Test your knowledge
Opening bids - Balanced, 20+ points
- Question 1
(of 11 on this page)
You are West. You have 4 HCP. Your partner opened 2NT. What should you reply ?
1. pass
2. 3 Clubs
3. 3 Diamonds
4. 3 Hearts
5. 3 Spades
6. 3 NT
7. 4 Clubs
8. 4 Diamonds
9. 4 Hearts
10. 4 Spades
- Question 1
(of 11 on this page)
You are West. You have 4 HCP. Your partner opened 2NT. What should you reply ?
Answer
1 . pass
2NT is the only opening bid at the 2-level that is not forcing. Your partner only promised 20-22 HCP. You might only have 24 altogether, not enough for 3NT game. And there is no suit that you can bid with your flat hand.
However, if you are using Stayman then 4 points is just enough to reply. You should bid 3 Clubs, since you have a 4-card Major, albeit a weak one. The risk of course is that you might end up at 3NT which, if partner only has 20HCP, could be difficult.
- Question 2
(of 11 on this page)
Your partner opened 2NT. You have
Q J 10 9 8
J 10 9 8
8 6
8 6
You have 4 HCP. What should you reply ?1. pass
2. 3 Clubs
3. 3 Diamonds
4. 3 Hearts
5. 3 Spades
6. 3 NT
7. 4 Clubs
8. 4 Diamonds
9. 4 Hearts
10. 4 Spades
- Question 2
(of 11 on this page)
Your partner opened 2NT. You have
Answer
Q J 10 9 8
J 10 9 8
8 6
8 6
You have 4 HCP. What should you reply ?
6 . 3 NT
Although you only have 24-26 HCP between you, your hand is stronger than at first sight. You have a strong 5-card suit, and a 4-card suit with at least one winner, probably more given partner's likely hand. In arithmetic terms, you can add at least one point for your 5-card suit.
- Question 3
(of 11 on this page)
You are considering opening 2NT. You have a balanced hand with a flat distribution (4333). Is that distribution either 1 or 2: ?
1. helpful
2. unhelpful
- Question 3
(of 11 on this page)
You are considering opening 2NT. You have a balanced hand with a flat distribution (4333). Is that distribution either 1 or 2: ?
Answer
2 . unhelpful
When playing NT, it can be very helpful to have one long suit, whose tail can make extra tricks. Of course, all 4 suits will need to be stopped with high cards
- Question 4
(of 11 on this page)
When thinking about opening 2NT, is a suit with K Q 7 useful or not ?
1. very useful
2. above averagely useful
3. worse than average
4. weak really
5. not very useful at all
- Question 4
(of 11 on this page)
When thinking about opening 2NT, is a suit with K Q 7 useful or not ?
Answer
3 . worse than average
Although you have 5 points, you have 2 losers in your 3-card suit, and no length. It's true that this suit has one stopper, but you will need help from partner for this suit to become useful.
- Question 5
(of 11 on this page)
When thinking about opening 2NT, is a 5 HCP suit with A J 10 9 2 useful or not ?
1. very useful
2. above averagely useful
3. worse than average
4. weak really
5. not very useful at all
- Question 5
(of 11 on this page)
When thinking about opening 2NT, is a 5 HCP suit with A J 10 9 2 useful or not ?
Answer
2 . above averagely useful
The honours are well grouped; you have a sequence that will usually deliver at least 3 tricks with no help from partner at all. If partner has one of the missing honours, you will make 4 or 5 in this suit. Note how useful a 10 can be, especially if supported with a 9. On the other hand, you might only win 2 tricks in this 5-card suit if everything conspires against you.
- Question 6
(of 11 on this page)
You are North. You have a balanced hand and 25 points. What should you open with ?
1. 1 NT
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 NT
6. 3 clubs
7. 3 diamonds
8. 3 hearts
9. 3 NT
10. 4 NT
- Question 6
(of 11 on this page)
You are North. You have a balanced hand and 25 points. What should you open with ?
