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Bridge & other card games/Questions Answered by Expert Unhunk
| Subject | Date Asked |
| convenient minor bids | 5/26/2012 |
| Q: Is it permissible to open with a convnmenient minor if you are not the opening bidder? A: If you are the first person to bid (either because you are the dealer or else because the players ... | |
| Marathon Schedule | 5/24/2012 |
| Q: Do you have a Bridge Marathon Schedule for 20 players who change partners and play 19 games so that ... A: Below is a rotation for 20 individual players each playing with a different partner each time. The ... | |
| Demand bids in bridge | 5/21/2012 |
| Q: In demand bids in bridge such as opening bids of 2 clubs, 2 spades, 2 diamonds or 2 hearts, does ... A: If someone makes this type of bid it is possible that he might have enough tricks to make game in ... | |
| Marathon Bridge Schedule | 5/18/2012 |
| Q: 28 Ladies in 14 teams play each other once over 13 periods (about 15 days each). Can you direct me ... A: Here is a rotation for 14 teams in which each pair plays every other pair once. The complete ... | |
| bridge rotation | 5/17/2012 |
| Q: Can you give me a rotation for 20 couples playing regular bridge over 9 months. Okay to play some ... A: Here is a rotation for 20 pairs for nine months. No one plays anyone else twice. Month ... | |
| bridge rotaion schedule | 5/16/2012 |
| Q: Read through a lot of your rotation answers, but couldn't find one exactly right. I am looking for ... A: Here is a rotation for 12 pairs over 8 months with different hosts. It may not be perfect but it is ... | |
| marathon rotation | 5/13/2012 |
| Q: Do you have a rotation schedule for 8 couples over 7 months? A: Here is a rotation for 8 pairs over a period of 7 months with everyone playing everyone else exactly ... | |
| Bridge question | 5/12/2012 |
| Q: North opens with four hearts (game). East doubles (she has 20 points and can set it). The question ... A: This is usually a takeout double over a preempt 4H. Many pairs play that when the opponents preempt ... | |
| Bidding | 5/12/2012 |
| Q: As opener not vulnerable I held the following: KQJxxxx Axx xx x What would you bid? Would you ... A: I would open 1S with this hand as it contains only 6 losers and you may very well miss a game if you ... | |
| contract bridge rules | 5/10/2012 |
| Q: cards are dealt by wrong dealer then correct dealer looks at their hand and declares misdeal. Is ... A: No, this is not allowed. Once the cards have been dealt the deal stands as it is. According to Law 9 ... | |
| honors | 5/6/2012 |
| Q: Can bonus points be counted if the 4 honor cards are in the dummy hand? Thanks. A: Honors can be claimed wherever they are located so long as they are all in one hand. For holding ... | |
| Transfers in Party Bridge | 5/4/2012 |
| Q: In duplicate transfers are announced by the declarer after partner has bid. (1 NT, 2 Hearts, 2 ... A: The announcement of transfers is required in duplicate bridge but whether or not to employ them in a ... | |
| Free Bid Whist Card Game | 5/3/2012 |
| Q: If you could please help me find free software or a website that I can interact with to improve my ... A: As far as I can tell, games.com has a free single player online whist game. Another site is ... | |
| Response to a 2 Club opening | 5/3/2012 |
| Q: North has 24 points which includes 4 aces and 1 king; North opens with a strong 2 Club bid. East ... A: If responder has something special to say, for example a hand with 8 or more points plus a 5 card or ... | |
| Response to a 2 Club opening | 5/2/2012 |
| Q: North has 24 points which includes 4 aces and 1 king; North opens with a strong 2 Club bid. East ... A: I have no idea what the North South hands are other than the number of points. They each might have ... | |
| revoke rule | 5/2/2012 |
| Q: I recently played a game where there was a dispute concerning the implications of the revoke rule. ... A: Law 81 states Observance of Laws and Regulations The Director applies and is bound by these Laws ... | |
| interference bid over a 1NT by opponent | 5/1/2012 |
| Q: How many points do I need to intefere? Can I bid 2C to ask my partner to give me a 4 card major? ... A: If an opponent bids 1NT he shows a strong hand containing 15-17 points. Therefore it could be risky ... | |
| Bridge Bidding | 4/28/2012 |
| Q: Playing 2/1 GF this is the auction: 1C:1S 3C:3S 1. Is 3S forcing? 2. Can responder hold 5-spades or ... A: The way it is generally played the 3C bid can be passed but once responder follows with another bid ... | |
| revoke rule | 4/27/2012 |
| Q: I recently played a game where there was a dispute concerning the implications of the revoke rule. ... A: Assume you arrive in a contract of 7S. The opening lead is a diamond which you can ruff in your hand ... | |
| Rotations for bridge | 4/27/2012 |
| Q: I have 40 people - 10 tables - to play bridge. Do you have a rotation for 10 tables? A: Below is a link to a movement for 40 bridge players. There are 10 separate Table cards 1-10, one ... | |
| revoke rule | 4/26/2012 |
| Q: I recently played a game where there was a dispute concerning the implications of the revoke rule. ... A: The laws concerning a revoke are fairly explicit. Although Law 64C does state the following ... | |
| Duplicate bridge | 4/25/2012 |
| Q: After bidding and the start of play, it was discovered that the hands had not been dealt correctly. ... A: According to Law 13 of the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, once the bidding has begun and a player who has ... | |
| response to 1 of a minor | 4/20/2012 |
| Q: If I open 1 Club and left hand opponent overcalls 1 Heart, what do you bid with the following hand? ... A: If, as most people do, you and your partner agree to play "weak jump shifts" in competitive auction ... | |
| Card to Play | 4/18/2012 |
| Q: 2 questions if permitted: Contract is 3NT and opponent leads the 8 H Dummy has 10 x x x and plays ... A: If the opposing hearts are divided 4-3 it makes no difference what declarer does so we need to ... | |
| Bidding question | 4/17/2012 |
| Q: My partner opened 1 club. I had 21 points and was going to open 2 clubs. I bid 2 NT to show my big ... A: It's possible that partner didn't have a suit when he bid 3NT (he actually did but you didn't know ... | |
| marathon bridge question | 4/12/2012 |
| Q: I have 40 people for this marathon. Do you have a rotation schedule for 10 tables - playing for 9 ... A: The answer I gave divides the 40 people (20 pairs) into 10 distinct tables. Each of the lines ... | |
| marathon bridge question | 4/12/2012 |
