Bridge for Beginners

1. Bridge for Beginners Lesson 6 More about NT Openings

2. Homework • The hands you made up will have been different from my answers • Because the possibilities are endless • But they needed to conform to the requirements for the bidding

3. Hand 1 Dealer N Declarer W Lead N N E S W P P P 1NT P P P  KQJ  Q976  J83  T98  AT43  KJ  KQ62  J32  965  A85  AT9  Q654 N W E S  872  T432  754  AK7 W must be 12-14 HCP And balanced E must be <11 HCP With no 5 card suit N & S must be <12 HCP

4. Hand 2 Dealer E Declarer E Lead S N E S W 1NT P 3NT P P P  QJ7543  32  J5  942  AT  JT98  A43  AKT  K98  AQ75  QT9  J87 N W E S  62  K64  K8762  Q65 E must be 12-14 HCP And balanced W must be >12 HCP

5. Hand 3 N E S W P P 1NT P 2NT P 3NT P P P Dealer S Declarer N Lead E  KQJ  K74  QJ98  Q76  A84  862  2  KJ9532  6532  AT94  KT76  4 N W E S  T97  QJ3  A543  AT8 S & W must be <12 HCP N must be 12-14 HCP balanced S must be 11 HCP N must be 13 or 14 HCP

6. Hand 4 N E S W P P 1NT P 4 P P P Dealer W Declarer W Lead N  JT5  T54  JT3  A653  KQ9843  2  AQ54  87  A7  A863  K82  QT94 N W E S  762  KQJ97  976  KJ2 W & N must be <12 HCP E must be 12-14 HCP and balanced W must have 6 ’s, about 11 HCP and unbalanced

7. Hand 5 Dealer N Declarer S Lead E  QJ6  A95  K92  JT76 N E S W P P 1NT P 2NT P P P  K73  T43  A8  AK842  9842  QJ82  765  53 N W E S  AT5  K76  QJT43  Q9 N & E must be <12 HCP S must be 12-14 HCP and balanced N must be 11 HCP S must be 12 or 13 HCP

8. Hand 6 Dealer E Declarer E Lead S N E S W 1NT P 7NT P P P  987654  432  2  432  AJT  AQJ  KQJ5  AQJ  KQ32  K987  A4  T97 N W E S  -  T65  T98763  K865 E must be 12-14 HCP W must have a monster With 25+ HCP Missing no Aces

9. 1NT openings • This week • Different continuations • By responder • Re-bids by opener • Some extra things about the scoring

10. 1NT Opener • Means what? • 12-14 HCP • No 5 card major • No singleton or void • Not more than 1 doubleton

11. Responses to 1NT Openings • Last week we looked at • <11 HCP no 5 card suit we bid? • Pass • <11 HCP with a 5 card suit we bid? • 2 of that suit.Which is called? • A Weakness Take Out • 11-12 HCP balanced we bid? • 2NT Invitational • >12 HCP balanced we bid? • 3NT

12. Responses to 1NT • But what if we have more than 10HCP • And the hand is not balanced • Today we will look at the bidding for these types of hand

13. Partner has opened 1 NT  5  4 • This is your hand • You have 4 HCP • And 5 ’s • You bid 2 • A weakness take out • Opener MUST Pass  J  8  7  6  3  T  6  3  K  3

14. Partner has opened 1 NT  A  4 • This is your hand • You have 14 HCP • And 5 ’s • You cannot bid 2 • Partner will Pass • Bid 3 • Showing 5 ’s • And enough for game • Partner can choose  K  Q  7  6  3  Q  6  3  K  3

15. Partner has opened 1 NT  A  J  7  4  2 • This is your hand • You have 11 HCP • And 5 ’s • You cannot bid 2 • Partner will Pass • Bid 3 • Showing 5 ’s • And enough for game • The 5 card suit adds enough for game  7  6  3  Q  J  3  K  3

