Surendra Mehta, March NAVNAT BRIDGE CLUB WEDNESDAY GROUP Surendra Mehta March 2007

Surendra Mehta, March RECAP STRONG TWOS AND SLAMS

Surendra Mehta, March Controversial Quotes At the top level, women do not play as well as men, although at a social level, they are thought to be the better players.

Surendra Mehta, March Strong two bids - Requirements 23 points or more or 10 tricks – open 2  whether balanced or unbalanced – artificial and need not have any clubs – forcing bid 20 – 22 points or 8 tricks Balanced – open 2NT Unbalanced – open 2 , 2 or 2S; NOT 2  Opening bid of 2 , 2 or 2  is forcing for only one round

Surendra Mehta, March Opening 2  bid - examples  9 A K Q 9 4  A K Q J 4  A 3  A K 9 K Q 8  A Q J 9  A J 5  A K Q A 8  A K 5 2  - 23 HCP; if bid 1 and partner passes (if no pts), you will miss the game Bid 2  (forcing) 24 HCP & bal; 2NT will indicate pts Bid 2  (forcing), planning to rebid NT 20 HCP; lot of trick taking power (10); open 2  since you want to end up in Game zone

Surendra Mehta, March Opening ACOL two bid of , or  - Requirements points; or Expect to take at least 8 tricks Unbalanced hand (bid 2NT if balanced) Forcing for one round Natural not artificial (2  bid is artificial)

Surendra Mehta, March

8 Opening ACOL two bids - examples  A K Q A  A 7 3  J 6 3  A K  A Q J  3  9 A K Q 9 8  A K J 8 7  J 4 18 HCP; 8 tricks Open 2  14 HCP; 8 tricks Open 2  18 HCP; two strong five-card suits; Open 2 (higher ranking)

Surendra Mehta, March Opening Bids for Balanced hands NT of suit, planning to rebid 1NT of suit, planning to jump in NT NT , planning to rebid 2NT , planning to rebid 3NT

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to 2     J Only 1 HCP Would like to pass but cannot pass as 2  is an artificial and a forcing bid Artificial response of 2  denotes a weak hand (0-7 pts) The auction might go: North (partner) 2  2  East Pass Pass South (You) 2  ?? West Pass Partnership must be in the game zone Bid 2NT to keep going If partner bids 3 to your 2NT, you reply 4

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to an opening bid of 2   K Q K 9 2  7 5   Q 9 7 Q 10 4  K 8 5  Q   A Q J  HCP; a good 5-card spade suit; Bid 2  9 HCP & bal; Bid 2NT; if opener replies 3, bid 4 7 HCP + 2 but cannot bid 2  as it indicates a weak response; bid 3  instead

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to 2 , 2 or 2  (2NT reply is a weak response 0-7 pts) Partner opens 2  J  J   Q 7 2  A  Q 6 2  K J  K Q 8 2  HCP; MAKE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE OF 2NT; IF HE BIDS 3, YOU PASS 8 HCP; make a +ive response; if playing 5-card major, you only need 3 to support; bid 3 ; otherwise bid 3  9 HCP; make a positive response; Bid 2S

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to 2NT Weak response is pass (0-3 pts) For 4 or more HCP, bid as follows: Balanced – reply 3NT Unbalanced – Bid 4 or 4 , if you have 6-carder major; Or bid 3 or 3  with a 5-card major suit

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to 2NT  J 7 3   J 6 2  Q J  Q 9 3   7 5 K J  8 5  Q HCP; YOU PASS 5 HCP; 6 card major; total at least 8 in that major; Jump bid to 4  6 HCP; 5 card major; Bid 3

Surendra Mehta, March Bidding slams Combined strength of 33 or 37 points Look to bid a SLAM Rare chance and large bonuses First priority is to find denomination Invite slam by bidding new suits or bidding beyond the game zone Blackwood (or Gerber) Conventions to ask for Aces and Kings

Surendra Mehta, March Blackwood – asking for Aces – Bid 4NT 5  No Aces (or all 4 Aces) 5  1 Ace 5 2 Aces 5  3 Aces ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5NT 6  No Kings (or all 4 Kings) 6  1 Kings 6 2 Kings 6  3 Kings