| Q: I have 40 people for this marathon. Do you have a rotation schedule for 10 tables - playing for 9 ... A: You have ten tables. Below is a rotation where each table gets paired with every other table over a ... | |
| Opening bid and rebid | 4/8/2012 |
| Q: You hold: Axx x KT9x AT9xx. Assume that you open this hand in 1st seat and responder bids 1H, do ... A: This is a hand type that is not handled well by standard bidding systems. Depending on what partner ... | |
| which honour should I play? | 4/7/2012 |
| Q: Playing a suit contract, declarer leads a small card to try and set up a side suit in dummy who has ... A: When following suit with a holding such as QJ the majority of players follow with the card that they ... | |
| 2NT Competitive or Invitational | 3/26/2012 |
| Q: In this bidding sequence 1D(S) 1H(W) X(Neg-N) P(E) 1NT(S) 2H(W) 2NT(N) is the 2NT competitive or ... A: The 2NT bid is invitational showing 11-12 or so points. This is really quite sensible since a) ... | |
| Responder's rebid | 3/25/2012 |
| Q: N. E. S. W 1s ... A: What you said about the 2 level and 3 level is true if Opener has shown a minimum hand such as in ... | |
| follow-up bidding to 2C opener | 3/24/2012 |
| Q: I opened 2C (Game forcing) and my partner answered 2D (negative 0-7 points). I then bid 2H showing ... A: Both of these are game-forcing (especially since one of the bids is game!). According to the ... | |
| revokes | 3/23/2012 |
| Q: during play of hand, my partner either trumps or sluffs on a suit played. Can i ask her if she is ... A: According to Law 61 of the Laws of Contract Bridge Any player may ask a player who has failed to ... | |
| renege penalties | 3/22/2012 |
| Q: What happens if a player has played the wrong card and it is not discovered for several tricks ... A: A revoke becomes established when the offender or his partner leads or plays to the following trick. ... | |
| contract bridge | 3/16/2012 |
| Q: what is the penalty for alerting your partner you have a partial score during the bidding? A: There is no specific penalty mandated for such an action. However, it is a breach of bridge ... | |
| Party bridge table talk and scoring | 3/12/2012 |
| Q: I belong to a group that plays party bridge. Whenever I have played in party bridge groups, table ... A: It depends what you mean by table talk. Certainly in a social atmosphere people may converse and be ... | |
| REVOKE | 3/12/2012 |
| Q: A Revoke happened when the 6th trick was played and won by the revoking side. At trick 8 revoke was ... A: According to Law 64 of the Laws of Contract Bridge, when an established revoke causes damage to the ... | |
| renege | 3/10/2012 |
| Q: If the opp has reneged and it is caught by me can it be pointed out and reviewed after the next card ... A: According to Laws 42 and 43 of the Laws of Contract Bridge, during the play of the hand, dummy may ... | |
| Info on claiming | 3/2/2012 |
| Q: There was a claim made and dealer claimed all but 2 tricks making his contract, but on further ... A: If declarer makes a claim and does not state a specific line of play then he may only adopt a ... | |
| 1/4 board | 3/1/2012 |
| Q: what is a/4 of BOARD penalty> A: Playing duplicate bridge, the maximum number of matchpoint that a pair can earn in each board ... | |
| Jacoby Transfer | 2/29/2012 |
| Q: You say that after North says 2D, South immediately says "transfer" and after East passes, South ... A: My explanation is correct. The purpose of the Transfer announcement is to supply East with full ... | |
| Open this hand ? | 2/28/2012 |
| Q: Non vul 1st seat. Would you open this hand ? S - Q J 9 8 H - K 9 8 5 3 D - Void C - A 10 9 2 ... A: I would consider this hand borderline. It obviously has only 10 high card points but it is a 6 loser ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 2/24/2012 |
| Q: I have 23 points in my hand. 4A-1K-2Q's. Distribution is 4-2-4-3. I will open 2NT. Chances are ... A: As a general rule in order to ask for kings you need to ask for aces first. If you hold all the ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 2/19/2012 |
| Q: Partner opens 2NT. I have 8 clubs in my hand,2 honors(Q,J),and 6 HCP's. What should I respond? ... A: Slam might be reasonable if partner's points are primarily aces and kings but would not be such a ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 2/16/2012 |
| Q: Opener opens 1S,you are LHO and you have 6S in hand,11 or 12 HCP's, 6-1-3-3 distribution. Would you ... A: Passing is really your only option. A double would not be a penalty double, it would be for takeout, ... | |
| strong and good suit? | 2/12/2012 |
| Q: I enjoy your answers,and find them informative and helpful,my question is;could you refresh my ... A: There is no hard and fast rule defining a strong suit. Generally it is a suit that has strong trick ... | |
| Opening Bids | 2/4/2012 |
| Q: My partner opened with a one heart bid. They had 18 points with 6 hearts. First opponent passed. I ... A: If you and your partner are playing the British ACOL system then perhaps partner should have opened ... | |
| response to a convenient minor | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: If the opener is bidding a convenient minor because they do not have a 5 card major and the partner ... A: No bidding system is "wrong" or "right" but players tend to adopt the systems that seem to be the ... | |
| Interpreting a bid | 1/29/2012 |
| Q: South,opens with "1 diamond". West passes. North[has a strong hand of 12 points] bids "3 clubs", ... A: With 10 or more points a 2C response is sufficient since opener is forced to bid again. With 18 or ... | |
| bridge laws | 1/28/2012 |
| Q: final contract is 2 spades; if opponents throw in before dummy opens, or, if they throw in when ... A: If a defender just throws in his hand at any point without making any statement, he is conceding all ... | |
| Interpreting a bid | 1/27/2012 |
| Q: South,opens with "1 diamond". West passes. North[has a strong hand of 12 points] bids "3 clubs", ... A: A bid of 3 clubs is a jump shift. It would show a very strong hand of at least 18 points, a good ... | |
| transfers | 1/26/2012 |
| Q: please explain when and how to play transfers A: The following article clearly explains the basics of Jacoby Transfers. ... | |
| bridge penalties | 1/26/2012 |
| Q: in contract bridge, the opener makes a bid of 2 diamonds, next there is a no bid, the partner bids 1 ... A: According to Law 27 of the Laws of Contract Bridge, the original insufficient bid may be corrected ... | |
| Bridge | 1/24/2012 |
| Q: My partner bids 1D after 2 passes. LHO overcalls 2C. I have S1063,HQ1085,Dq108,CA73. May I bid 2H ... A: You do not have sufficient values to bid 2H. This bid would require a five card heart suit and at ... | |
| How to record the score with a reneg | 1/19/2012 |
