Lesson 1: ACOL System
(Chapters 2 to 5)
Surendra Mehta
January 2007
Counting points
High Card
points
Ace
King
Queen
Jack
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
-4
–3
–2
–1
Length points
5-card
6-card
7-card
8-card
suit
suit
suit
suit
2
-
1
2
3
4
Support points
Voids - 5
Singleton
-2
Doubleton - 1
(when
responding)
Suit ranking
•
•
•
•
•
Clubs
Diamonds
Hearts
Spades
No trumps
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
3
Balanced hand
• A hand that has 3 or more cards in each
suit, except it can have one doubleton.
• No void, no singleton, no more than one
doubleton.
• The following combinations permitted:
• 4-3-3-3
• 4-4-3-2
• 5-3-3-2
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
4
Unbalanced hand
•
•
•
•
Could have a void
Could have a singleton
Could have more than two doubleton
Examples of unbalanced hands:
5-5-3-0; 5-4-2-2;
6-3-3-1
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
5
One No-trump opening bid
•
•
•
Balanced hand
12 or 13 or 14 points
(ie not < 12 and not >14 points)
(IT IS IMPORTANT TO STICK TO THIS RULE
RIGIDLY TO PASS A CONCISE MESSAGE TO
YOUR PARTNER)
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6
How will you open the bid?
S K53
H AQ9
D A 10 9 8
C A83
B - (17)
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
S
H
D
C
K 10 9
QJ52
KJ75
A3
S
H
D
C
B - (14)
A4
A9852
A 10 4 3
J4
U - (13)
7
Opening bid one of a suit
Requires:
• Unbalanced hand of > 12 points; or
• Balanced hand of with > 14 points
• BID LONGEST suit;
• If 2 4-carder, bid lower ranking;
• If 3 4-carder, bid middle ranking;
• If 2 5-carder or 2 6-carder, bid higher
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8
Opening bid – 1 of a suit (consider)
S
H
D
C
KQ2
A J 10 9 4
QJ8
A7
S
H
D
C
A J 10
KQJ
10 9 7 4
A63
A 10 7 6
KQ32
AJ
Q97
B (16)
1H
B (15) 1D
B (17) 1H
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
S
H
D
C
9
Game zones
• In No trump
3
(9 tricks)
• In majors (H or S)
4
(10 tricks)
• In minors (C or D)
5
(11 tricks)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
• Grand slam
37 points
• Small slam
33 points
• Game
25 points
• Part game
<
25 points
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10
Responding to 1 NT
(0 to 10 points)
• Balanced hand – pass
• Unbalanced hand with 6-carder or 5carder - Bid 2D, 2H or 2S in longest suit
(Why not 2 clubs? – Stayman)
• Pass with no 5 or 6 carder suits
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11
Responding to 1 NT
(11 to 12 points)
Partner (1NT)
Responder
Total
12
12
24
13
12
25
14
12
26
BID 2NT & INVITE PARTNER TO
GAME
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12
12
11
23
13
11
24
TRY 2NT IF YOU FEEL
AGGRESSIVE
14
11
25
Responding to 1 NT
(> 13 points)
• You have at least 25 points; thus in game
zone or slam
• If total between 25 and 32 points – game
zone
• Decide denomination – 3 NT or 4H or 4S
• If 6-card major – bid 4 of that major;
otherwise bid 3NT
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13
Responding to 1 NT
(> 13 points) – consider
(Partner opens 1NT)
S
H
D
C
874
A42
KQ843
A 10
S A 10 9 6 4 3
H K J 10
D QJ
C K7
S K7
H K J 10
D QJ
C A 10 9 6 4 3
U(14) – 3NT
(U(14) – 4S
B(13) – 3NT
Surendra Mehta, January 2007
14