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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday
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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

Bid Technique this week

Hand Evaluation: Reversing, or crossing your barrier

Fundamental - Plan your rebid, before you open your big mouth on the opening bid

The suit first bid will always be the longest.

The 'barrier' is the same suit as the opening bid, but one level higher.

The opener can re-bid above barrier with

16+ points
but must not jump-shift without 19

but below barrier if

12-15 points

Barrier thoughts: opener's jump-shift should be kept in mind

Forcing? Yes. If, without a jump-bid, opener re-bids in a new suit & breaks the 'barrier'

with a 2-level bid: forcing for one round
at the 3-level: forcing to game

Responder's reverse is at 12 points, not 16.

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Bridge Deal - quiz of the week

+	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

Click the + buttons to peep

Dealer: North
Vuln: NS

Elementary
Rating: Useful for learning
Source: Bob N 146

Show a similar deal
..
***

+	points
HCP	14
DP	3
LTC	6

+	points
HCP	9
DP	1
LTC	8

+	points
HCP	7
DP	1
LTC	9

+	points
HCP	10
DP	0
LTC	9

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 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 acceptable since on 90% of occasions an opening bid of a Major will be from a 5-card suit, the second bid will clarify if it isn't, and (crucially) you have an outside shortage that you can use to ruff with the small 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 ?

Answer 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 ?

Answer 3

So what should you do ?

Answer

Bid 2 Spades. You have an 8-card Major match, 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
14 Barrier-Reversing 43 After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 15 Selection of opening suit 13 Losing trick count

How to use "Bid and Made"

"Bid and Made" more than anything, is a place to learn how to become a good bidder at Bridge. 250 subjects are covered in depth, and the site is full of quizzes. There's also a whole section on play techniques and opening leads. And there is a large repository of interesting deals, including several famous and amazing ones, such as the Munchhausen deal and many more like it.

Absolute Beginners Start here for the basics. The beginners section of "Bid and Made" contains all that a beginner needs to know - look out for the green line below the menu bar. If the line turns blue, you've wandered into a more advanced area.

Use the glossary for any terms you don't understand. Open in a new window if you want to keep it open for reference (right click).

Elementary players, or anyone needing a little revision could start here to make sure you've a grip on the main strategy, using the arrows at the top of the page to read things in a sensible order.

After that, move onto

...and when you're a bit more confident

Intermediate players have a look at

...and then see how many of these you already use

advanced conventions

Crib sheets

Print the free crib sheet onto a single sheet of A4 paper.

Side 1 of the crib sheet is useful for beginners; take a copy along when you're playing. It shows all the main opening bids, responding bids and opener's second bids.

Side 2 is for intermediate players, and includes all the main overcalls, slam bidding, plus both intermediate and advanced conventions.

There's also a useful crib sheet for opening leads. Until you know them all, you can keep it handy when you're playing.

Bid and Made - summary

All the main bridge bid and techniques, beginner to advanced, with prepared hands, personalised crib sheets and quizzes for the world's best card game, Bridge.

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About Us

Bid and Made is a comprehensive bridge study and reference site. There are also vast numbers of interesting hands to try the next time you want to ensure your bridge party goes well. Bid and Made concentrates on how to win ! Bridge is fun, win or lose, however, as Michael Caine might have said, "In my life, I've won some and lost some. Winning is better". Winning strategy in contract bridge ? It starts with you and partner thinking hard during the bidding about what's needed for game (8 card match and 25 "High Card Points"), and moves on to what you need for a No Trump Slam (er, brute strength ! When there are no suits to trump, you and partner need 33 HCP for a Sm all Slam, 37 for a Grand Slam).Bridge HandBank then covers all the main techniques, with sample hands, and personalised crib sheets. You can print a cheatsheet tailored to help you to learn where your knowledge is a bit shakey, rather than taking too many notes with you, full of stuff you already know. Interesting sample hands are presented alongside the notes on how to bid, to illustrate the issues, to test you, and for practice. When you're looking for more interesting hands for your bridge party, or for your teaching session, the Hand Bank contains thousands of hands that are all there because they are either interesting, unusual or fun. Why not set up some prepared hands and play with these ? Most of these hands also have a quiz for you to test your knowledge. Finally, check out an example cribsheet. Bid Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, or No Trumps ?

Gordon's fantastic ACOL bridge notes.

Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday

Bid Technique this week

Hand Evaluation: Reversing, or crossing your barrier

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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

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