| Q: The situation is E-W vulnerable. N-S win the bidding at 3 Hearts. West renegs and trumps a diamond ... A: Your first statement is correct. N-S gets 90 below the line and 60 above the line. No game and no ... | |
| bridge play | 1/19/2012 |
| Q: It is a suit contract and I have a 10/2 in diamonds. I lead the 10. Partner has K/Q/J/9 of ... A: Assuming that the defenders feel it best to continue diamonds even if declarer decides not to take ... | |
| bidding | 1/15/2012 |
| Q: I have 6 spades with AKJ and 6 hearts, also with AKJ, a singleton K of diamonds and a void in clubs. ... A: I have no problem with your jump shift. It sets up a game forcing auction and expresses interest in ... | |
| responding in bridge | 1/14/2012 |
| Q: My partner opens 1S. His LHO passes. I have 4 pts. and one Sp. How do I respond? A: There are many different 4 point hands and I have no idea which one you had, However, you should ... | |
| BRIDGE ROTATIONS | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: I HAVE 12 BRIDGE TEAMS AND NEED A ROTATION FOR 10 MONTHS. TWO TEAMS WILL NOT PLAY EACH OTHER. ... A: Below is a rotation for 12 teams over a period of 10 months. Every team plays ten of the other teams ... | |
| rubber and chicargo bridge | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: When bidding - if somebody bids 2 diamonds and says oops sorry I meant 2 hearts or vice versa or ... A: According to Law 24 of the Laws of Contract Bridge A player may substitute his intended call for an ... | |
| PLAY ROTATIONS | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: I HAVE 10 TEAMS AND NEED A ROTATION TO PLAY EACH OTHER OVER A NINE MONTH PERIOD. THANKS FOR THE ... A: Here is a rotation for 10 teams to play each other over a nine month period. Month Pairings ... | |
| 2 NT--a demand bid? | 1/5/2012 |
| Q: I recently had a 20 pt hand with stoppers in every suit. I bid 2 NT thinking it was a demand bid. ... A: 2NT does indeed show a balanced hand with 20-21 high card points. However, it is not a demand bid. ... | |
| Correct response to a minor opening bid | 12/27/2011 |
| Q: We play convenient minors. South opens with 1 Club and 13 points. South has AK986 C, A1082 Hearts, ... A: Responding in a new suit only requires 5 or6 high card points. Responding in a new suit at the two ... | |
| Correct response to a minor opening bid | 12/27/2011 |
| Q: We play convenient minors. South opens with 1 Club and 13 points. South has AK986 C, A1082 Hearts, ... A: North should make a negative double. At the one level this shows 6 or more points and usually ... | |
| matter of revoke | 12/26/2011 |
| Q: If you bid 5 clubs and actually only make 3 tricks but the defending opponents revoked -- can you ... A: I assume you made more than 3 tricks. You probably meant to say that you made 3 clubs (nine tricks). ... | |
| Partnership Rotation | 12/16/2011 |
| Q: My wife has a group of 12 women that play once a month. She is a silver master and instructor and ... A: The following rotation has each player playing every other player once. The complete rotation lasts ... | |
| Responder's point range | 12/11/2011 |
| Q: When responding one over one it is said that the responder's point count range is 6-20 points and ... A: If you follow the Karen Walker argument then you need a 5 card suit in order to satisfy her ... | |
| bidding | 12/11/2011 |
| Q: My partner cannot agree on the correct bid. North has SPADE 3, HEARTS A K J 4 3, DIAMONDS A Q J 6 2, ... A: Your partner is correct, you should have bid 2H. Partner's 2D bid has not yet promised any more ... | |
| bidding | 12/10/2011 |
| Q: what is a 2 nt bid over a 2 h weak opening bid signify? the bidder claims it was the unusual nt. we ... A: Minor suit transfers may be made on both weak, invitational or strong hands. With a weak hand such ... | |
| bidding | 12/10/2011 |
| Q: what is a 2 nt bid over a 2 h weak opening bid signify? the bidder claims it was the unusual nt. we ... A: When an opponent makes a weak 2 bid, your 2NT should show a good 15 to 18 high card points with at ... | |
| Correction of previous question asked | 12/9/2011 |
| Q: The question I sent earlier corrected: The bidding proceeded like this: South (1C), West (Pass), ... A: There is no "correct" answer. Different partnerships may have different agreements (although most ... | |
| Correct minor opening bid | 12/8/2011 |
| Q: Opener has 14 points. The hand has 3 diamonds, 2 clubs, 4 hearts, 4 spades. We play "Convenient ... A: You are correct. The opening bid should be one diamond. If you do not have a 5 card major nor the ... | |
| Bridge rotation | 11/19/2011 |
| Q: Please help with a bridge rotation for party bridge. We have 14 couples playing 4 rounds with 8 ... A: The only thing I can provide is a rotation for 14 pairs in which each pair plays every other pair ... | |
| Marathon bridge rotation | 11/18/2011 |
| Q: We're forming a couples marathon bridge group with 12 teams. We want to play once monthly, with each ... A: Sorry for the confusion. What I mean to convey is that for Month number 1...the first line...12-1 ... | |
| Marathon bridge rotation | 11/15/2011 |
| Q: We're forming a couples marathon bridge group with 12 teams. We want to play once monthly, with each ... A: Here is a rotation for 12 pairs, each pair playing every other pair once over 11 months. Month 1 ... | |
| Best opening lead | 11/12/2011 |
| Q: What yould you lead following this bidding sequence with the following hand? North dealer. P 1D 1NT ... A: Although partner could be short in diamonds, the probability is that he will have at least a 4 card ... | |
| Competing without support | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: The bidding proceded in the following fashion with North dealer, neither side vulnerable P 1D X P 2C ... A: I would pass at this point. You have taken three bids without any support or encouragement from ... | |
| Responding to 1 or 2 NT opening bids | 11/8/2011 |
| Q: I play Stayman and transfers. 1.How many points should a responder have to bid Stayman? 2.How many ... A: People who don't play transfers would just respond naturally. The disadvantage is that the weak hand ... | |
| Bidding | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: My partner had the following opening hand Void 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3 AK3 6-5 Would you make a bid? A: There are different schools of thought comcerning preempts. Some people advocate a disciplined style ... | |
| Responding to 1 or 2 NT opening bids | 11/4/2011 |
| Q: I play Stayman and transfers. 1.How many points should a responder have to bid Stayman? 2.How many ... A: Assuming that your opening 1NT bid is 15-17 high card points responder should have a minimum of a ... | |
