Bridge Corner: June 18, 2015

Hello and welcome to the Tidewater Bridge Unit’s series of duplicate bridge lessons.

In lessen #2; we examined/explained opening bids and responding to opening bids, The guidelines established in lesson #2 for opening a hand and responding to partner’s opening bid, will help us discover the correct \contract and the level of play.

In lesson #3, we will cover more of the vocabulary in the colorful language of bridge. We will take a look at rebids by opener and responder, and last but not least, we will explore “overcalls.”

GAME EVALUATION

Point count is the most  widely used tool for game evaluation.  Game is usually reached if the combined strength equals

26 points for major suit (10 tricks or no trump (9 tricks)

29 points for minor suits (11 tricks)

33 points for a small slam (12 tricks)

37 points for a grand slam (13 tricks)

Contract points

Contract points are those points awarded for each trick (above 6) successfully made during the play of the hand.  It takes 100 contract points to make game.  Contract points are awarded as follows:

Each minor trick=20 points.  It takes 5 diamonds/clubs to make game (5×20=100)

Each major trick=30 points.  It takes 4 spades/hearts to make game (4×30=120)

First trick in no trump= 40 points

Each subsequent trick=30 points.  It takes 3NT to make game (40+30+30=100)

Rebids by opener and responder. There are three types of opening hands and three types of responding hands: minimum, invitational, and game forcing. Here is what the hands look like:

Strength     Opener     Responder

Minimum       12-16            6-10

Strength      Opener     Responder

Invitational      16-18          10-12

Strength        Opener    Responder

Game-forcing      19+          13+

Minimum rebids are:

1. Opener rebidding his suit cheaply

North – 1(D); East – Pass South – 1(H); West – Pass North – 2(D)

2. Opener raising responder’s suit cheaply

N – 1(D); E – P; S – 1(H); W – P; N – 2(H)

3. Opener rebidding no-trump cheaply

N – 1(D); E – P; S – 1(H); W – P; N – 1 No-trump (denies 4(S)’s)

Invitational rebids are:

1. Opener jumping in opened suit

1(D) – P – 1(H) – 3(D)

2. Opener jumping in partner’s suit

1(D) – P – 1(H) – 3(H)

3. Opener jumping in No Trump

1(D) – P – 1(H) – 2NT

Game forcing bids are:

1. Opener jumping to game

1(D) – P – 1(H) – 4(H)

2. Opener making a jump-shift

1(S) – P – 1N – P – 3(H)

Minimum calls by responder are:

1. Rebidding your suit cheaply

N     E   S      W   N      E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   2(D)  P   2(H)

2. Raising opener’s second suit cheaply

N     E   S      W   N      E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   1(S)  P   2(S)

3. Rebidding No Trump cheaply

N     E   S      W   N      E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   1(S)  P   1NT

Invitational rebids by responder are:

1. Jumping in your suit

N     E   S      W   N   E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   1N  P   3(H)

2. Jumping in partner’s suit

N     E   S      W   N     E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   1(S)  P   3(S)

3. Jumping in No Trump

N     E   S      W   N      E   S

1(D) P   1(H)  P   1(S)  P   2NT

Responder’s game forcing bids are:

1. Jumping to game

N     E   S      W   N     E   S

1(C) P   1(H)  P   2(H)  P   4(H)

2. If there is possibility of slam, or you don’t know which game would be best mark time by bidding a new suit (unless partner’s rebid was 1NT)

N     E   S     W   N      E   S

1(C) P   1(H)  P   2(H)  P   2(S)

Overcalls. In bridge, the pair that opens the bidding tends to win the auction most of the time. There are several reasons to overcall: 1) overcalling allows your side to get in on the auction when the opponents have opened first, 2) the overcaller can let partner know what to lead if partner has the opening lead, and 3) overcalling can obstruct your opponents’ bidding, making it a little more difficult for them to find their correct contract.

Requirements of an overcall: the overcaller should have at least 8 HCP at the one level and at least 10 HCP at the two level. On either level, 16 HCP should be the maximum for suit overcalls; The overcaller should have a good suit with at least five cards; and if less than 13 HCP, the suit should contain at least one of the top two (Ace, King) or at least two of the top four honors (Ace, King, Queen, Jack). A 1 NT overcall should have almost exactly the same hand as if you had opened 1No Trump (15-17 HCP, no singleton, no void). As an overcall, the NT hand must have at least one stopper (Axx,

Kxx, OJxx) in the opener’s suit.

For additional information on our mentoring sessions, lessons, or games, please call Delores Burney at (757) 321-0825 or Lawrence Owes at (757) 393-1853