Main
Menu ▼
Beginners Bidding Opening Lead Playing Deals
Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Sunday
Free Downloads Cribsheets Conventions Quick Book Glossary Books to read Deal a hand Other stuff
Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT 0029). Benji Strong 2s
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse 0063). After 1NT rebid
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

Quiz How much do you know about this page? Quiz

<= find/hide more deals exploiting this aspect

Quick summary

When to add:

Prior to suit agreement (or in No Trumps), you should add length points: one for each card over 4 in a long suit.
After suit agreement, you should add 5-3-1 shortage points instead of length points.

Shortage points

Don't include until you have suit agreement.
Need sufficient trumps to add 3 for a singleton
Never add for NT

Length points

>4 cards, 1 pt each
Suits: "6 & 4: bid some more"

« 0012 »

Strength? Distribution matters a lot

12. Distribution Points
SHORTAGE	lots of trumps	fewer trumps
Void	5	4
Singleton	3	2
Doubleton	1	1
Add to your customised cribsheet
LENGTH	in NT	in a Suit
5	1	same as NT, switch to shortage points after suit agreed
6	2	same as NT, switch to shortage points after suit agreed

Shortage

Why is a void more powerful than an Ace ? The chart says a void is worth 5 points.

An Ace will nearly always win a trick, but it can only win once. On the other hand, a void can be used to deliver more than one trick, since multiple ruffs (using of trumps) might be possible. Oh yes, and when does an Ace get beaten ? When the opposition have a void, of course.

So, given that you award yourself 4 points for an Ace (see HCP), it's easy to see why you should give yourself 5 points for a void. Provided of course you have to have a decent number of trumps for the void to pull its full weight. If not, downgrade it to 4 points.

Length

What about length, which we said elsewhere is really important ?

Lets talk first about NT contracts, where you have a long minor suit. Have you noticed how helpful it can be to establish a long suit when playing No Trumps ? Well, when calculating your points, you can add a point for every card over 4 in a long minor. For example: a 2335 distribution can be very useful. Add one point. A 2236 distribution is strictly not balanced, but provided you still have stoppers in 3 suits, especially the 2 very short ones, you can add 2 points. (If you have a long Major suit, perhaps you should be playing in a Major rather than NT).

So, in No Trumps, add one point for every card in any suit beyond the fourth card (assuming of course that between you've already satisfied the general criteria for playing in NT in the first place).

Shortage in NT. Note that singletons are usually terrible in NT (e.g. 1336), because you end up not being able to lead to your partner's cards in that suit. Voids are of course usually a disaster.

Flat hand in NT. From all this, you'll now see why a 4333 shape in NT is not great.

Aces and Spaces in NT. If at the same time your strength is all "Aces and spaces", then you can deduct a point. For example, a 15 HCP hand with A865 A62 K72 A72 has many poor characteristics, and you would be wise to think about it as a 12-14point hand, and open 1NT.

Suits ? Well, it might be double accounting to add points for length as well as for shortage, since the two tend to go together. But don't forget the saying about 6-4-x-x distributions: "6 and 4, bid some more". Six card suits are most definitely powerful and useful, and you can add another point or two for that. After all, a 6-4-2-1 distribution is more useful than a 5-5-2-1 distribution, even though the Shortage Points would be the same. (Both are extremely nice, however).

When to include distribution points. . .

Prior to suit agreement (or in No Trumps), you should add length points: one for each card over 4 in a long suit.
After suit agreement, you should add 5-3-1 shortage points instead of length points.

It's not a good idea to count points for a shortage if your shortage is in the very suit your partner is bidding. After all, he is suggesting that suit could be trumps. For this reason, you don't count shortage points until after you have suit agreement. At that point, you can re-evaluate your strength, having added your distribution points to your High Card Points. The extra points will sometimes be enough to convince you to bid up to game, or explore a slam.

You never count shortage points in No Trumps, because a void or singleton can be a right pain, sometimes preventing you from being able to lead into master cards in the other hand.

Now try the quiz

Can you put all this into action ? Try the quiz for this subject by clicking on the link at the top left of the page, just below the main menu.
(You can try quizzes for any other subjects too while you're there. Look out for the thin red line).

About us Contact us Terms & conditions of use Log in Comment on current page