Questions tagged [bidding]
Bidding is an auction mechanic common to a variety of board and card games where two or more players or teams compete for a right or privilege. Bidding is common in trick-taking card game such as bridge, and several other bidding examples are provided in the bidding wiki page.
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When should someone make a minimum bid over a takeout double with 8 or more high card points?
There was this example cited by an expert (Frank Stewart}. On the hand ♠ 943 ♡A52 ♢AQJ ♣ 8732.the SE consensus was that "11" high card points were really more like seven because of the 4-3-3-...
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Why is the rationale for requiring a minimum 5-4 distribution for an "unusual" 2NT overcall?
At least, that's the understanding I got from this source on conventions (clause 4 of the "overcalls" section).
My preference is for 5-5 in the minors or the two lowest relevant suits, and a ...
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Which of these hands should be opened in which late positions?
With no one vulnerable at matchpoints, I passed in first position with ten high card points. Ditto for second seat with eight high card points.
Partner passed in third seat with eleven points and a ...
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Should I have opened the following hand in fourth position?
With everyone vulnerable at duplicate, there were three passes to me. I passed in fourth position holding the following: ♠ QJT642 ♡4 ♢K95 ♣ KJ3. We got a bottom because everyone else with our cards ...
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How should partner and I have gotten to 3NT?
Dealing, and with only us vulnerable at matchpoints, and holding ♠ 84 ♡AK5 ♢AKQT96 ♣ A6,
I opened a timid one diamond, planning to bid 3NT if partner bid one spade or 1NT.
Partner passed with six high ...
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How should partner have followed up his takeout double under the following circumstances?
With only them vulnerable at matchpoints, RHO dealt and passed as did I. LHO opened one club in third seat. Partner doubled (takeout) with the following: ♠ KJ5 ♡AKQJ ♢KJ2 ♣ T53.
I bid one spade, my ...
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Under what circumstances might some modern experts bid no trump with "offshape" hands?
This question arises from the modern practice of sometimes bidding say, 1 NT with only a singleton ace (or even king).
I would never do this with a singleton king, but might do with a singleton ace. I'...
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How should I choose which game to bid with this strong but misfit hand?
With only us vulnerable at matchpoints, I opened one club in second seat with this powerhouse: ♠ Q52 ♡AQT5 ♢void ♣ AKQ852.
Left hand opponent passed, partner bid one diamond, right hand opponent bid ...
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What is the most expeditious way to defeat this (overbid) slam?
With nobody vulnerable (at matchpoints), I opened two spades (weak) as East. Partner, West, who had a big hand, raised me to six spades. (All other pairs stopped at four spades.) South doubled with ♠7 ...
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Is a 4-3-3-3 shape as negative in a no trump as in a suit contract?
With a "12 point" hand like ♠ QJ2 ♡K64 ♢A42 ♣ Q852, I might pass, rather than open in first or second seat because of its "flat" shape, for which I would deduct a point. It also ...
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Is it OK to refrain from exploring further at matchpoints when you are in a satisfactory contract?
With no one vulnerable, I opened one club in fourth position at matchpoints after three passes with the following:♠ J752 ♡AJ6 ♢A4 ♣ QT52. I did so because people at our club who pass with 12 high card ...
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How far should one go in preferring an eight card major suit game to a no trump game?
Both vulnerable at matchpoints, I dealt and bid one diamond (planning to rebid 2NT) with the following:
♠ JT8 ♡A6 ♢AK76 ♣ AKT4.
An opponent overcalled one heart, and partner bid one spade, showing ...
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How should I have dealt with the Capelleti interference to my partner's 1NT bid
With no one vulnerable, partner opened 1NT (15-17) after three passes. The intervening opponent bid 2 clubs (Capelletti, a system I don't understand), except that it could indicate length in any suit.....
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How might one make value judgments regarding bidding systems?
In the comments section of this question, it was noted that the late Barry Crane would open "an 11 high card point hand containing a king. With good distributional hands open lighter." The ...
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Can you use Stayman (or other means) to rescue an inadequately protected 2NT bid?
This is a followup to a previous question.
Neither vulnerable, I opened 2NT after two passes with the following: ♠ AKQ ♡ Q72 ♢AK872 ♣ Q8. This is a "conventional" holding with the a weak ...
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Under what circumstances should partner bid 3 clubs (Stayman) over a 2NT opening?
Opposite a 1NT bid, I need at least 8 high card points to bid Stayman (except for transfer or "garbage" Stayman). If we find our eight card fit and partner has 16, we are barely even money ...