| Table Rotation | 11/3/2011 |
| Q: I need a table rotation for 10 couples at 5 tables. Couples stay together for 6 rotations. Thankk ... A: I really am not sure exactly what you want. The only thing I can give you is a rotation for 10 pairs ... | |
| Bridge prevent bidding too high | 10/28/2011 |
| Q: I would really appreciate info on how to prevent bidding too high. I say to my partner "no fit, no ... A: If you know or seriously suspect you have a misfit you should stop bidding as soon as possible. If ... | |
| Transfer to show 4.5, 5.4, 55 in Majors | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: How use Transfer to show 4.5; 5.4; 55; in Majors? Thankyou, Bernard A: You need to use the Stayman Convention as well as transfers. I assume your 1NT opening is 15-17. ... | |
| bridge | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: NORTH HOLDS S=3,2 H=J,4 D=0 C=A,3 EAST HOLDS S=0 H=10,5,3 D=Q,6 C=6 SOUTH HOLDS S=0 H=A,K,6 D=10,9 ... A: South first plays the ace of hearts and drops the jack under it. South then ruffs a diamond in the ... | |
| ILLEGAL BID | 10/25/2011 |
| Q: A BID WAS MADE AFTER THE THREE PREVIOUS PLAYERS HAD PASSED. NONE OF THE PLAYERS CALLED ATTENTION TO ... A: Paraphrasing to Law 35 of the Laws of Contract Bridge Regarding a call or bid that is made after ... | |
| Is "1 Club" a DEMAND BID? | 10/20/2011 |
| Q: North opens with 1 club; East passes, and South (having only 5 points) also passes. North and ... A: South is correct that in the Standard American bidding system 1 club is not a demand bid and ... | |
| Individual tournament for 8 players | 10/17/2011 |
| Q: I'm organizing a (hopefully fun) bridge match for 8 of us, and we will all partner each other. I ... A: The individual idea using the movement you found seems fine. You could have seven rounds of 4 boards ... | |
| bridge penalties | 10/17/2011 |
| Q: what is the penalty for a renege in bridge? A: A revoke is established as soon as either member of the offending side leads or plays to the next ... | |
| Hand re-evaluation | 10/16/2011 |
| Q: I understand that after a suit is established as the trump suit, the responder should re-evaluate ... A: The following are suggestions from national expert and author Marty Bergen Bergen Point Count ... | |
| Bidding question | 10/13/2011 |
| Q: North opens 2D (weak) I,(East), double with S-QJ, H-Q J 10 9, C-A 7 4 and C-K 9 8 7. South bids 3D. ... A: Given that you doubled 2D (a call which is marginal at best given your doubleton spade, three card ... | |
| forcing or not forcing | 10/11/2011 |
| Q: As a dealer you open 1D your partner bids 1H and your right hand apponent bid 1S. Are you forced to ... A: Since partner will definitely have another chance to bid, you are certainly allowed to pass in this ... | |
| Takeout or Penalty | 10/8/2011 |
| Q: I am sitting South with one high card point and very balanced distribution. West opens 1 Club and my ... A: In most cases when the original takeout doubler makes a second double in this type of situation ... | |
| Renege | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: My partner and I were north-south in a game of duplicate. West had the bid and the lead and she ... A: Actually, if a revoke is discovered before the start of the next trick, it must be corrected by the ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: On the 8 week 20 person 5 location rotation, is there a *Host* rotation for each location each week? A: Here is one rotation for eight weeks Week Location 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 ... | |
| partner's response after a 1 club opener | 9/29/2011 |
| Q: We play convenient minors, strong 2 Clubs, and weak 2 bids. My partner,the opener, opens with 14 ... A: The 1C bid was fine. However a 2D response does not show a 10 point hand. It is a strong jump shift ... | |
| Open Minor in 3rd Seat | 9/28/2011 |
| Q: Please send me a good routine for RESPONDING to the opening of a Minor in THIRD SEAT. Thank you ... A: Responding to a third seat opening of one of a minor is basically the same as responding to one of a ... | |
| 8 Week Brige Marathon Rotation for 20 people | 9/27/2011 |
| Q: Can you send me the rotation for 20 players, playing each week for 8 weeks in 5 different locations. ... A: Usually it's arguments at the bridge table that break up marriages. Anyway, it's not easy to find a ... | |
| revoke penalty | 9/25/2011 |
| Q: I am in a 3 NT contract. I am running clubs. My opponent eventually fails to follow suit until the ... A: Law 64C of the Laws addessses this issue. In duplicate bridge the law states When, after any ... | |
| answer to 1 nt | 9/25/2011 |
| Q: my partner opened with 1 nt. I had opening points {just} and 5 hearts to the ace. I ... A: Sorry to be the one to have to tell you but you were wrong. Using transfer bids allows you to make ... | |
| Bidding | 9/24/2011 |
| Q: Opener has 13 points and opens with a convenient minor of 1 Club. LHO has 21 points, which includes ... A: I cannot give a definitive answer without knowing the exact hand. Generally, though, assuming the ... | |
| bridge renege | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: at bridge tournament ,bid was 2 diamonds not Vul,renigue was caught 2 tricks after...they did not ... A: When applying the penalty, the contract remains unchanged. If there is a 2 trick penalty, and the ... | |
| marathon bridge | 9/14/2011 |
| Q: We have ten teams and each team plays 8 times from Oct. to May. We cannnot seem to make the schedule ... A: The schedule below is a complete rotation for 10 teams over a nine month period. If you only have ... | |
| bridge bidding | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: Holding Spades AKxx, Diamonds AKJxxx, Clubs Jxx. Right hand opponent opens 2 Spades (weak) what ... A: This looks like a 3D bid to me. Doubling or bidding 2NT is not advisable with your heart void. If ... | |
| asking questions out of turn | 9/9/2011 |
| Q: If North opens 1C (and South alerts) can West ask question out of turn - or does he have to wait his ... A: Ask only at your turn to call. This is actually a solid rule. If it's partner's turn to call and ... | |
| bridge bidding | 9/7/2011 |
| Q: What do I bid if my partner opens 1nt and I hold 5 cards in each major. what is the proper bid. we ... A: It depends how strong or weak your hand is. With 7 or fewer points there are a few possible ... | |
| Bridge | 9/6/2011 |
| Q: I opened 3 clubs with (7 clubs 3 hearts and 3 diamonds) and a void in spades. Hand is valued under ... A: There are a number of methods in use to respond to Blackwood with a void. One method is the ... | |
| no trump honors | 9/2/2011 |
