RainBow Series – Lesson I
Opening Bids
The Rainbow series will focus on three aspects of bridge learning:
-
Systemic Study – of the SAYC-OK method.
(i.e., meanings of opening bids, responses, etc.)
- Orthodox Study – of common/integral practices not
explicitly covered in the SAYC-OK notes.
(i.e., 4th Suit force, 16+ for Jacoby 2NT, etc.)
- Stylistic Study – of recommended approaches without regard to orthodoxy
(i.e., LOTUS, Maxi-Flex, etc.)
------------ Opening Bids ---------------
Hands are categorized as either Balanced or
UNBALANCED.
BALANCED or "flat" hands come in one of
Three distribution types:
(1) 5-3-3-2 (with a 5-card Minor ?)
|
(2) 4-4-3-2,
|
(3) 4-3-3-3.
|
Balanced hands, then, cannot have a Void, a Singleton,
or a second Doubleton.
In other words, balanced hands cannot
have 2 or more
"short suit points" (void = 3, singleton = 2,
doubleton = 1
"short suit point").
---------- Opening BALANCED Hands -----------
When evaluating a flat hand, we count
Long-Suit POINTS:
1 extra point for every card longer than four.
Hence, a truly flat hand can have, at most, 1 Long-Suit
Point (in the case of the 5-3-3-2 type).
Remember: voids,
singletons and doubletons will
NOT help you take tricks
in NoTrump ! Remember, also, that we do
NOT generally
open 1
♥ or 1
♠ without 5 cards in the bid major.
Flat hands define themselves in terms of points
with either their first or their second bid.
These point
ranges involve one of these approaches:
25-27 points
| 3NT
|
22-24 points
| 2♣ followed by 2NT
|
20-21 points
| 2NT
|
18-19 points
| 1-of-a-suit, jump rebid 2NT
|
15-17 points
| 1NT
|
13-14 points
| 1-of-a-suit, then 1NT
|
Flat hands weaker than 13 points pass.
---- Opening BALANCED Hands with 1-of-a-Suit ----
Having decided to open in 1-of-a-suit, which suit
do we open ? With ...
5-3-3-2 type, open the 5-card suit.
4-3-3-3 or 3-4-3-3 open 1♣ (even with stronger Diamonds).
3-2-4-4 or 2-3-4-4 open 1♦ (even with stronger Clubs).
4-4-3-2 open 1♦ (the ONLY time you open 1♦ with 3 cards).
4-4-2-3 open 1♣.
Hence, 1
♣ shows 4+Clubs OR 3 Clubs
with 4-4 or 4-3 in the majors.
---- Opening 5-3-3-2 Hands with a 5-card MAJOR ----
5-3-3-2 hands with a 5-card
Major *are* technically
BALANCED, but
many pairs will agree to
Never open such a
hand in NoTrump.
Others form partnership-specific
agreements about flat hands with a 5-card major.
I suggest
the following style:
25 - 27 points
| Open 2♣, rebid the major, then 3NT.
|
22 - 24 points
| Open 2♣, rebid the major, pass 3NT.
|
18 - 21 points
| Open the major, jump in NT.
|
17 points
| Open 1NT.
|
16 points
| Open 1NT if the doubleton is Kx or AQ; else open the major.
|
13-15 points
| Open the major
|
--------------- Questions -----------------
Question #1: If 1-of-a-suit followed by a 1NT rebid
shows 13-14, and one of the three flat types,
can a 1NT rebid also show an unbalanced type ?
Can I have a singleton ? A void ? Two doubletons ?
Question #2: I've seen experts open in NT with 6-3-2-2
and 5-4-2-2 type hands.
Isn't that wrong ?
Question #3a: What if I hold a 4-3-3-3 type, open 1♣,
and hear partner respond in my 4-card major ?
Should I rebid 1NT or raise ?
Question #3b: What if I hold a 4-4-3-2 type, open in
a minor and hear my partner respond in my
4-card major ? Should I rebid 1NT or raise ?
Question #3c: What if I hold a 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 type
hand and hear my partner respond in my 3-card
suit ? Should I rebid 1NT or raise ?
Question #4: How many Clubs does 1♣:1♦:1NT show ?
Question #5: How many Diamonds does 1♦:1♥:1NT show ?
Question #6: 4-3-3-3 is the worst distribution for
suit play, since it allows no ruffing.
What is the worst distribution for NO trump play ?
-------- Opening UNBALANCED Hands ----------
An
unbalanced hand is defined as any hand
with has
more than one Short Suit Point.
When considering opening an
unbalanced hand, we count
short-suit points:
3 for a void, 2 for a singleton, 1 for a doubleton.
An
unbalanced hand, then, is defined as any holding which
has
more than one such Short Suit Point.
Another
definition would be any hand which is
NOT flat (NOT
4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 type).
We categorize these hands as
- 1-suited (with a 6-card suit, since 5-3-3-2 hands are considered BALANCED),
- 2-suited (5-4 or better in the two suits), or
- 3-suited (4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 types).