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How far should a partnership explore altnernatives to a no trump game that is clearly indicated at matchpoints?
Here is an example of what I mean:
With no one vulnerable at matchpoints, partner opened two clubs (strong) after three passes. I made the waiting bid of two diamonds, and partner bid three clubs with ...
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Did my partner make a plausible sequence of bids?
At matchpoints, with no one vulnerable, there were two passes before North opened one club. Partner (East) doubled. South bid one heart, and I (West) passed, since I was "off the hook.
North ...
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What is the advantage of bidding to game in Rubber Bridge?
Suppose North-South ("N-S") has a combined hand that can make a contract of 4 Hearts. If they win 10 tricks and make 4 Hearts, then they get 120 points whether they bid 4 Hearts and made ...
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Is this small slam biddable and if so, how?
With only them vulnerable, right hand opponent dealt and opened two spades (weak).
I overcalled three hearts with the following: ♠ K8 ♡ AKQJ52 ♢J976 ♣ J. I thought of making a "big" double ...
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At what vulnerabilities should one raise partner's overcall to the level supported by the law of total tricks?
Neither vulnerable at matchpoints, I dealt and passed. My left hand opponent bid one heart and partner overcalled two clubs. I put her on six of the suit, and after right hand opponent raised to three ...
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Did I have enough information to "balance" in the following situation?
With only us vulnerable, I dealt and passed, as did my left hand opponent. Partner opened 1 diamond, right hand opponent overcalled one spade, and I passed a second time with the following: ♠ QT42 ♡ ...
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Under what circumstances should I refrain from raising partners' three level pre-empt to four (when I have three trumps)?
With nobody vulnerable at matchpoints, partner dealt and pre-empted three spades with KQJxxxx (and some side values). With three small trumps, I raised him to four, following the Law of Total Tricks, ...
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Is it more important for a responder to bid their suit or raise partner under the following circumstances?
With only us vulnerable at matchpoints, I oponed one heart after dealer passed. The second opponent passed and partner had the following for a response: ♠ AQJ74 ♡ 742 ♢K754 ♣ 7.
I would have expected ...
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Did I underbid or did my partner?
We were non-vulnerable versus vulnerable at matchpoint duplicate. Dealer passed to my right, so I opened one heart in second position with the following: ♠ AK86 ♡ T98654 ♢none ♣ K96. Only ten high ...
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How should an intervening bid have changed my response?
With only us vulnerable at matchpoints, partner (South) dealt and bid one diamond. If West had passed, I would have bid one spade (one over one) with ♠ JT83 ♡ Q943 ♢J87 ♣ Q2. For this, I have minimum ...
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Does it make sense to double (for penalty) in the following situation?
With only us vulnerable at matchpoints, and after two passes, I bid 1NT (15-17).Partner knows I would not "shade" my values for a 1NT bid in third position as I might with a suit.
The direct ...
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Which of the following hands are good enough for a takeout double?
With only them vulnerable at matchpoints, the dealer opens one club.
I would make a takeout double in the second seat with the following: ♠ AK97 ♡ K763 ♢6532 ♣ 9. It's only 10 high card points, but I ...
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What does a double mean when made by a partner who has already passed?
The bidding was North : Pass, East : Pass, South (me) : 1D, West : 2C, North : Double.
North had a balanced 10 points including three clubs to the king, four hearts, three spades, and three ...
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What are the implications of fourth suit forcing in the following "strange" hand?
At matchpoints, with only our opponents vulnerable, my partner opened one diamond in fourth seat with the following: ♠ KQJ2 ♡ T7 ♢9873 ♣ KQ3.
With opponents passing all bids, I responded one heart, ...
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Should I have raised partner or bid 1NT in the following situation?
Both vulnerable at matchpoints, I dealt and opened one diamond with the following:
♠ A86 ♡ K86 ♢QT75 ♣ KT5.
Partner bid one heart. I was taught to raise a "one over one" bid to two on my ...
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Does it make sense to set up a "reverse" bid to advertise extra strength?
At any game type, position or vulnerability, if I had something like ♠ AK642 ♡ AQ973 ♢ 75 ♣ 2, and no one had opened in front of me, I would bid 1 Spade, planning to rebid the heart suit of equal ...
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Could it be right to "convert" a takeout double with a weaker trump holding when it is made from the "balancing" rather than "direct" seat?
In the usual situation, South opens one spade, West doubles for takeout, and North passes. If East wants to "convert" the double, they need a very strong trump holding, in fact one that is ...
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Does it make better sense to open "light" in matchpoints than in rubber?
