Questions tagged [bridge]
A 4 player trick-taking card game where opposing partners try to either take the number of tricks they bid or prevent their opponents from doing so. When asking questions on bidding or play, please specify scoring system (Rubber, Matchpoints, IMPS, ec.), Dealer, vulnerability for both sides, full auction to the point of inquiry, and as complete a description of the visible hands as you can, including spot cards instead of x's.
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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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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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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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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. ...
CommunityBot
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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 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, s/he needs a very strong trump holding, in fact one that is ...
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Why is it forbidden to open hands with fewer than 8 high card points?
Source
2.6 Random Openings
It is forbidden to open hands which, by agreement, may contain fewer than 8 high card
points and for which no further definition is provided.
If you open bidding for a ...
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How much would you revalue your hand after finding a "double fit?"
Suppose you hear your partner open one spade. You, the responder (North) have:
(s)Kxx (h)xx (d)xxx (c)AKxxx, and respond two clubs. Opener now bids three clubs, showing you a "double fit" in spades ...
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Are Moyesian fits more playable at duplicate, than rubber, 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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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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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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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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How does "level" matter when deciding whether or not to "jump" a bid opposite partner's takeout double?
Only us vulnerable at rubber, LHO opens 1 heart. Partner doubles, RHO passes, and I have (s)AQJ9 (h) Q42 (d) JT4 (c)853. In this situation, I would "jump" the bidding one level to two spades,...
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Can This Hand be made?
I was on a cruise and we were given this quiz and I never got to find the answer. I can see only 12 tricks.
The Contract is 7NT
The Opening Lead is the King of Spades
North
S A
H KQJ109
D 987654
...
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Are reminders spoken before looking at the cards bad bridge etiquette or ethics?
After the board had been assigned, but before we looked at our cards at matchpoints, my partner announced, "We're vulnerable and they're not." This was a call to bid cautiously because of ...
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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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Do you count defensive points in the opponents' suit when making a takeout double?
Left hand opponent opened 1 heart.
Partner doubled for takeout.
Right hand opponent passed.
I "had to" bid 2 clubs with something like:
(S) xxx (H) xx (D) Jxxx (C) Jxxx.
We were doubled for ...
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Should I have made a takeout double in the situation?
With a part score of 60 to 0 (neither side vulnerable), I dealt and bid a "strong" 1NT with:
♠ QT3
♥ KQJ8
♦ KJ93
♣ K5
"West," to my left, overcalled 2 clubs.
Our respective ...
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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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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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In bridge, should East consider "overtaking" his partner's lead if able?
One example is if West leads a Q (top of a sequence) against a NT contract, and East plays K from Kx to unblock. If allowed to hold the trick, East would lead back the x.
My understanding is that ...
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How flexible is the six point response rule in bridge?
If partner opens one of a major, say one heart, I was taught that a responder could raise to two hearts with three of the suit and six high card points, or bid a new suit "one over one" (e.g....
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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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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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Are there "established" systems where "Five Card Majors" isn't a strict rule?
In "Standard American," I must open a major with 65432 while refraining from opening a major with AKQJ.
IMHO, there are five card majors that are too weak to be opened and there four card majors that ...
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Was I right or wrong to value the following as an opening hand?
At matchpoints, not vulnerable vs. vulnerable, I opened one heart with the following (all X's are 7 or lower).
♠ J9x
♡ A9xxxx
♢ J9
♣ AT
Normally, I need 11, not 10, high card points to open even with ...
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Would you lead "fourth best from longest and strongest" from the following hands?
With neither side vulnerable at rubber, you are on lead against 3NT (1NT, 3NT bid).
I would refrain from doing the above with a Yarborough like
♠ 983
♡ 872
♢ 76432
♣ 85
Instead, I would lead one of ...
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In bridge, what are exceptions to "third hand high?"
You are sitting "East" (with dummy to your right), and your partner West leads a low (presumably fourth best) card in a suit against a 3 no trump contract. When dummy plays low from "nothing," and you ...
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When should a bridge defender return the second, rather than fourth highest card in suit?
Against a bidding sequence of 1NT, 3NT, partner, West, opens with what looks like the fourth highest of a suit. Dummy goes down with two small cards in the suit. I have four to the king in the suit, ...
