BIDDING GUIDE A is 4 points K is 3 points Q is 2 points J is 1 point Additional points: (This part is not a requirement but it will improve

your bidding and overall competitiveness if you try it out.) What is the shape of your 2 longest suits? Add them (if 5431 then 9) minus 7 = 2 , add 2 points With singleton or doubleton Q or J deduct 1 point. You OPEN the bidding with 13 points. Defense: OPPONENT'S TOOLBOX When following suit and you play a high card then a low card, it means you either like it (ATTITUDE) or you have EVEN number of cards (COUNT) in that suit. (7-3 is Hi-Lo). When following suit and you play a low card then a high card, it means you either dislike it (ATTITUDE) or you have ODD number of cards (COUNT) in that suit. (2-3 is Lo-Hi). Leads are very tricky as you have not seen the dummy yet. For now: Top from a sequence A from AK, K from KQJ , Q from QJT, J from JT9, T from T98 J also from AJT, KJT T also from AT9, KT9, QT9 TOP from 4 or more small cards middle-up-down (MUD) from 3 small cards small card from 3 cards with an honor and no sequence (Q96 lead 6) 4th best from 4+ cards with an honor and no sequence (Q9753 lead 5 because it is the 4th card) short suit leads: Hi-Lo from doubleton singleton lead: lead the singleton, what else?

Basic Bridge Procedure: Part 1 Stretching: Count your cards face down up to 13 before looking at it. In case you have less or more than 13, call the DIRECTOR. The director runs the tournament and resolves any and all irregularities during the game. In our case the director is me. Count your points if you have enough to make an OPENING BID, a RESPONSE TO PARTNER, an OVERCALL, or a PRE-EMPT. An opening bid is when you make a bid before anybody else can. A response to partner is made if you want to continue the bidding for a chance to improve or increase the contract. An overcall is a bid made by a player after the bidding was opened by an opponent. It shows a desire to compete or steal the contract from opener. A pre-empt can either be an opening bid or an overcall, it plans to take away convenient low level bidding space, thus making it harder (sometimes impossible) for opponents to reach the best contract. Check your VULNERABILITY. It is good habit to know if you or your opponents are vulnerable or not. If you see VUL on your axis, then you are vulnerable. The Vulnerability of the DECLARER affects the score. That's all there is to vulnerability. Okay, you have finished the warm ups, let's start. Part 2 Bidding: The first person to make a call is the DEALER. If you do not have opening values, or preemptive values you say PASS (technically a pass is NOT a bid, it is just a call). The right to bid moves in a clockwise direction until somebody is able to open the bidding. Four passes means the deal is PASSED-OUT. Score is 0 for both axis. If somebody opens, the competition begins. Opponents may OVERCALL with less than opening values. Responder is also alert to keep the auction open for partner to make another bid if there's a chance they can make GAME, SMALL SLAM, or GRAND SLAM. It is sad if your axis is just in 1spade if you can make 4 spades or higher. A player can DOUBLE (X) a contract anytime he believes the opponents cannot make the proposed number of tricks. Therefore a X can only come if the last bid is made by an opponent. You cannot X your partner's bid. A double is a dangerous bid if you let the opponents make the contract. If you double a 2spade contract, making it scores like a 4spade contract although he only needs 8 tricks. However, SETTING (defeating) a doubled contract is very rewarding. A player can REDOUBLE (XX) only if the last bid is a double by the opponent. A double of this nature is called a PENALTY DOUBLE. Later, you will see that a double can mean other things. For now, it's always a penalty double. The auction ends when a bid is followed by 3 consecutive passes. Part 3 : The Play

Take note of the contract and who the DECLARER is. If the final contract is 3NT for North-South, the player who bid NT first is the declarer regardless of who made the final bid. Declarer's LEFT HAND OPPONENT (LHO) is the first player to play a card. But before doing this, THINK! What did the auction tell you about the opponents' hands? What did the auction tell you about your partner's hand. Remember that even the inability to bid (PASS) is a message. Now, look at your hand, I mean your cards :) Decide what suit you should lead. Then decide what card from that suit to lead. An opening lead, is loaded with info your partner can use to SET the contract. AFTER the opening lead is made, DUMMY puts down his cards in order for partner to see and decide what to do. Declarer should pause and COUNT. How many tricks does he need? How many tricks can he see with both hands combined? How many tricks can he afford to lose? ...and also, what info can I get from that opening lead? The player who wins the 1st trick leads to the 2nd trick. The player who wins the 2nd trick leads to the 3rd trick, and so on. The play continues until the 13th trick. Players MUST follow suit whenever they have a card in the suit led. A player can score a TRUMP TRICK if they no longer have a card in the suit led and they possess a trump and play it. If you do not have a trump card or if the contract is in NT, you are forced to make a DISCARD. You cannot win with a discard even if you discard an ace so you usually discard a useless card. Basic system: 5 card Majors. If you have (or a high probability that you have) at least 26 points. You belong in Game. 1C = 13+, 2+ cards in clubs 1D = 13+, 4+ cards in diamonds 1H = 13+, 5+ cards in hearts 1S = 13+, 5+ cards in spades 1NT = 15-17 balanced or semi-balanced 2335 without a 5 card Major 2C = any hand with 22+ 2NT = 20-21 balanced or semi-balanced 5332 may have a 5 card Major 1st priority is to open 2C with 22+ 2) to open 2NT with 20-21 balanced, may have a 5 card Major. 3) to open 1H or 1S except if you have a longer minor. 4) is to open 1NT with 15-17 balanced or semi-balanced 5) is to open 1 minor with at least 5 cards in minor suit. 6) with balanced 13-14 or 18-19 open 1D with 4-5 cards

