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M J Bridge

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Theory

Beginner and above

Assessing the hand


Note that the aim of this page is to guide you in the right direction at a relatively early stage.

Various refinements will be added as you follow your way through the site.


Whether you are at the beginner stage or operating at a far higher level, the way in which you think about the potential of your hand and your choice of opening bid are crucial to all that follows.


There is nothing new in the content of this page but some readers will find something new in outlook.


When you first pick up your hand, and after you have counted it and sorted it to your own satisfaction, I want you first to determine the hand-type.


Hand-type


The hand-type is determined by the shape - e.g. 4-4-3-2, 5-4-2-2, etc. - by counting the lengths of the suits.


In particular I want you to note whether or not the hand contains a suit of six or more cards, or at least 5-4 shape in two suits.


If your hand qualifies for some type of opening bid then it will be the hand-type which will primarily affect both your assessment of the potential of the hand and also the way in which you set out to show your hand in the bidding.


Having determined the hand-type the links below will enable you to see what happens next.


Hands with a suit of at least six cards are


single-suited


(For the moment I shall include hands with 6-4 shape in this category.)


Hands with at least 5-5 shape are


two-suited


4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2 hands are classified as


balanced


Something of a special case is the hand with


4-4-4-1 shape

Any other hand will have


5-4 shape


Points


If you must you can count the points as well, probably because it is already an ingrained habit, but it should not be the primary consideration as you decide what to do next - quite simply, the number of points required for an opening bid differs according to the hand-type - so determine the shape of the hand first then follow one of the links above to the appropriate hand-type at which point the strength of the hand will be brought into consideration.

Context  -  Acol bidding - the opening bid.

This page last revised 1st Mar 2020