By "light" I mean with something like 11 high card points and a five card major suit or 10 high card points and a six card major headed by at least two honors. My (limited) experience has ...
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How do good partnerships adjust their systems when overcalling, instead of opening, 1NT?
Over an opening bid of 1NT, responders will use a variety of systems, such as Stayman, (Jacoby) transfers,etc.
But suppose the sequence was South: 1 diamond, West 1NT, North, Pass, and you are East. ...
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Are Moyesian fits more playable at matchpoints than rubber or IMP, bridge?
A 4-3 trump fit is known as a "Moyesian" fit after an expert who liked to play such hands, even with fewer trumps than the standard eight card fits.
Their main downside is that with six ...
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Was I right to pass my partner's two level overcall?
Both sides vulnerable at matchpoints, South opened one spade. West, my partner, overcalled with two clubs. North passed, and I was sitting East with ♠ J854 ♡ AT97 ♢ A843 ♣ 4.
I had no obvious bid, so ...
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In passing opposite a takeout double, is it merely enough to probably be stronger than declarer in his trump suit?
With the other side vulnerable, your LHO (South) opens one of a suit, your partner (West) doubles (takeout), RHO (North) passes. You (East) have KQJ97 of the bid suit and a bunch of small side suit ...
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Could it be a bad idea to try to compete when the opponents have stopped at two of a minor
With both sides vulnerable at matchpoints, I held the following cards: ♠ 8653 ♡ J3 ♢ AK52 ♣ QJ4.
RHO opponent opened one club, I passed. LHO opponent bid one diamond, pass from partner. The next round ...
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Are there times when it is right to underlead an ace against a suit contract?
First, my own example.
With only N-S vulnerable, I was sitting West at matchpoints when South dealt and opened 1NT (15-17). I passed, North bid 2 hearts, and South transferred to two spades, all pass.
...
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In match points, do you need to be more aggressive about doubling when your opponents are not vulnerable?
In a duplicate game today, my partner and I set our non-vulnerable opponents two for a score of +100. We got a bottom because other pairs with our cards earned part scores of 140. On the other hand, ...
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Would most modern experts decline to raise one of a major with the following hand?
Vulnerable versus not at rubber, South opened 1 spade. West passed, and North passed with the following: ♠ KJ9 ♡ 63 ♢ 9762 ♣ 8743.
One raises with "six" points. In the old days (50 years or ...
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Does my "six or eight" rule for "raising one" make sense?
I was taught to raise partner's "one of a major" bid to two with six high card points.
A variation of the rule that I learned recently was eight "points" counting distribution.
So ...
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How, and how much do bidders downgrade their hands for weak spots?
Suppose you are the first to speak and have a hand like the following (with all x's being 7 or lower).
♠ Kxxx
♡ Ax
♢ Axxx
♣ AJx
That's 16 high card points, and normally one would bid 1NT (15-17) with ...
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Does a 1st round takeout double always require 3 cards in all the opposition unbid suits?
Does a takeout double in the first round always require 3 or more cards in opposition unbid suits or can a strong hand (18+ points) do a takeout even without the requirement?
After the partner bids in ...
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When is it appropriate to raise opener's one of a major with only a king and four of their suit?
The first example was that of Zia Mahmood, as recorded in Larry Cohen's "To Bid or Not to Bid." Hearing his partner bid one spade, Zia raised, with both sides vulnerable, holding
♠ K974
♡ 82
...
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Is pass correct with 14pts, KQ9H, after 1C,-,1H,-,1S,-,2S,-?
Only us vulnerable at matchpoints, partner opened one club, with the following. I responded one heart, partner bid one spade I bid two spades. (Opponents passed throughout).
♠ AT72
♡ KQ9
♢ 54
♣ AJ95
...
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Is it ok to open a "weak two" with a decent six of a suit and a "weak" four card side major?
With equal vulnerability, and a holding like (s) KQ9753 (h) K432 (d)xx (c) x, I would pass in first or second position, so that others can bid and I can respond or overcall. I don't mind doing this ...
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Would you overcall, double, or do something else with the following strong but "offshape" hand?
You are vulnerable versus not, when your right hand opponent opens one heart. You are sitting on the following "powerhouse," but one that is "offshape" for the calls you want to ...
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Opposite partner's opening bid, should I respond in a long minor or a shorter major?
At matchpoints, vulnerable versus not, my partner opened 1 heart with (s) QT963 (h) AKJ92 (d)Q4 (c)8.
I responded 2 diamonds with (s)A872 (h) 8 (d) KJT753 (c) KQ. Partner rebid 2 spades and we ended ...
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