| Q: Does the person bidding no trump first have to have all 4 aces to receive the 150 honor points or ... A: Honors can be claimed wherever they are located so long as they are all in one hand. For holding ... | |
| Reverse bids | 9/1/2011 |
| Q: Playing 2/1 South has 17 points Bidding was S- 1D, W- 2C, N-2H,E - P, S - 2S. I thought the 2S by ... A: In a typical reverse auction, for example 1D-P=1S=P=2H, responder only needs 5 or 6 points to be ... | |
| penalty doubles | 8/24/2011 |
| Q: I a double of a 3S opening bid for takeout or penalty? I was taught that all doubles thru 3S are ... A: You were taught correctly. In modern bridge bidding all doubles of opening bids through at least 3 ... | |
| bridge rotation | 8/23/2011 |
| Q: I need a bridge rotation for 9 months with 16 couples. Each couple should not play another couple ... A: Below is one rotation for 16 pairs over 9 months/ Month 1 16-1 15-2 14-3 13-4 12-5 11-6 ... | |
| overcalls | 8/20/2011 |
| Q: My husband and I have been playing bridge together for a while now - we play Acol - and try to keep ... A: If your understanding is that the overcall requires at least a five card suit and you are truly ... | |
| Rotation schedule | 8/19/2011 |
| Q: We have 16 couples in our bridge group. Four couples play in four different homes once a month for ... A: A full rotation would last for 15 months. Over seven months it is difficult to mix things up very ... | |
| scheduling | 8/17/2011 |
| Q: can you help me? A: If you have 16 teams and each of the teams plays all 15 other teams twice then each team has to play ... | |
| different bidding | 8/17/2011 |
| Q: My partner bid 2 clubs, is this a weak bid or a strong bid A: In the Standard American bidding system a 2 club opening bid is always strong. It does not say ... | |
| revoke played out of turn | 8/9/2011 |
| Q: How does a TD adjudicate a revoke played out of turn (OOT)? Presumably it will not be an established ... A: I actually consulted with a regional tournament director and, although the situation was new to him, ... | |
| revoke played out of turn | 8/7/2011 |
| Q: How does a TD adjudicate a revoke played out of turn (OOT)? Presumably it will not be an established ... A: As you surmise, the exposed card (by defender I presume) would be considered a major penalty card. ... | |
| Responder's point range | 8/5/2011 |
| Q: When responding one over one it is said that the responder's point count range is 6-20 points and ... A: Let me first say that even if the point count of a non jump response were limited to 16 points, the ... | |
| Transfer | 8/4/2011 |
| Q: Jacoby transfer has become very common. Is it still alerted by the NT opener as transfer? A: The NT opener is still required to announce "Transfer" (technically not the same as an alert) when ... | |
| bridge rotations | 8/3/2011 |
| Q: Do u have a rotation for 28 coples for 8 months A: Below is a rotation for 28 pairs for 8 months. The month is on the left. Month 1 28-1 27-2 26-3 ... | |
| bridge rotations | 8/2/2011 |
| Q: Do u have a rotations for 14couples for 8 months A: The following is a rotation for 14 pairs for 8 months. Month 1 14-1 13-2 12-3 11-4 10-5 ... | |
| Claiming | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: I was declarer at 6 diamonds. The opening lead was the ace of spades, which won. I had the king on ... A: According to Law 69 The objective of subsequent play is to achieve a result as equitable as ... | |
| Bridge rotations for odd numbers of teams | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: I have 17 bridge teams that would like to play marathon bridge as two distinct groups over 9 months ... A: It is obviously necessary for one team to have a bye each month. After 8 months there will have been ... | |
| Forcing Bids | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: I know that an opponent bidding after a "takeout-dbl" releases partner from having to respond. Does ... A: The first two examples are definitely game forcing. Even a 3D bid by responder would be forcing for ... | |
| D.O.N.T Convention Bidding | 7/8/2011 |
| Q: After a D.O.N.T bid showing two long suits, advancer will pass if he has the suit partner bid. How ... A: After a 2C, 2D or 2H overcall, the meanings of partner's bids are: Pass = He's content to play in ... | |
| Bridge pairings | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: I have 12 teams of 2 players. We play once per month for 8 months. Each team plays 3 other teams ... A: A complete rotation for 12 teams with each team playing every other team once is ginen below. It ... | |
| Instances where opener must bid again | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: When a responder changes suit the opener must bid again--right? When an opener opens with a strong 2 ... A: If responder changes suit, for example 1club-1 heart, he can have up to as many as 18 points. ... | |
| To overcall or simply pass | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: North has 13 points and 5 hearts so opens with a bid of "1 heart". East has opening points and bids ... A: You should definitely not bid 2 spades. A 2S bid in this situation requires at least 10 points and a ... | |
| Bridge leads | 7/2/2011 |
| Q: When the contract has been established and opposition leads card face down must I place my hand as ... A: The card is turned face up before dummy is put down. At duplicate bridge, it is a requirement that ... | |
| scoring a misdeal | 6/30/2011 |
| Q: Assume the cards are dealt, the hand is played, but on the last trick a player had 14 cards and ... A: According to Law 10(c)(ii) of the Laws of Contract Bridge there must be a redeal if, before play has ... | |
| Marathon rotation | 6/29/2011 |
| Q: I desperately need a rotation for 11 and 12 teams for 9 months of play--is there a way that instead ... A: Below is a rotation for 12 teams. Since the complete rotation spans eleven months I have included ... | |
| Bidding | 6/28/2011 |
| Q: Would like to know what a bid "2 over 1 means" And would like to see an example if possible. A: 2 over 1 simply refers to a response on the two level after partner makes an opening bid on the one ... | |
| Ruling | 6/24/2011 |
| Q: South is in 3NT. East leads queen of Hearts at the same time West leads 8 of Spades what is the ... A: A number of laws apply. First Law 58 A lead or play made simultaneously with another player's ... | |
| prempt after oponent opens a major. | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: the opponent on my right deals and opens one spade. I have a preemptive hand in diamonds and want ... A: It depends on what your hand is and on the vulnerability. Both bids, 3D and 4D would be preempts in ... | |
| bidding in bridge | 6/20/2011 |
