1. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 1 NAVNAT BRIDGE CLUB WEDNESDAY GROUP Surendra Mehta March 2007

2. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 2 RECAP STRONG TWOS AND SLAMS

3. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 3 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.

4. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 4 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

5. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 5 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 10 9 8 7 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 20-22 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

6. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 6 Opening ACOL two bid of , or  - Requirements 20 -22 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)

7. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 7

8. 8 Opening ACOL two bids - examples  A K Q 10 9 8 A  A 7 3  J 6 3  A K 7 9 8  A Q J 10 8 6 2  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)

9. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 9 Opening Bids for Balanced hands 12-141NT 15-161 of suit, planning to rebid 1NT 17-19 1 of suit, planning to jump in NT 20-222NT 23-242 , planning to rebid 2NT 25-272 , planning to rebid 3NT

10. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 10 Responding to 2   9 7 8 6 3 2  8 4 3  J 9 4 2 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

11. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 11 Responding to an opening bid of 2   K Q 10 8 5 K 9 2  7 5  10 8 5  Q 9 7 Q 10 4  K 8 5  Q 10 6 3  8 2 10 4  A Q J 8 4 2  9 4 3 8 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

12. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 12 Responding to 2 , 2 or 2  (2NT reply is a weak response 0-7 pts) Partner opens 2  J 7 5 8 6  J 8 7 4 2  10 8 5  8 5 3 Q 7 2  A 9 5 2  Q 6 2  K J 10 8 5 2 3  K Q 8 2  7 3 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

13. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 13 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

14. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 14 Responding to 2NT  10 8 5 J 7 3  10 6 4 2  J 6 2  Q J 8 7 4 2 8  Q 9 3  6 4 2  7 5 K J 6 4 2  8 5  Q 6 4 2 2 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

15. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 15 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

16. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 16 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

17. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 17 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)

18. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 18 Slam bidding – partner opens 2 , you reply 2, partner rebids 3, what do you bid?  7 4 K J 6 4 2  Q 9 8 2  J 5  7 4 K Q 6 4 2  K 9 8 2  Q 5  7 4 K Q J 6 4 2  10 8 2  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

19. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 19 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

20. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 20 Slam bidding – you open 1  A J 9 A Q 10 8 6 2  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

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

22. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 22 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

23. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 23 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

24. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 24 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

25. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 25 Pre-emptive bid  A K 9 8 7 6 5 A 8  9 8  J 3  A Q J 8 7  9 8 7 6 4 3 2  8  10 3 4  J 9 8  K Q 10 8 7 6 5 12 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 

26. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 26 Responding to Pre-emptive bid of 3  (assume partner has an average of 7 points)  Q 9 8 K Q J 10 9 8  K 7 6  2  K 7 5 2 K Q 3 2  A Q 8  A 8  A K J 9 5 2 A K 9 8  5  7 2 11 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)

27. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 27 Bidding when the opponents pre-empt (opponents open 3 )  A K J 8 7 2 8 6  A 8 6  Q 9  A K 8 7 9  A K 4 2  J 8 7 6  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

28. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 28 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).

29. Surendra Mehta, March 2007 29 NEXT LESSON Introduction to Duplicate Bridge Finesse (Chapter 19 of Zia’s Book)