Answer
2 . 2 clubs
With 23+ points you always open 2 Clubs. Your rebid in NT will show that you have a balanced hand. (Some advanced players use 2 diamonds to indicate 23+, see "Weak Twos").
- Question 7
(of 11 on this page)
What should North rebid, after his 2 Club opening ?
1. 2 diamonds
2. 2 hearts
3. 2 NT
4. 3 clubs
5. 3 diamonds
6. 3 hearts
7. 3 NT
8. 4 clubs
9. 4 NT
10. 6 NT
- Question 7
(of 11 on this page)
What should North rebid, after his 2 Club opening ?
Answer
7 . 3 NT
2NT indicates 23-24 balanced hand. But you have 25, so you should bid 3NT to give your partner an accurate point count. You could even make 3NT with nothing from your partner, and for a suit contract you have only 4 losers.
- Question 8
(of 11 on this page)
You are East. You have a balanced hand with 21 points. What should you open the bidding with?
1. 1 NT
2. 2 NT
3. Your longest suit, diamonds
4. The lower denomination of your two longest suits
5. The lower denomination of your two longest suits, or the Major if you have one Major and one minor
6. 3 NT
- Question 8
(of 11 on this page)
You are East. You have a balanced hand with 21 points. What should you open the bidding with?
Answer
2 . 2 NT
You have a good 2NT hand. The 5-card suit in the minor is probably worth an extra point. With 5-losers, you also have a great hand for a suit fit.
- Question 9
(of 11 on this page)
You are East. You have a balanced hand with 21 points. You opened 2 NT. With such a strong hand, is your partner obliged to reply, and if so, with what?
1. no
2. yes, in his longest suit, or in NT if balanced
- Question 9
(of 11 on this page)
You are East. You have a balanced hand with 21 points. You opened 2 NT. With such a strong hand, is your partner obliged to reply, and if so, with what?
Answer
1 . no
After a strong 2 opening in a SUIT, your partner is obliged to reply. But not after 2 NT. He can pass. That's another reason to be cautious when opening 2NT. You could be left in it with no help. Be more cautious if the distribution is poor, and open with a suit and plan to rebid NT.
- Question 10
(of 11 on this page)
If your partner does not pass after your opening bid of 2 NT, how many HCP can you be sure he has ?
1. 1
2. 8
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
- Question 10
(of 11 on this page)
If your partner does not pass after your opening bid of 2 NT, how many HCP can you be sure he has ?
Answer
4 . 4
Giving you a minimum combined High Card Point range of 24+ to 26+. Beginners who do not use Stayman and Transfer bids will (or should!) usually promise one more point, namely 5 HCP, giving you a combined minimum of 25+ to 27+.
- Question 11
(of 11 on this page)
You are South. You have 20 HCP and a balanced hand. What should you open ?
1. 1 NT
2. 2 NT
3. Your longest suit, diamonds
4. The lower denomination of your two longest suits
5. The lower denomination of your two longest suits, or the Major if you have one Major and one minor
6. 3 NT
- Question 11
(of 11 on this page)
You are South. You have 20 HCP and a balanced hand. What should you open ?
Answer
3 . Your longest suit, diamonds
Although you are balanced and have 20-22 HCP, your hand is weak. The Spade honours although nice are in a short suit; you have no 5-card minor, and apart from those in Spades your honours are not well grouped. Better to bid diamonds than get stranded in 2NT with only 4 top tricks, and possible severe exposure in the red suits.
| West | |
|---|---|
 | Q 10 9 |
 | 8 6 4 2 |
 | 7 4 5 |
 | Q 9 8 |
| North | |
|---|---|
| A K |
| K Q 10 |
| A K J 10 8 |
| A J 10 |
| East | |
|---|---|
| A K |
| K Q 10 |
| K J 10 9 8 |
| A J 10 |
| South | |
|---|---|
| A K Q |
| K 9 2 |
| K 9 8 4 |
| A J 6 |