| Q: My partner opened 2NT. I held 5 clubs to the 10, QJx in diamonds, 4 hearts to the 10 and singleton ... A: First of all, if your partner opened 2NT then the rest of the auction makes no sense. If you ... | |
| Playing the wrong card | 6/15/2011 |
| Q: What is the penalty for not following suit? A: If you become aware of it before the trick is completed or before a member of the offending side ... | |
| open 1 spade or 2 spades? | 6/15/2011 |
| Q: My RHO opens the bidding with 1 of another suit. I have 13 points and no suit to bid but clubs. I ... A: They are called "weak two bids" for a reason. These bids describe a hand with a maximum of 11 points ... | |
| takeout double | 6/13/2011 |
| Q: if my opponent on my left opens with a 1 club & I have his clubs & opening,but my other suits are ... A: Since I don't know exactly what is in your hand it's hard to tell you what you should bid. In ... | |
| bridge | 6/8/2011 |
| Q: opener 1NT; response 2C; opener 2H; response 4NT...is this 4NT quantitative? wouldn't 4C mean ... A: In this auction 4NT should be quantitative denying a heart fit. 4C is Gerber (1430 keycard if you ... | |
| Bidding | 6/8/2011 |
| Q: My partner opens 3 Spades and the next person passes. I have the following: - AKxxx AQJxx Axx ... A: I would bid 4S. First of all, you should play in spades. In 3NT, for example, because of your spade ... | |
| Cue bidding for no trump contract | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: The following bidding sequence occurred between North(dealer) and south. 1C 2D 3D 3S 4D 5D. North ... A: 1. I assume you were asking about the 3S bid. The 2S bid should be telling partner that you have ... | |
| BRIDGE ON A RENGE | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: THE CONTRACT BID HAS BEEN DOUBLED. THEY HAVE GONE DOWN ONE TRICK. THEN A RENEGE OCCURS. DOES THE ... A: The final bid contract including the double does not change. If a revoke occurs, the offending side ... | |
| Bridge hand | 6/5/2011 |
| Q: My oponient said 1 diamonds.I bid next. I have 7 points and 6 harts. 1 queen and 1 jack of harts. do ... A: You did not say whether you have 7 high card points or 7 points including distribution. In any ... | |
| Jacoby transfers | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: When bidding a Jacoby transfer, which partner (the one requesting the transfer bid OR the one ... A: Transfers need to be announced at ACBL tournaments and club games. As soon as the transfer request ... | |
| Bridge rules | 5/29/2011 |
| Q: 1. Dealer overturns one of my cards when dealing. I objected, and requested a redeal, she felt ok ... A: 1. You are correct. According to Law 10(a)(i) There must be a redeal if, before the last card has ... | |
| honors points | 5/28/2011 |
| Q: If a person bids a suit can the opponents claim honors points A: Honors can be claimed wherever they are located so long as they are all in one hand. For holding ... | |
| 12 man bridge rotation | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: I have tally cards for 12 people to play regular bridge, but would prefer to play "duplicate". Is ... A: http://userpages.monmouth.com/~colonel/bridge/t3-5-15.pdf The link is for table cards resulting in ... | |
| rotation | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: can you give me a rotation for five players? A: Here is a rotation over 15 sessions. Each session can consist of either a rubber or, better and ... | |
| Bridge | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: Is it a good idea to lead trump if game is decided in opponents second suit? Is it a good idea to ... A: The primary reason to lead trump is to keep declarer from trumping otherwise losing tricks in his ... | |
| Leading away from a King | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: Why don't you "lead away from a King?" I've heard this advice since I started playing bridge (a ... A: I assume this applies to suit contracts since against notrump the lead that is frequently ... | |
| Penalty for mis played card | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: Contract Bridge. Lay down hand 6 h. 9th trick.In my haste, as I was claiming a laydown, it was ... A: This fall under the laws of a Missing Card resulting from an earlier Defective Trick which in your ... | |
| Having a part score | 5/17/2011 |
| Q: A bid is made and the player to left passes. As the partner of the standing bid is considering her ... A: Communication between partners during the auction and play should be effected only by means of the ... | |
| Bidding | 5/15/2011 |
| Q: I have the following opening hand Qxxxx AQJxxxx x Void What would you bid? A: My preference would be to open 1 heart although a case can be made for opening 4H instead. Bidding ... | |
| ? Misdeal | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: After the 11th trick, the player of the hand announced that there was a card missing in the dummy. ... A: Assuming that you were using a proper and complete deck, then once the play has begun the only time ... | |
| reneg | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: What is the penalty for the declarer when she trumps a club trick and then plays a club the second ... A: According to Law 64 of the Laws of Contract Bridge. When a revoke has become established, (a) if ... | |
| Bridge Competitive Bidding Question (sayc) | 5/7/2011 |
| Q: I was playing with a new online p, we agreed on full sayc. First seat to my right opened 1d, and I ... A: What your new partner told you was pretty close to the mark. First of all you are correct in ... | |
| bidding | 5/6/2011 |
| Q: What is the -preferred way to show a hand that is 6-5 and when is it okay to rebid a 5 card suit. ... A: If the 6 card suit is higher ranking than the 5 card suit bid the 6 card suit first and then bid and ... | |
| 2 club bids | 5/2/2011 |
| Q: My RHO opens the bidding with 1 of another suit. I have 13 points and no suit to bid but clubs. I ... A: Opening bids and overcalls are completely different animals and have completely different rules. As ... | |
| 2 club opening | 5/2/2011 |
| Q: my question is very simple really....I am declarer, I have 23 points......is my opening bid 'stop ... A: It should be "stop 2 clubs". According to the ACBL, the skip bid warning should be used whenever a ... | |
| Bridge: jump cuebid response to takeout double | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: What does the 3D jump cuebid in response to a takeout double mean in this sequence: (1D) Dbl (P) ... A: There are really no standard meanings to these rarely used bids. The method that I play is that ... | |
