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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Tuesday
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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

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Quick summary

Evaluate your hand carefully

Plan your second bid before you say anything.

Will you need to go through your barrier ?

With 12-19 points, you effectively start by saying “my longest suit is ‘x' ”

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

+	West
	A J 10 8 3
	A 10 3
	K Q 5 4
	6

+	North
	K 2
	K Q 4
	J 9 7 3
	9 7 3 2

	East
	9 6 4
	J 8 6
	8 6
	A Q 10 8 4

+	South
	Q 7 5
	9 7 5 2
	A 10 2
	K J 5

Example Deal

You: East
Dealer: North
Vuln: N-S

# 126015

Opening 1 of a suit with limit responses in NT
..
Go to quiz (& full page) of deal # 126015
***

Click the + buttons to peep

Click on "q1" below to see question 1, and on "A1" to see the answer.

Question 1

Your partner West opens 1S, but you don't like them. (Spades, not your partner). Your Clubs are good. Do you pass, or bid your Clubs ?

Question 1

Your partner West opens 1S, but you don't like them. (Spades, not your partner). Your Clubs are good. Do you pass, or bid your Clubs ?

Answer

Neither. You (East) can't change suit at the 2 level with only 7 HCP. You could risk weak Spade support, 2S, but that promises 4 of them which you don't have.

That said, bidding Spades is still an option: support with only 3-cards is often acceptable, since on 95% of occasions an opening bid of a Spade can be assumed to be from a 5-card suit, the second bid will clarify if it isn't, and (crucially) in this case you have an outside shortage that you exploit by ruffing with your short suit of Spades.

Anyway, you certainly don't want to pass, because you have 7 HCP and partner might have enough for game. 1NT denies 4 Spades, which is accurate, and ideally should be balanced, which is also technically accurate. Perhaps that's your best bid, but it's not clear cut given the diamond shortage.

Question 2

Your partner West now tries diamonds, bidding 2 of them. They are even worse than Spades in your hand. Are you allowed to pass ?

Question 2

Your partner West now tries diamonds, bidding 2 of them. They are even worse than Spades in your hand. Are you allowed to pass ?

Answer

Not on your life. On two counts. First, your partner has asked you to make a choice, and second, in his second bid, he also told you 2 more things: that he has 5-4 in Spades and diamonds, and that he has 12-15 points, not 12-19. If you pass, you are choosing diamonds, which would be a really bad choice, because you probably only have 6 of them between you.

Question 3

So what should you do ?

Question 3

So what should you do ?

Answer

Bid 2 Spades. You have an 8-card Major fit, so Spades is the right suit. No point going any higher, because the best you could have is 23 points, including your distribution point for the doubleton (which you can now include, because you have an 8-card trump suit fit). Even though 3 Spades might make, you're well short of 25 needed for game. Looking at LTC, you have 9 losers, and you should assume your partner has 7 losers, because he is an opener who has not gone through his barrier. Total 16. Subtract from 18 = 2. Another reason for not bidding higher than 2.

. . . .

Some subjects to follow up on
Barrier-Reversing
Losing trick count
Selection of opening suit
Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25"
Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit

#1	+	<-- click the + to show/hide one possible Bidding Sequence
West			North	East	South
-			p	p	p
1S			p	???
				1NT	p
2D			p	2S	p
p			p
-			System: Acol (Benji)
suggest a different Bidding Sequence

bid	explained at....
#2	+	<-- click the + for explanation of relevant Bidding Techniques
1S	Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit
1NT	After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid
2D	Unbalanced, You are weak
2S	Unbalanced, Delayed support


			Hand evaluation

#3	+	<-- click the + for ideas on the Opening Lead
Opening Lead: North , 7 Reasons, when playing in Either suit or NT contract: 1. unbid suit 2. top of rubbish

« 0025 »

Opening bid, Unbalanced hand, 12-19 points

25. Unbalanced, Opening bid
HCPoints	Opening bid	2nd bid (rebid)
12-19	A 5-card or 4 card suit. See "15. suit choice"	Stay with this suit, if no other, or bid partner suit, or don't bid. See re-bid
Lots, plus 8 playing tricks(1)	2 of a suit. Not . Forcing for one round. (Advanced players can use “weak 2s”)	Bid naturally.
23+ with 9 playing tricks	2 Forcing to game. (2)	Longest suit.
reply	reply to 1 suit, reply to Strong 2 openings
related stuff	strong 2s, weak 2s, suit choice on re-bid
Add to your customised cribsheet

Vital: plan your second bid before announcing your first

Assuming you want to be any good at bridge bidding, here's a golden piece of advice that you should take to heart:

Pay special attention to the second bid: that's where you will be imparting the more specific information your partner needs in order to assess your hand. Above all, you will need to decide in your mind what your second bid is likely to be before you make your first bid.

You see, the white band (in the table above which defines how you should open the bidding with an unbalanced hand) is a wide band, extending from 12 HCPs (the weakest normal opening), all the way to 19 (which will often be strong enough for game and sometimes even Slam).

So, it's also important to tell your partner where you lie in this band. (Or you might miss a game contract and all those lovely bonus points. That's the kind of mistake which most people prefer the enemy to make, not their partner).

How? You will do this in your second bid, known as "opener's rebid". The main point is that it's vital that you plan your re bid before you make your opening bid. See Re-bid: Un-balanced hand. For your first bid, you must of course also choose an opening suit. This choice is important, so there's a whole page on the subject.

After your bid, you'll have to know how to interpret your partner's reply.

Opening with fewer than 12 points

With fewer than 12 points, you can sometimes open with the rule of 20.

With a 7-card suit and 6-10 points, see "Preemption" for a bit of fun.

For more advanced players only: use the "weak 2s" convention if you have 6-cards in certain suits and 6-10 points.

(1) Lots: 16-22. Playing tricks: How many tricks you can win on your own, based on discarding your losers. Eg. AKQ is 3. AKJ is 2. AKJ9 is 3, because after three rounds, you assume opponents are out of cards. Counting winners and losers: In summary, look at the top three cards in each suit and see which will definitely win (“winners”), and count all others that you have in the suit as winners. It's a tiny bit more complicated, since the queen alone can be only half, and the jack needs adjacent support.
However, more advanced players most often do not use this middle band of “strong 2's” for opening when they have strong unbalanced hands. Instead, they use “Weak 2s”. (They only use Strong 2s for balanced hands in the 20-22 point band).

(2) Forcing to game: it does not mean "Clubs".

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).

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