7) else open 1C Responder's bid: Responder must find a bid if he has some points. 1) show an 8 card Major fit: (it also applies if opener opens 1S) 1H -2H 6-10, 3+ heart support -------3H 11-12, 3+ heart support -------4H 0-7, 5+ heart support, preemptive -------2NT 16+, 3+ heart support -------3NT 13-15, 3+ heart support not counting the preemptive 4H bid, strength in increasing order is 2H, 3H, 3NT, 2NT 2) Bid your own Major showing 4+ cards and expect partner to raise it if he also has 4. ex: 1D 1S, 1C 1H, 1H 1S 3) Bid 1NT with no fit and 6-9 points. (ex:1H - 1NT) 4) Bid your own suit (w/o a jump) at the 2-level with 4+ cards and 10+ points. (ex:1S - 2D) 5) Raise a minor suit opening with a probable 8 card fit. Since this is your last option, your raise with 10+ points may be 4 card support only. Same approach with the Major. (applies with 1D) 1C -2C 6-10, with an 8 card fit. (may be 5 cards to support clubs) -------3C 11-12, 4+ support -------4C 0-7, 5+ support, preemptive -------2NT 16+, 4+ support -------3NT 13-15, 4+ support Responses after 1NT opening: if responder is not interested in playing in a Major: 1NT -pass 0-8 pts -------2NT 9-10 pts -------3NT 11-15 pts If responder has 5 or more cards in a Major: Transfer by bidding the suit below it. 1NT -2D forces opener to bid 2H -------2H forces opener to bid 2S continuation: (applies to spades) 1NT 2D 2H -pass 0-8 pts -------2NT 9-10 pts, exactly 5 cards in Major -------3H 9-10 pts, 6+ cards in Major -------3NT 11-15, exactly 5 cards in Major

-------4H 11-15, 6+ cards in Major Responder is interested in game in a Major but only has 4 cards. Stayman. 1NT 2C 9+ pts, asks opener to bid a Major if he has 4 cards in it. 2D no 4 card Major 2H 4 card hearts 2S 4 card spades continuation: 1NT 2C 2D -2NT 9-10 -------3NT 11-15 1NT 2C 2H/S -2NT 9-10 --------3H/S 9-10 with an 8-card fit --------3NT 11-15 --------4H/S 11-15 with an 8-card fit Continuation, opener chooses his 2nd bid: Rebidding NT. If you open a minor, you must be 13-14 or 18-19 to re-bid NT, since you open 1NT with 15-17 or 20-21. You also deny an 8 card Major fit. 1C/D 1S 1NT 13-14 2NT 18-19 Rebidding NT with a Major suit opening is a little more complicated. 1H 1S 1NT 13-15 2NT 16-17 3NT 18-19 Rebidding NT after a 2-level bid by responder. 1S 2D 2NT 13-14 3NT 15-17 Supporting responder's suit. You need 4 cards to support partner in his suit. 1C 1H 2H 13-15 3H 16-17 4H 18-19

Supporting partner's 2-level bid: 1S 2C 3C 13-14 4C 15-17 Rebidding opener's suit. Rebidding a minor shows 5+ cards, rebidding a Major shows 6+. 1C 1H 2C 13-15 3C 16-17 slightly different when responder shows 10 points. 1H 2C 2H 13-14 3H 15-17 Reverse: a reverse bid is a new suit bid by opener, usually at the 2 level where he is bidding a suit higher than the suit he opened with. It shows not only 4 cards in the suit and 17+points, but also that the first suit is longer. Ex: 1C 1S 2H, 2H is a reverse. Non-reverse new suit bid at the 1 level is 13-16, 1C 1H 1S =4 card spades 13-15, not a reverse 2D =reverse 2S =reverse 1C 1S 2D =reverse 2H =reverse 1D 1H 1S = not a reverse 2C = not a reverse 2S = reverse 3C = reverse if you have 13-15 points with 5 clubs and 4 hearts, you are forced to rebid your longer suit to deny a reversing strength and wait that maybe responder can bid your other suit. 1C 1S 2C 2H 3H.