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If you are fourth seat after a third seat raise, can you make a takeout double with "intermediate" values?
If first seat opens, and you are in the second seat, you need opening values in order to make a take out double (that is 13-14 hcps, maybe 12 with 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 distribution, while short in ...
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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 csn respond or overcall. I don't mind doing this ...
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What is the appropriate response to a jump rebid by responder under Standard American?
Last week, I played my first session of bridge in about five years, meaning that I was "rusty," and I was also at a new club with a partner I had just met, who mentioned "Standard American."
Sitting ...
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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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If you are playing short minors, does the following sequence constitute a "reverse?"
Playing five card majors, I open one heart, partner responds two of a minor, and I bid two spades. That would be a "reverse," showing a five-four pattern, and at least 16-17 points.
But ...
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When might a Standard American bidder "bend" the five card major rule?
"Five card majors" is the foundation of the Standard American system. Yet rules are made to be broken under special circumstances.
My understanding is that some bidders will adhere to "five card ...
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What is the rationale for a "forcing" 1NT with a range of 6-12 points?
First of all, my understanding is that no trump bids should be made within fairly narrow point ranges (2-3). Therefore, "6-12" looks like an awfully wide range for a single no trump bid.
...
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Did I misbid a slam?
At matchpoints, with both sides vulnerable, my partner opened one club. I bid one heart (one over one) with the following holding: (s) K9 (h) AQ87642 (d) J (c) A62.
Partner then bid one spade (showing ...
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What are the minimum requirements for a one level overcall?
I was taught that you need at least eight high card points to "overcall" at the one level against an opposing opening bid. In a pinch, "seven" would do if they were all in your (...
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Why don't bridge players try to surprise their opponents by learning a different bidding system?
Sort of a follow-up question to Why don't the meanings of specific bids need to be considered when giving advice?
As I understand the answers to that question, most bridge players play variants of the ...
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Could leading one of dummy's bid suits be a good idea?
Vulnerable versus not, and sitting West, I held (s) AQ54 (h) K3 (d) T85 (c) KT87. With North opening the bidding, and West and East passing throughout, the bidding went:
North South
1 spade 2 ...
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I opened 1 Heart & my partner promptly responded 2 NT. How many points does my partner have & what is the shape of his hand?
I opened 1 Heart & my partner promptly responded 2 NT. How many points does my partner have & what is the shape of his hand?
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In a bridge auction, what makes an overcall "aggressive"
I'm often told, after a hand has been played, that my overcall in the auction was "aggressive". When I ask them what they mean by that adjective, nobody will give me a direct answer. I ...
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Would you rather play defense than offense with the following hand?
Non vulnerable vs. vulnerable in duplicate bridge, West dealt and opened a "weak two" (hearts), which an expert, Frank Stewart, called "cheesy" with the following hand:
♠ 2
♡ ...
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How should the bidding have proceeded in this situation?
A commenter pointed out that the original version of this question was not as interesting as some side issues accompanying it. So I am going to ask a second question to address those "side issues....
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When are nine and ten hcp point hands worth opening at the "one" level?
With a holding like AKQTxx in one suit, and no side honors, I could usually open with a "weak two." But suppose the suit were clubs. Then I can't open with two clubs because that is a much ...
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When are good times to "lead dummy's first bid suit?"
This usually happens when your partner, East, doubles (and the double has no other meaning). The double may indicate one of several things. 1) East has a good tenace (e.g. AQ) behind' the dummy's suit....
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Was I wrong to open with a singleton lead in this situation?
At matchpoint duplicate bridge, not vulnerable vrrsus vulnerable, and sitting West, I held
♠ AK32
♡ J643
♢ 6
♣ JT82
Partner (East) opened one heart, South overcalled one spade, I raised to two hearts,...
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4
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Should I have balanced in the following situation?
We are vulnerable, the opponents not, at matchpoint duplicate. South opened one spade. West and North passed. I am sitting East with the following: (s) x (h) 9xxxxx (d) Kx (c) ATxx. (All x's are 7 or ...
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Would you pass this 13 high card point hand?
At my duplicate bridge club, with both sides vulnerable, some Souths dealt, and passed with this 13 point hand:
♠ AJx
♡ Axxx
♢ QT9
♣ Qxx (All x's are 7 or lower.)
The hand's main drawback is its 4-3-...
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