| bidding question | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: Sorry the last email was sent incomplete. My partner bid 1D, I bid 1H, partner 1S, I responded ... A: The most widely accepted treatment today is to define the 2NT rebid in this auction as showing 11-12 ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 4/10/2011 |
| Q: While playing contract at 3 NT, declarer claimed with six cards left. He would have to lose at least ... A: The first thing that should occur is that the play of the hand should cease and the Director called ... | |
| Claiming Honours | 4/9/2011 |
| Q: Who can claim honours? Is it only the Declarer? A: Honors can be claimed wherever they are located so long as they are all in one hand. For holding ... | |
| bidding out of turn | 4/9/2011 |
| Q: Tonight when playing bridge (not duplicate) one person opened the bidding with 3 diamonds. She was ... A: When your partner opens out of turn, here are the steps: 1. Bidder's LHO has the option to accept ... | |
| Leaping Michaels | 4/8/2011 |
| Q: In the following auction, could the last bid be considered Leaping Michaels? 1 D - P - 3D ... A: Leaping Michaels is generally defined as a jump to the 4 level over an opening preempt...usually an ... | |
| response to stayman | 4/6/2011 |
| Q: My partner bids 1NT. I have four spades. I bid 2C. My partner bids 2H. What do I do now? Do I ... A: Generally, the Stayman 2C bidder guarantees a 4 card major suit. Therefore, after partner bids 2H ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 3/30/2011 |
| Q: my partner has 23 points seven clubs and no spades. I have 15 points seven spades with A,K,Q 2clubs ... A: Since I don't know what your exact hands are I can't answer for certain but it looks like, to start ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 3/25/2011 |
| Q: My partner opened 1C. The next player overcalled 1H. I had 8 points, with 5 spades to the 9 high, 4 ... A: A two or three-level reverse (where you must go to the 2 or 3-level to show your second suit) shows ... | |
| Signals | 3/25/2011 |
| Q: Spades are trump and we are defending. In the middle of the play of the hand I win a trick and am ... A: I certainly haven't analyzed every possibility but it seems to me that if instead of giving partner ... | |
| Signals | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: Spades are trump and we are defending. In the middle of the play of the hand I win a trick and am ... A: In general signalling can be ambiguous and what is intended by one partner is not always read the ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: My partner opened 1C. The next player overcalled 1H. I had 8 points, with 5 spades to the 9 high, 4 ... A: You should bid 4D and actually your hand is probably good enough to jump to 5D. Your partner is ... | |
| Bridge Opening - 5h, 6d | 3/20/2011 |
| Q: Js AKJ95h AKQ432d 4c My partner opened 1d with this, and we ended up in the wrong contract (3nt, ... A: Technically the correct sequence is to open 1D and then to everse by bidding and then rebidding ... | |
| bridge question | 3/17/2011 |
| Q: With 2 tricks left to play, and our contract already made, the opponent announces she has only one ... A: According to Law 67 of the Laws of Contract Bridge When one player is found, during play, to have ... | |
| Two No Trump Rebid By Opener With Pass By Partner | 3/17/2011 |
| Q: South was dealt the following hand S AKX H AXX D KQX C KXXX. The bidding proceeded 1C 1H P 2H 2NT P ... A: I don't know what North means by "just competitive" but if he means just bidding 2NT for the sake of ... | |
| Bridge Stayman | 3/14/2011 |
| Q: In the bog standard version of Stayman, if I have sufficient points to bid it after my partner's No ... A: There is certainly no requirement that one must bid Stayman holding a four card major. The theory is ... | |
| card game of bridge | 3/14/2011 |
| Q: How should the play proceed when one of the players leads in error? One of our group did not win ... A: The declarer may accept the lead out of turn in which case the play proceeds normally. Most of the ... | |
| interference after 2 club staymen | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: After 1NT opening partner bids 2Clubs, opponents bid 2Hearts. We play lebensohl over direct ... A: One method is as follows. With four spades bid 2S. With fewer than four spades but with a heart ... | |
| Rotation schedule | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: We have 8 couples. 4 couples play in two different houses once a month for 8 months. I have trouble ... A: The following is a rotation for 8 pairs (A-H) in two houses (i and ii), each playing each other once ... | |
| spades reneging | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: Ok so my question will follow the scenario: we are playing spades, spade is lead. one person ... A: There is no need to have to guess when an established revoke has occurred in order to be able to ... | |
| bridge bid | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: How would you bid the following hand. Opener has: clubs: AKQxxxx diamonds: AKQxxx ... A: You must be kidding :-). 6C seems to be the best spot. 7C is not a bad contract either requiring ... | |
| interference after partner opens 2NT | 3/2/2011 |
| Q: When partner's opening bid is 2NT and my RHO bids at the 3 level, how can I inform partner that I ... A: The problem here is that there is too little bidding room to say everything you might want to say ... | |
| party bridge movement | 3/1/2011 |
| Q: Can you give me a rotation for 5 tables and 6 tables of rubber bridge. thanks ANSWER: Hi, I don't ... A: Below is a movement for 20 players labeled A-T. Five tables are i through v. There are 19 rounds. ... | |
| bridge(prempts) | 2/24/2011 |
| Q: When I open a preempt,I have been told that I cannot bid again,regardless of what my opponents ... A: The generalrule that one should follow is that once you preempt, do not bid again unless partner ... | |
| Weak 2-bid responses | 2/23/2011 |
| Q: West opened with auction with a weak 2 hearts. My partner doubled. The opponent passed. I had an ... A: The situation is very similar to responding to a double at the one level. Partner is making a ... | |
| Spades and fourth to bid | 2/23/2011 |
| Q: Is there a rule involving spades governing the bid one makes following three passes? A: In fourth seat after three passes there are various things to consider. Partner has passed, so you ... | |
| Responding after a 2D overcall of partner's opening bid of 2Club | 2/20/2011 |
| Q: My partner opened with 2C, and I was ready to make my 2D waiting bid with 4 points, but East ... A: You should just pass. If you have nothing constructive to say...for example a positive response in ... | |
