1. Learn to Play Bridge A New Players Guide Partners Bridge Club 416-422-CLUB (2582) www.partnersbridge.co m partnersbridge@sympat ico.ca Bridge for New Players Tuesday Afternoons at 12:15 Improving Players Wednesday Mornings - 9:15 am Thursday Evenings - 7 pm Friday Mornings - 9:15 am Saturday Afternoons - 1 pm www.partnersbridge.co m partnersbridge@sympat ico.ca Overcalls: when the opponents have opened the bidding Suit overcalls promise a 5+ card suit with good honour cards & 8-17 pts With 17+ pts, double first, then bid your best suit or raise partners with a fit You need 10-17 points to overcall at the 2-level, 12-17 for the 3-level. You can also overcall 1NT with a balanced hand, 15-18 pts, and a stopper in opponents suit. Cue-Bids (bidding the opponents suit) When partner has opened and an opponent has overcalled, OR when an opponent has opened and your partner has overcalled: If you have support for partners suit and 10+ HCP, bid the opponents suit! Examples:Ptnr Opp You OR Opp Ptnr Opp You 1 2 3 1 1 Pass 2 In both cases you have support for partners spades and 10+ HCP. 3-card support is OK at the 2-level. 4-card support is needed at the 3-level. Stayman: When partner opens 1 NT and you have a 4-card major With one or both 4-card majors and 8+ points, bid 2 - this is Stayman, asking partner to bid a 4-card major suit - it says nothing at all about Clubs! Notrump bidders response to Stayman: Bid a 4-card major suit at the 2-level (with both majors, bid first) Without a 4-card major, bid 2 (remember – Diamonds Denies) Responders second bid, after opener has shown or denied a major: If openers suit matches yours, invite to game with 8-9 pts by bidding 3, and just bid game with 10+ points. If 2 bid or non-fit: invite to game (bid 2NT) with 8-9 pts; bid 3NT with 10+ Remember: Count Dummy points if you have found a major suit fit Transfers: When ptnr opens 1 NT and you have a 5+ card major Bid the suit BELOW your major, even with ZERO points! Dont pass! If you have 5+, bid 2. NT opener MUST respond with next higher suit, i.e. yours. (2 or 2 ), completing the transfer! Responder then will: Pass with fewer than 8 points. If you have exactly 5 cards in your major: 8-9 points bid 2NT; 10+ points 3NT Partner will pass if he has a doubleton in your major, or return to it with 3+. With 6+ in your major and 8-9 points bid 3 /. With 10+ points bid 4 /. Note – with 5 of one major and 4 of the other, use Stayman, not transfers. Audrey Grants Bridge at a Glance for Your Next Step!

2. Opening the Bidding ….. In order of priority 1. 1NT = 15-17 HCP only & balanced hand (i.e. no voids, no singletons, at most one doubleton) Major & Minor Suit Openings Range 13-21 total points (HCP + length) 2. Open 1 or 1 with a 5+ card suit With two 5-card suits, bid the higher ranking suit first 3. 1 or 1 = bid your longest minor or With 4 cards in each minor, open 1 With 3 cards in each minor, open 1 Openers Ranges 13-15 points = Minimum 16-18 points = Medium 19-21 points = Maximum Opening Bids High Card Points + Length Points Responding to an Opening Bid Opener has described the strength and shape of their hand Do you have a fit?...Do you want to be in game or a part score? With a major suit fit, 8 cards in the suit together, Play There! Without a major suit fit, play in No Trump With a minor suit fit, consider No Trump If opener has shown a minimum hand Responder with a Minimum hand (6-9 points) = pass Responder with a Medium hand (10-11 points), invite game 1. Raise partners major to 3-level 2. Bid a new suit - forcing 3. Rebid your original suit at the 3-level - you need 6+ cards in it! Responder with a Maximum hand (12+ points) – You Must Get to Game! 1. Bid game in a major suit with a fit 2. Bid a new suit..forcing! Or bid 3NT without a fit. Playing the Hand Count winners in No Trump Count losers with a Trump Fit Combined Points Required for Game 25 points: 4, 4, 3NT 29 points: 5, 5 33 points: Small slam 37 points Grand Slam Responders Second Bid Other Opening Bids Strong hands (22+ points): Open 2 (artificial). Responder bids 2 (just waiting) 2NT 20-21 HCPs & Balanced With 18 or 19 HCP and Balanced Open 1 of a suit and rebid 2NT, or 3 of partners suit with a 4+ fit Preemptive Hands Weak hands (5-9 points with a good long suit and very little else!) 6-card suit (not ): open 2 / 2 /2 (a raise of your suit by partner is not forcing or invitational! Pass!) Bid a new suit or 2NT Feature=Forcing Any 7-card suit: open at the 3-level Any 8-card suit: open at the 4-level Responders Ranges 0-5 points = pass 6-9 points = Minimum 10-11 points = Medium 12+ points = Maximum Opening Leads Top of a Sequence is usually best – 2 cards in suit, 3 in NT Lead the suit Partner has bid! Usually your lowest card. 4 th Best from Longest & Strongest is great against NT. Openers Second Bid Responder (you must bid with 6+ points) When Partner opens a Major suit ( / ) : 1. With support (3+) raise partners major suit With 6-9 raise to 2 of his suit, with 10-11 to 3 With 12+ bid a new suit, then bid game (or more) 2. When partner opens 1, bid 1 with 4+ spades 3. Bid 1 NT with any other minimum hand 4. Bid a new suit at the 2-level – you need 10+ points When partner opens a Minor suit ( / ): 1. Bid a 4+ card major suit at the 1-level (with both 4 card majors, bid s first) 2. Bid 1NT with a minimum and no 4-card major 3. Bid a new suit at the 2-level – you need 10+ pts 4. Raise partners minor suit with 5-card support and a minimum hand When partner opens 1NT: 1.Bid 2 Stayman (see over) 2. Use transfers (see over) 3. With no 4+ card major, bid 2NT with 8-9 points, 3NT with 10+ points Describe the strength and shape of your hand! If partner raises your major suit to the 2-level: 1. Pass with minimum (13-15) 2. Raise to 3-level with medium (16-18) 3. Bid game (4, 4 ) with maximum (19-21) Without support from partner, and Unbalanced 1. Rebid a 6-card suit at the 2-level with a minimum, or at the 3-level with a medium hand 2. Support partners suit with 4+ cards 3. Bid at the 2-level with 4+ cards in a suit that is lower ranking than your first bid suit with < 17 points (Reverse = 17+ points & 2 nd bid suit is higher ranking and shorter than 1 st bid suit, forcing for one round) Without support from partner, and Balanced 1NT = 13-14 points; or 2NT = 18-19 points Take Out Doubles Shape and Strength! When an opponent has opened the bidding and you are short in the opponents suit with support for all the unbid suits….especially 4 cards in the unbid major suits…value your hand including dummy points….if you have an opening hand …make a take out double….this asks partner to bid his longest suit! Partner must bid, even with zero points, unless the next opponent bids, ….with 8+ pts, partner should bid anyway. After you make a take out double, you pass next. If you double and then bid again, with a new suit or NT, youre showing 17+ points! Add Dummy Points with support for partners suit! (instead of length points) Void = 5 points Singleton = 3 points Doubleton = 1 point Have Fun! Say Hello! Every hand is an adventure! Smile! Laugh Out Loud! Trump Fit = 8+ cards with you & partner! Count, Count, Count!