Surendra Mehta, March Gerber – asking for Aces – Bid 4  4  No Aces (or all 4 Aces) 4 1 Ace 4  2 Aces 4NT3 Aces ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5  5  No Kings (or all 4 Kings) 5 1 Kings 5  2 Kings 5NT 3 Kings (ONLY USE GERBER IF CLUB NOT BID)

Surendra Mehta, March Slam bidding – partner opens 2 , you reply 2, partner rebids 3, what do you bid?  7 4 K J  Q  J 5  7 4 K Q  K  Q 5  7 4 K Q J   J 6 7 HCP+1; positive resp of 2 ; ptnr resp of 3 sets denmn; bid 4 10 HCP+1; since partner has 23+ pts, slam zone; ptnr resp of 3 sets denmn; bid 4  Gerber 7 HCP+2; bid 5 in case he is much stronger than 23; avoid 4

Surendra Mehta, March Slam bidding – partner opens 1   A Q 9 8 K 10 3  A Q 10  J 8 7 partner opens 1  16 HCP; you reply 1  partner jumps to 2NT – bal hand of 17 or 18 pts Combined total of >33 pts – slam zone Best denomination is NT Bid 4 NT Blackwood

Surendra Mehta, March Slam bidding – you open 1  A J 9 A Q  A J 4  Q With 18 HCP, you open 1 partner jumps to 2NT – bal hand of 17 or 18 pts Combined tot 35+ pts – slam zone Best denomination is NT Bid 4  Gerber

Lesson 10: Pre-emptive Opening Bid (Chapter 11 of Zia’s Book) Surendra Mehta March 2007

Surendra Mehta, March Quote from Omar Sharif “Bridge has helped me to stay sane. Most actors have nothing to do in their spare time so they worry about their next picture and fret because the phone doesn’t ring; they notice wrinkles that indicate that they are getting older. Not so with me.” - Omar Sharif

Surendra Mehta, March Pre-emptive Bid - Requirements Open bidding with 3 of a suit REQUIREMENTS: A good seven card suit (at least one honour) Less than the strength for an opening bid at the one level (usually 5-9 points) OPEN WITH THREE OF YOUR LONG SUIT If > 12 pts, open at one level, unless 8 clear tricks in which case open at 2 level

Surendra Mehta, March Reasons for pre-emptive bids Buy the contract and possibly win (part score or stop opponents from making a rubber) Push the opponents higher Give your partner some information Interfere with opponents’ bidding

Surendra Mehta, March Pre-emptive bid  A K A 8  9 8  J 3  A Q J 8 7   8   J 9 8  K Q HCP Too strong to pre- empt with 3  Bid 1  < 12 HCP 7 carder; But too weak to bid 3  Pass 6 HCP Good 7 carder Bid 3 

Surendra Mehta, March Responding to Pre-emptive bid of 3  (assume partner has an average of 7 points)  Q 9 8 K Q J  K 7 6  2  K K Q 3 2  A Q 8  A 8  A K J A K 9 8  5  HCP; NOT QUITE A 5  HAND, 3 will lead to 4  PASS 18 HCP; Game zone 3 NT will be easier than 5  BID 3 NT 15 HCP +2 for 6-card Spade suit; Game zone; Bid 3  (new suit forcing)

Surendra Mehta, March Bidding when the opponents pre-empt (opponents open 3 )  A K J  A 8 6  Q 9  A K  A K 4 2  J  K 9 8 Q 9 3  Q J 9 8  A J 4 14 HCP + GOOD 6- CARDER; OVERCALL WITH 3  15 HCP + 3 dummy points Support for unbid suits; take-out double 13 HCP; no good 5- carder to overcall; no take-out double as no support for all unbid suits; pass

Surendra Mehta, March Pre-emptive bidding - summary A good 7-card or longer suit and less than the strength for opening bid at 1 level (usually 5-9 points) – OPEN AT 3 LEVEL Avoid pre-empting with long suit when you have > 12 pts; Avoid pre-empting with a 4-card or longer major in addition to your long suit After you have pre-empted, your partner is the captain. Don’t bid again unless he makes a forcing bid (i.e., he bids a new suit).

Surendra Mehta, March NEXT LESSON Introduction to Duplicate Bridge Finesse (Chapter 19 of Zia’s Book)