles
Negative Doubles
Support Doubles
Responsive Doubles
Penalty Doubles
Ace-Asking Bids
OK. You and partner are bidding up a storm. You have points out the ying-yang!! But do you have the right cards between you to bid slam?? Do opponents have two aces?? How many kings do you and partner have?? Questions...questions... You want ANSWERS!!
Never fear!! Ace-asking bids are here!!
Blackwood
Key Card Blackwood
Gerber
Key Card Gerber
Overcalls
Up to now, we have discussed responsive bidding to our partner's opening hand as though our opponents do not exist nor would they dare interfere in our bidding process. Well...excuse me... BUT.... they do exist... and they WILL interfere! It's their job!! &:)
Unusual No Trump
Michaels
Cue Bids
Western Cue Bid
Michaels
Leads
Carding and Discarding
Fine Tuning Your Game
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A great page!!!