16. Partner has opened 1 NT  A  J  7  4  3  2 • This is your hand • You have 11 HCP • And 6 ’s • You cannot bid 2 • Partner will Pass • Bid 4 • Showing 6 ’s • And enough for game • If you know what the contract is then bid it!  7  6  Q  J  3  K  3

17. Suit responses to 1NT • With 11+ HCP • And a 5 card major • Tell partner about the major by bidding it at the 3 level • This is a Forcing bid • Partner MUST not Pass • But should select the game • With 6 of the major bid the game in that suit immediately

18. Partner has opened 1 NT  A  J  7 • This is your hand • You have 20 HCP • And a balanced hand • Game is certain • Slam may be on • If partner has 14 HCP • Bid 4NT • Partner Passes with 12 • Bids 6NT with 14 • Guesses with 13  A  K  3  K  Q  J  3  Q  8  3

19. Partner has opened 1 NT  A  J  7 • This is your hand • You have 22 HCP • And a balanced hand • Game is certain • Slam is on • Bid 6NT  A  K  Q  K  Q  J  3  Q  8  3

20. Slams in NT • You need 33 HCP in the 2 hands for a small slam • That’s 12 tricks • 37 for a grand slam • 13 tricks • 33 ensures you are not missing 2 aces • 37 ensures you are not missing any • So a response of 4NT shows 19-20 • A response of 6NT shows 21+

21. Openers Next Bid  A  3 • You have opened 1NT • Partner has bid 2 • What is your next bid? • Pass • Partner has bid a weakness take out • You MUST pass • Partner may have 0 HCP  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

22. You have opened 1NT  A  T  3 • Partner has bid 2NT • What is your next bid? • Pass • Partner has 11-12 HCP • You have 12 • Maximum is 24 HCP • Not enough for game  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  T  8  3

23. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 2NT • What is your next bid? • 3NT • Partner has 11-12 HCP • You have 14 • 25 or 26 HCP • Enough for game  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

24. You have opened 1NT  A  T  3 • Partner has bid 3 • What is your next bid? • 3NT • Partner has 11+ HCP • And 5 ’s • 3NT is easier than 5 • With stops in other suits • NT is preferable to a minor  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  T  8  3

25. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 3 • What is your next bid? • Pass • Partner has 11+ HCP • You have 12 • No stops in ’s • 3NT would be risky • 5 looks too high  K  Q  4  2  4  3  2  K  T  8  3

26. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 3 • What is your next bid? • 3NT • Partner has made a forcing bid • Showing 5 ’s • And enough for game • With only 2 ’s you want to play in NT  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

27. You have opened 1NT  A  T  3 • Partner has bid 3 • What is your next bid? • 4 • Partner has made a forcing bid • Showing 5 ’s • And enough for game • With 3 ’s you want to play in the major  K  Q  4  2  K  3  Q  T  8  3

28. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 4 • What is your next bid? • PASS • Partner has 6+ ’s • And nearly enough for game • You have 12 HCP • Not enough to go to the 5 level  K  6  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

29. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 4 • What is your next bid? • 5 • Partner has 6+ ’s • And nearly enough for game • You have 14 HCP • Bid the game • Partner has bid a ‘Mini-Maxi’  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

30. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 4 • What is your next bid? • PASS • Partner has 6+ ’s • And enough for game • Now your hand is irrelevant • Partner has told you what the game is  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

31. You have opened 1NT  A  3 • Partner has bid 4NT! • What is your next bid? • 6NT! • Partner has 19-20 HCP! • This is a ‘Mini-Maxi’ • Inviting a slam • You have 14 HCP • So bid it!!  K  Q  4  2  K  3  2  Q  T  8  3

32. More about Scoring • Vulnerability • Each pair may be vulnerable or non-vulnerable • The vulnerability is set by board number • On the boards vul is red • non-vul is white • Vulnerability affects game bonuses and slam bonuses • And the undertrick score to defence

33. Scoring Bonuses Part Score 50 50 Game 300 500 Small Slam 800 1250 Grand Slam 1300 2000 • Non-vul • Vul • Non-vul • 50 • Vul • 100 • Undertricks • For each trick less than the contract bid you lose