ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Ward Trumbull
Five Card Majors and Convenient Minors Jul 15, 2012
Page 1 of 8
In bridge the heart and spade suits are called the MAJORS, and the club and
diamond suits are called the MINORS. The players bid for the right to play the
hand in one of these suits, which will become the trump suit. However, an alternate
choice is to have no trump suit, in which case the highest card wins. This is called
NOTRUMP
The priority of the goals in partnership bidding is:
1 - game in a major suit (with 8+ cards between hands)
2 - game in notrump (without 8+ cards in a major)
3 - game in a minor suit (a distant third)
Opening Bids
It is important to be aggressive in bridge, especially in bidding. Therefore you
should always be looking to open the bidding with your hand. The following rules
should apply, where HCP means High Card Points (Aces are 4, Kings are 3, Queens
are 2 and Jacks are 1).
Your Your
Points Bid Comment Reference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-10 HCP 1 of suit If Rule of 20 applies see last page
11+ HCP 1 of suit If hand has any 5+ card suit
12+ HCP 1 of minor A “convenient minor” see below
15-18 HCP 1 notrump With a balanced hand ACBL04
A balanced hand distribution is
either 4-4-3-2, 4-3-3-3 or
5-3-3-2 (with the 5 cards in a
minor suit). It has no voids,
singletons or 5 card major.
5-10 HCP weak 2 bid With 6 diamonds, hearts or ACBL03
spades.
NOTE: You can’t open a weak 6 club hand with
2 clubs because that would show a strong
hand. (see 19+ HCP below)
. ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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Opening Bids (continued)
Your Your
Points Bid Comment Reference
------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
0-9 HCP 3/4 of suit Preempt at the 3 level with a 7 card suit or
at the 4 level with an 8 card suit.
NOTE: Some players like to preempt at
3 clubs with only a 6 card suit.
19-21 HCP 2 clubs Standard notump distribution. ACBL05A
Partner must respond 2 diams.
Then you rebid 2 notrump.
22-24 HCP 2 notrump Standard notrump distribution ACBL05A
25+ HCP 2 clubs Standard notrump distribution. ACBL05A
Partner must respond 2 diams.
Then you rebid 3 notrump.
14+ HCP 2 clubs These are distributional hands ACBL05A
that should make game or are
within one trick of making game.
The loser count is based on the
top 3 cards in each suit.
19+ HCP 1 of a suit This is a strong hand that has
too many losers to qualify for
for the 2 club open described
above.
Open 1 of a suit and then jump shift at your
next bid or jump directly to game if partner’s
response warrants it. Team has 25+HCP.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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5 CARD MAJORS
Originally hands were opened bidding a major suit that only contained 4 cards.
However, it is Standard American now to open the bidding with a major suit only if it has 5+ cards. You should do this with as few as 11 HCP. There is no requirement that that major have any honors.
Likewise, with a 5+ card minor suit and 11 HCP you should also open the bidding. For opening hands (12+ HCP) without a 5+ card suit see Convenient Minors below.
Responses to an Opening 5+ Card Major Suit
Your Major Your
Points Open Bid Comment
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------
0-5 HCP either pass Exception is hand with an ace and jack
or king/queen in same suit.
6-18 HCP 1 heart 1 spade With 4 spades and 3+ card heart support.
Note: See ACBL34 and 34A – 4 Opp 4
Or with 4+ spades and not heart support.
6-9 HCP 1 heart 1 notrump Can’t support hearts, don’t have 4+
spades and don’t have 10+ HCP for a 2
level bid.
ditto 1 spade 1 notrump Can’t support spades and don’t have 10+
HCP for a 2 level bid. BUT may have 4+
hearts.
ditto 1 heart 2 hearts With 3+ card support but don’t have
specifically 4 spades. See ACBL34.
ditto 1 spade 2 spades With 3+ card support. Could have
4 hearts but not the 10 HCP to be
able to bid 2 hearts. See ACBL34.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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Your Major Your
Points Open Bid Comment
------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
major partner’s major. It’s a game invite.
It also denies having specifically 4 cards
in the other major. See ACBL34 – 4X4.
12-15 HCP either 2 notrump You do not have 4+ cards in the other
major but May have 3+ card support
for partner’s major, i.e., too strong for a
Limit Raise. This bid is game forcing.
6-11 HCP either 4 of partner’s major Special Note
This type hand has 4+ trump suit cards
and a singleton or void.
This is the hardest bid for
beginners/intermediates to
learn.
10-18 HCP either 2 clubs or diamonds Denies 4+ cards of the other major, but
could have support for partner’s major.
NOTE: With support and 10-11 points,
a limit raise is a better bid.
With support and 12-15 HCP,
2 notrump is a better bid.
Therefore, with support for partner’s
major, you would only make this bid
with 16-18 HCP.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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Your Major Your
Points Open Bid Comment
------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
10-18 HCP 1 spade 2 hearts With 4 hearts and 3+ card spade
support. See ACBL34 – 4 Opp 4.