1-Suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – Open the long suit.
|
22+ pts | – Open 2♣ and rebid the suit.
|
5-4-4-0 3-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – The 5-card suit.
|
22+ points | – Open 2♣ and rebid the 5-carder.
|
4-4-4-1 3-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – 1♦ unless 4-4-1-4 (open that 1♣).
|
22+ points | – Open 2♣ & rebid cheapest suit.
|
6-5 2-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – The 6-card suit.
|
22+ points | – 2♣ & rebid the 6-card suit.
|
5-6 2-suiters will open:
|
13-15 pts | – The Higher ranked 5-card suit.
|
16-21 pts | – The Lower ranked 6-card suit.
|
22+ points | – 2♣ & rebid the 6-card suit.
|
5-6 Black 2-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – 1♣.
|
22+ points | – 2♣ & rebid 3♣.
|
5-5 Black 2-suiters will open:
|
13-15 pts | – 1♣.
|
16-21 pts | – 1♠.
|
22+ points | – 2♣, then 2♠.
|
ALL Other 5-5 2-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – The Higher ranked suit.
|
22+ points | – 2♣, then the Higher ranked suit.
|
5-4 and 6-4 2-suiters will open:
|
13-21 pts | – The longer suit.
|
22+ points | – 2♣, then the longer suit.
|
---------- Minor Canape ------------
The one exception to opening your longer suit with
a 4-5 two-suiter is a hand with 13-16 points (not strong enough
for a reverse), 4 decent Diamonds and 5 Clubs.
In order to
have a convenient rebid (2
♣) we prefer to open 1
♦.
Some partnerships will even open 1
♥ with 4-5 in the reds so
as to have a convenient rebid (2
♦) over an anticipated
1
♠ or 1NT response.
This, however, is
NOT as orthodox as
the 1
♦ opening on 4-5 in the minors, since it violates the
5-card major assumption for 1
♥ opening bids.
x
| A x x
| K Q x x
| A J 10 x x
|
Most would open this 1
♦.
x
| K Q x x
| A J 10 x x
| A x x
|
Most would open this 1
♦, the systemic bid,
but
some would start with 1
♥,
"fudging" on
the 5-card major tendency of
SAYC.
The "
rule of anticipation" states that we should always
expect partner to respond in our shortest suit.
In the above
two examples, always assume partner will reply 1
♠.
Bearing
in mind that we
cannot rebid 1NT with a singleton, if we open
1
♣ with the 1st hand we are committed to a 2
♣ rebid.
Partner may
pass 2
♣ with:
K x x x x
J x x
Q 10 x x
x
...simply because a 2
♦ rebid would be
Forcing (new
suit bids by Responder tend to be FORCING).
This
explains the need for a 1
♦ opening bid with 4-5 in
the minors.
------------ Questions -------------
Question #1: Why are Black 5-5 and 5-6 two-suiters treated
differently from all other such 2-suiters ?
Question #2: How much length will I promise, if I open a minor and rebid it over a 1-level response ? How
many Diamonds does 1♦:1♠:2♦ promise ? 1♦:1♥:2♦ ?
-------------- Opening 2♣ ----------------
An opening bid of 2
♣ is unique in that
opener retains
"captaincy" until he or she relinquishes it by rebidding
in NoTrump or a suit that he or she has previously bid.
The requirements for an opening bid of 2
♣ are:
1.
A
flat hand in the 22-24 or 28+ point range; OR
2.
An unbalanced game strong enough to force game — at least if a fit is found.
Balanced 2♣ Openers will rebid 2NT (22-24), 4NT
(28-30), or higher.
Unbalanced 2♣ openers will rebid
in their longest suit. Rebidding that long suit without
hearing support or strength-showing bids from Responder
(e.g., 2♣:2♦: 2♥:2NT:3♥) will cancel any game-forcing
implications that 2♣ may have had.
2♣:2♦:2♥:3♥ and
2♣:2♦: 2♥:2♠:3♠, then, are both forcing, since a fit
has been found.
------------------ Quiz ------------------------
1.
What do you open with the following hands ?
(a)
| J 10 x x x
| A K Q x x
| K x
|
x
|
(b)
| A Q
| K x x
| A J 10 9 x
| 10 x x
|
(c)
| A K Q J x x x
| A K x
| x x
| x
|
(d)
| Q x x
| K x
| Q x x x
| A Q 10 x
|
(e)
| A K J x x
| x
| Q x
| Q J x x x
|
(f)
| K Q 10 x x
| A Q x x x x
| A
| x
|
(g)
| K x x
| A J 10 x x
| Q x x
| A Q
|
(h)
| A Q x x
| A x x
| A K Q
| x x x
|
(i)
| x x
| A x
| K 10 x x
| A Q x x x
|
(j)
| A J 10 x
| A K x x
| A 10 x x x
| —
|
2.
When opening a non-pre-emptive bid (not 2♦ or
higher suit bids) in 1st or 2nd seat, does vulnerability
play a factor ?
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