M J Bridge
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♣
Bidding
Beginner and above
Game-
This category is misnamed just ever so slightly in as much as most such bids include a sequence in which the opening bid followed by a relay or negative response and a rebid of 2NT promises twenty three or twenty four points in a balanced hand and is not forcing.
Any other sequence will be forcing to game based on a good hand, and will therefore indicate at least a passing interest in a slam.
Amongst such bids are the traditional Acol 2♣, and the 2♦ bid in Bejaminised Acol (or 2♣ in reverse ‘Benji’).
These bids also feature regularly in either a ‘one strong and three weak’ or a ‘one strong and a multi’ system, although it is possible to vary them just a little (see almost game-
Context -
This page last revised 8th Jul 2019
Beginner only
This simplified requirement is frequently passed down from bridge-
The simplified version derives from the fact that a balanced hand of twenty three or more points is too strong to open 2NT and so a stronger bid is required to cover such hands.
However, it totally undervalues the playing potential of unbalanced hands with a lesser point-
There are many unbalanced hands which will have the playing strength to insist on game and on which that game might be missed if you start with a non-
Extending the requirement
The simplest extension is that suggested by Sarah Bell (English Bridge -
Open any balanced hand of twenty three or more points, and any unbalanced hand of twenty two or more points with your game-
This is certainly a step forward, but it still fails to cast the net widely enough (I should acknowledge here that Sarah’s article does indeed cast the net wider).
Better is to extend the requirement to cover other strong hands on which you wish to reach game, even if partner holds a hand on which he would pass if facing a one-
Continuing auction
More often than not partner will make a ‘negative’, ‘relay’, or ‘non-
With a balanced hand you will rebid 2NT on twenty three or twenty four points (not quite forcing), 3NT with twenty five or twenty six points, and higher levels in two point ranges, unless your system includes other forcing opening bids which cover any of these ranges.
With the unbalanced hand you will rebid in a suit of at least five cards (game-
When to extend
I suggested above that we might choose to extend the range of hands which we might open with the game-
The extent to which you extend will depend on other aspects of your system, and should also depend on the hand-
I judge such hands in terms of ‘playing tricks’, but you may prefer to assess them in some other way.
Note that ‘playing tricks’ are somewhat subjective, and by no means guarantee that your hand will always make the number of tricks estimated, but as the game is primarily about tricks rather than points this consideration will add greatly to your assessment of the potential of an unbalanced hand.
Single-
I like to open strong hands single-
Note that it can be particularly difficult to show the potential of a single-
You must agree your own definition of strong in this context. Certainly the hand must conform to ‘the rule for strong openings’.
A simplified version of this requirement would be to insist on a minimum of sixteen points, but you will be hard-
Single-
With anything less than ten playing tricks you will need something from partner to ensure game in the minor suit, and unless you hold stops in two side-
Bearing in mind the desirability of locating a no trump contract, and the bidding space required to this end, it will usually be correct to open hands of up to twenty one points and single-
Stronger hands are likely to have at least an interest in a minor suit slam and the forcing opening bid has more to commend it with such thoughts in mind.
At least 5-
Once again, as you need bidding space in which to locate the best fit (or indeed any fit), it will usually be correct to open 5-
However, you will be able to bypass the problem on some 5-
If your system contains another strong bid (or bids) to cover unbalanced hands of about 8½ or 9 playing tricks
then the system above is fine as it stands.
If your system features just one strong bid (as in my preferred starter method of three weak and one strong)
then you might choose to extend the range of hands covered.
In particular, the hand single-
It is by no means uncommon to include such hands in your strong game-
Personally I like to include this hand in a sequence which can be stopped short of game. It is not a standard method but well worth considering if you like to include a few twiddly bits (almost game-
Quick tricks
In traditional Acol there was a further ‘quick trick’ requirement.
The 2♣ route was used to carry further specific information, and this further information was that the hand should contain five quick tricks in aces and kings (KQ counting as one), thereby setting the scene for any further slam investigation.
With sufficient strength for the game-
With a game-
The simplified version
A simplified requirement for such a bid is :-
if you have twenty three or more points you open 2♣, and if you don’t you don’t.
Beginner and above
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♥
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♣
A K Q 7 6 3 2
8
A K Q
9 5
This hand is worth ten playing tricks.
It does not qualify for the traditional Acol opening bid of 2♣ with only 4 quick tricks in aces and kings.
Open 2♠ (strong) and rebid 4♠.
(You would, however, open this with a game-
♠
♥
♦
♣
A K Q 7 3 2
A 8
A K Q
9 5
Ten playing tricks and five quick tricks in aces and kings.
Open 2♣ in traditional Acol and rebid 2♠ (game-
This hand also justifies a game-
The quick trick requirement is rarely encountered in the modern game.
Any game-
To summarise
If your system contains another strong bid (or bids) to cover unbalanced hands of about 8½ or 9 playing tricks
then open with your strong game-
any balanced hand of twenty three or more points;
any unbalanced hand of twenty two or more points;
any strong hand single-
you might also agree to open any strong hand single-
If your system features just one strong bid
then either play your opening bid as above
or modify it ever so slightly to ‘almost game-
Opener |
Overcaller |
Responder |
Advancer |
Opener's rebid |
Overcaller's rebid and beyond |
Responder's rebid and beyond |
The continuing auction |