Or 4+ hearts without spade support.
19+ HCP either jump shift Restrictions:
1. The suit you bid should have 5+
cards with 2+ high honors.
2. If not, don’t jump shift.
CONVENIENT MINORS
If you have a 12+ HCP hand to open the bidding but no 5 card major, you should
still open the bidding with one of the minor suits. Hence, comes the term Convenient Minors. Note that if you open a 5 card club or diamond suit, it technically is not a “convenient minor” because the suit can stand on it’s own. But partner doesn’t know it’s a 5 card suit, yet.
There are however some guidelines as to which “convenient minor” to open when
neither has 5+ cards. Note that High Card Points in either minor are not a criteria, but distribution is.
The reasoning is: Only open 1 diamond when there are four-or-more
cards in the suit.
This means that the diamond opening bid (4+ required) is more in line with an opening heart/spade bid (5+ required).
This leaves only an opening one club bid as being nebulous.
Ramifications:
1. Responder needs 5+ clubs to support an opening 1 club bid.
2. Responder needs 4+ diamonds to support an opening 1 diamond bid.
3. An opening 1 club bid could have as few as 2 clubs.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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CONVENIENT MINORS (continued)
Example: An opening hand (12+ HCP) that has 4 spades, 4 hearts, 3
diamonds and 2 clubs.
To open Hearts and spades, you need 5+ cards in the major.
To open diamonds, you need 4+ diamonds.
You must open1 club. That’s better than passing this 12+ HCP
hand.
NOTE: An opening 1 club bid must be alerted.
Say something like “Could be short”.
A bidding problem occurs when you have 5 clubs but only 4 diamonds. If you open one diamond and rebid clubs, partner doesn’t know the clubs are longer. If you open
one club and rebid diamonds this is called a “reversal” and implies a strong HCP hand.
You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. My recommendation is to open one diamond and rebid clubs, even if the 5 card club suit is stronger.
Responses to a Minor Suit Opening Bid
Your Minor Your
Points Open Bid Comment
---------- ------- ------------ ------------------------------------------------
0-5 HCP either pass Exceptions as noted above in major responses.
6-18 HCP 1 club 1 diamond Hand has 5+ diamonds, with 2+ high honors. It
doesn’t deny a 4 card major. It’s just a good
diamond suit.
OR hand has a 4+ card diamond suit with:
1. 10-11 HCP
2. no for 4+ card major or 5 card club support.
Reason: Too strong for a 1 notrump response
and 2 diamonds would be a 19+ HCP
jump shift.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
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Responses to a Minor Suit Opening Bid (continued)
Your Minor Your
Points Open Bid Comment
---------- ------- ------------ ------------------------------------------------
16-18 HCP either 1 of a major With 4+ card suit ___
|
V
Respond Majors Up the Line (with 5/5 exception)
You Hold hearts spades bid
4 4 1 heart (up the line)
4 5 1 heart (up the line) See Note.
5 4 1 heart (up the line)
5 5 1 spade (bid hearts next)
Note: “Up The Line” major responses are not Standard American.
Std. Am. would respond the 5 card spades, not the 4 card hearts.
6-9 HCP either 1 notrump Hand has no 4+ card major or support for
partner’s minor suit
6-9 HCP either 2 of partner’s Hand has no 4+ card major and:
minor You need 5+ clubs to support clubs.
You need 4+ diamonds to support diamonds.
10-11 * either 3 of partner’s Hand has no 4+ card major.
minor This is a Limit Raise with 5/4+ cards in partner’s
suit, the same requirements as 2 bid above.
It’s not really a minor suit game invite. But it
might lead to a 3 notrump contract.
* Limit Raise points are HCP and distribution
points combined.
10-18 HCP 1 diam 2 clubs Hand has no 4+ card major.
Note: With 12-15 HCP a 2 notrump bid is a
better bid.
Therefore, this 2 club bid shows 4+ clubs with
10-11 HCP or 16-18 HCP.
ACBL01 – Bidding: Opening Bids and Responses Jul 15, 2012
Page 8 of 8
Your Minor Your
Points Open Bid Comment
---------- ------- ------------ ------------------------------------------------
12-15 HCP either 2 notrump Hand has no 4+ card major, but 2 notrump is
game forcing, probably to 3 notrump.
19+ HCP either jump shift Restrictions:
with 2+ high honors in that suit.
2. If not, don’t jump shift.
Rule of 20
You should open the bidding if the sum of you High Card Points and the number of
cards in your two longest suits equal 20 or more. This is a legitimate opening bid, not
a fake opening bid.
Example: K x x x x Q x K Q x x x x
HCP = 10
Spades = 4
Clubs = 6
-----
20 total................open 1 club
Example x A x x x x x x K Q x x x
HCP = 9
Hearts = 7
Clubs = 4
----
20 total..................open 1 heart