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M J Bridge

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Bidding

Hands

Theory

Defensive and offensive holdings


The first point is to realise that you do not bid just because you have an opening hand.


Some hands are likely to make as many tricks in defence as they are in attack.  These are defensive hands. You might try to push your opponents up a level in the bidding, but you will not compete to great heights - you will be quite happy to let your opponents play the contract.  After all, if you can see your hand taking five tricks whether attacking or defending then you would much prefer to see your opponents declaring at the three-level than to be in that position yourself.  Bidding too high on such a hand because of a good holding in high cards is a common beginner’s error.


Other hands, particularly those based on a long suit and with a majority of its points in that long suit, may well have the potential to take a lot of tricks if you become declarer, but may well take no more than two or three tricks in defence.  These are offensive hands. All else being equal you will tend to bid such hands beyond their obvious high-card potential, in the knowledge that you may well go down but your opponents are more than likely to score even better if they get to declare the hand.


Obviously most hands fall somewhere in between, but the concept is important and is ever present.

Factors which determine whether your hand lies towards the offensive or defensive end of the spectrum will become clearer in what follows.


Shape


The single most significant factor as to whether your hand is offensive or defensive is the shape of the hand.

Balanced hands tend towards the defensive - particularly those which do not contain a five-card suit.  Your honours are likely to score in attack or defence as there is every likelihood that your opponents might have two or three small cards in the suit.  Also you have no long suits in which to establish tricks which could make for declarer but will never see the light of day in defence.


By way of contrast, an unbalanced hand tends to be offensive - the less balanced it is the more offensive it is.  With one or two long suits you will score your honour tricks and establish your small cards, but in defence your honours might never score as one opponent or the other produces an unwelcome void or singleton, and your small cards will probably never be established in a trick-winning situation.

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A K 5 3

K 8 4

A 9 3

8 5 3

This is an extremely defensive hand.

In defence you expect to make three or four tricks - in attack you might make one more if you are very lucky.  You would not hesitate to open 1NT on this hand, but it is not the hand for a competitive auction.  Let the opponents get themselves into trouble.

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A K 8 5 3

K 8 5 4 3

A 9 3

This hand lies towards the opposite end of the spectrum.

It still has a slightly less certain three or four tricks in defence, but in attack there is every chance of seven or eight as the long cards establish.

You will compete vigorously.

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A K 9 8 5 3 2

K 8 5 3

A 3

This hand is even more offensive.

You can still only count seven or eight tricks in attack, but it is now far less likely that you will take three or four tricks in defence.

Once again you will compete vigorously.


Placement of your honour cards


This is a factor which is insufficiently appreciated by many in the beginner to intermediate category.

Aces and kings in long suits are relatively unlikely to take tricks in defence, but they will help you to establish your suits for the loss of very few tricks when declaring.

By way of contrast, aces and kings in your short suits are likely to take tricks in defence, and although you might get to establish your long cards it will be at the expense of two or three tricks as your opponents take their top honours.

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A K 8 5 3

A K 5 4 3

8

9 6

This is a strongly offensive hand.

There is every possibility that you will make eight tricks in your long suits, for the loss of two tricks in the majors and three in the minors.

Meanwhile, you cannot be certain of four tricks in defence.

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K 8 7 5 3

8 7 5 4 3

A

A K

This hand is not nearly so offensive as the last.  You might still make eight tricks in attack, losing five tricks as you establish the majors, and you are still taking three or four in defence.  However, your opponents are going to establish a minor before you establish a major, and your trick-taking potential in defence is diminished accordingly.

Beginner and above

This page last revised 3rd Dec 2017

Context - overcaller - considerations and principles.