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INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE

 

LESSON 2

 

OPENING BIDS WITH UNBALANCED HANDS

 

 

Considerations:  -  These hands are unbalanced; i.e., they contain at least one or more voids, one or more

                               Singletons, and/or more than one doubleton.  Note that in this instance, since a

                               No Trump contract is not being considered, distributional points do count; i.e., 2

                               Points for a singleton, 1 Point for a doubleton, and 3 Points for a void.  Remember, if, and

                               when, a Golden Fit is found, a Singleton advances to a worth of 3 Points, a Doubleton             

                               remains at a value of 1 Point, and a Void advances to a worth of 5 Points.

 

 

General Bidding Ranges:

 

a.      0-12    HCP’s   Points - Pass (Exception: if the Rule of 20 is satisfied, one may and probably  

                                     should open a 10-12 HCP hand in the first or second position)

 

b.         13    HCP’s   Points - Must open 1 of a suit with either a good 5-card Major or else a preferred   

                                     Minor (Note: In this instance Rule of 20 will always be satisfied)

 

          c.  14-15    HCP’s   Points - Must open 1 of a suit and rebid any of the following:

 

(1)   Rebid 1 No Trump

(2)   Rebid one’s own suit evidencing a 6-card Major or a 5-card Minor

(3)   Raise partner one level in his/her responding suit

(4)   Pass only if responding partner has made a limited bid of either 2 of opener’s suit or 1 NT

(5)   Pass if opponent to opener’s right (RHO) has made an intervening overcall, said bid affording opener’s responder another opportunity to bid if he/she so chooses

 

e.      16-18 Points - Open 1 of a suit and rebid:

 

(1)   Jump in opener’s suit if holding 6 or more cards in opener’s suit

(2)   Jump in partner’s suit if support for partner is present

(3)   Present a reverse bid (Ex:  1H   2D)  or  (Ex: 1S   2H)

                                         2S                          3C

f.       19 Points or More - Open 1 of a suit and Jump Shift into a second suit

 

g.      21 Points (With a 7-card suit)

      23 Points (With a 6-card suit)          =   Open “2C” (These are Minimum Requirements)

      25 Points (With a 5-card suit)

 

         If opener has more than one good long suit to show, it is usually beneficial to open one of a suit and jump-shift into the second suit as opposed to opening “2C” which, in effect, cuts out one-level of bidding space for the opening team.   Also note: the “2C” artificial, strong, opening is also forcing, and can never be passed by responder, no matter how weak he/she may be, even with 0-7 HCP’s a response of “2D” (Negative) must be given.