Lesson Two - Useful Points!!
Our objectives in the bidding are to search for a suitable strain (suit or notrumps) and an
appropriate level, (part score, game or slam).
OPENING THE BIDDING.
Open the bidding at the one level if you have 12 – 20 HCP.
WHICH SUIT FIRST?
*
The
With two 4 card suits, start the bidding with the lower ranking suit.
With two 5 (or 6) card suits, bid the higher ranking suit first.
*
*The Exceptions!
An opening bid of 1 of a major promises a five card (or longer suit) - so with:¨§ a 4 card major and 3 cards in each of the other suits, open 1 Club
§¨ 4-4 in the majors you open your longer minor
RESPONDING WITH A FIT - LIMIT BIDS.
When partner opens the bidding 1H or 1S and you have 3+ card support in the opened suit,
you know that the partnership has at least eight cards in that suit — a FIT. Your side is now in a
position to take advantage of the extra values available in a suit contract — called
DISTRIBUTIONAL points (DP).
A VOID (no cards in a suit) is worth 5 DP,
a SINGLETON (1 card in a suit) is worth 3 DP, and
a DOUBLETON (2 cards in a suit) is worth 1 DP.
By adding the distributional points to your high card points you will end up with your total
points (TP). The level to which you will support partner by raising the bid suit, depends on how
many TP you have. If you have:
0 - 5 TP then PASS,
6 - 9 TP raise to the TWO level,
10 - 12 TP raise to the THREE level and with
13+ raise to FOUR.
YOU MAY ONLY COUNT DISTRIBUTIONAL POINTS WHEN
YOU HAVE A FIT
(To avoid partner having one!)
After the supporting raise partner will be in a good position to decide on the prospects of GAME.
If the two hands have a COMBINED total point count of 25 (29 in a minor) or more then you
should bid game to earn the bonus score, 300 not vulnerable or 500 if you are vulnerable!