| Bridge | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: We deal. Apparently we all have 13 cards but at the end ----one does not have the same amount of ... A: The Laws get pretty complicated and involve inspection of previous tricks to determine which, if ... | |
| bidding | 2/17/2011 |
| Q: i bid 1 diamond, opponent bids 2 clubs, my partner bids 2NT. i took that for 10-11 points with a ... A: Neither treatment is right or wrong. Traditional Standard bidding treats the 2NT bid as 13-15 ... | |
| wrong number of cards | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: bid 2 nt - declarer has taken 7 tricks - defense has 4 tricks and when defense takes a trick giving ... A: The deal does not count and the hand must be dealt over by the same dealer. According to Law 10 of ... | |
| Conventions - good bad indifferent!? | 2/15/2011 |
| Q: I'm a bit of a nut in reading about and trying various conventions. The problem is that it seems ... A: I have no data regarding frequency of occurrence of conventions. Sorry. However, you might wish to ... | |
| Take out doubles | 2/9/2011 |
| Q: Bidding is: 1H:D:P:1NT 2H:D:P:P I have 4441 Shape singleton Heart, my partner has 3 HCP ... A: The 1NT bid is definitely ill advised. The requirements for a 1NT response to a takeout double are ... | |
| misdeals - Director's options | 2/8/2011 |
| Q: What are the rules and options for a Director (duplicate bridge session), where the misdeal is not ... A: The result on the board should be canceled and the director should award an adjusted score. This ... | |
| 5 couple rotation | 2/5/2011 |
| Q: Can you give me a five couple rotation or send me to a site? A: The following link gives a movement for 6 pairs (feel free to change the number of boards to suit ... | |
| Bridge | 2/2/2011 |
| Q: EAST WEST HAVE A GAME, AFTER NORTH AND SOUTH HAVE A RUBBER DO EAST AND WEST KEEP THEIR POINTS ... A: After North South win the rubber the scores that both sides earned while the rubber was being played ... | |
| bridge | 1/28/2011 |
| Q: If someone plays two cards because they are stuck togather and don't realize it until the last is ... A: Actually it is pretty complicated. According to Law 67 of the Laws of Contract Bridge When one ... | |
| Bridge pre-empts in majors | 1/28/2011 |
| Q: After an opening bid of 1 NO TRUMPS by South it it correct for East to call a pre-empt of 2 spades ... A: After the opponents open 1NT an overcall of 2S would generally show a good 5 or 6 card spade suit ... | |
| BRIDGE-- RENEGES | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: A Diamond was lead from dummy--the following two players played a club. The forth player played a ... A: If a revoke is caught before the trick is complete, there is no trick penalty. However the incorrect ... | |
| stayman convention | 1/20/2011 |
| Q: My partner bids 1 no trump. I hold 9 points; 4 spades, 6 diamonds and 3 clubs. Can I respond with ... A: You certainly can bid Stayman with a void as long as you have at least a game invitational or better ... | |
| Bridge Rotation for 12 couples | 1/20/2011 |
| Q: I have a bridge Marathon Group and we meet once a month for 9 months and then we meet the 10th month ... A: Here is a rotation for 12 pairs, each playing someone different every month over a period of 9 ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: I have read other replies but not one that applies to me. I have 12 couples over 10 sessions. ... A: The followoing rotation is for 12 pairs. The complete rotation in which every pair plays every other ... | |
| Bridge Etiquette | 1/18/2011 |
| Q: After the auction has been completed, is it permissible to ask for a review of the bidding after all ... A: According to Law 41 Review of Auction and Questions Before the opening lead is faced, the leader's ... | |
| Bridge game lead | 1/18/2011 |
| Q: When during the course of a game, the declarer leads from her hand instead of the board where she ... A: In this case either defender may choose to accept this lead in which case play continues as if it ... | |
| rotation | 1/16/2011 |
| Q: What is the proper rotation for 16 players? A: Here is a rotation over 15 sessions with each player partnering every other player one time. ... | |
| resposes after your parnter opens and your opp. makes a michaels cue bid | 1/16/2011 |
| Q: I opened 1 C and my left hand opp. made a michael's cue bid of 2 C what response is forcing by my ... A: It is impossible to say what the best course of action is without knowing what kind of 19 point hand ... | |
| Double scoring | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: After all bidding was over 4 clubs doubled was reached.Not Vulnerable.What is my score A: On the assumption that you made 4C you get the followimg. In rubber bridge you get 160 below the ... | |
| rotation | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: You were so kind to give me the rotation for 22 couples, 11 tables and 16 sessions. But, now, 2 ... A: Below is a rotation for 20 pairs with no repeat matchups. Session 1 20-1 19-2 18-3 17-4 16-5 ... | |
| manners | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: In the late 60's when I learned to play party bridge it was considered poor manners for a player to ... A: Today it is still considered common courtesy and good bridge etiquette to refrain from offering ... | |
| renege rules | 1/12/2011 |
| Q: once you set a card down and renege you lose 2 tricks? A: There is a difference in treatment of a revole based in whether or not it has been "established". A ... | |
| Transfer Bid | 1/12/2011 |
| Q: If a transfer bid is made and the word "transfer" is not spoken to alert the opposition, is there a ... A: The person who actually makes the "Transfer" announcement is the 1NT opener...the partner of the ... | |
| Transfer Bid | 1/11/2011 |
| Q: If a transfer bid is made and the word "transfer" is not spoken to alert the opposition, is there a ... A: Here is the ACBL guidance on this subject. FAILURE TO ALERT OR ANNOUNCE If partner fails to Alert ... | |
| Convenient Minor as an Overcall Bid? | 1/7/2011 |
| Q: Good morning - I'm sorry to bother you but I can't find anywhere the answer or I am reading ... A: The answer to your question is no. The reason for the existence of the convenient minor opening bid ... | |
| Bridge bidding question | 1/5/2011 |
| Q: South holds 12 pts akqjx of clubs, q of diamonds,and nothing else and opens 1 club West holds qxxx ... A: West is right. A jump to 2S in response to a double shows a hand ranging from about 8 or 9 points up ... | |
| how to ask partner if he has 4 or 5 of a bid major | 1/4/2011 |
| Q: If you open one of a minor e.g. 1 club and your partner responds with one of a major e.g. 1 heart, ... A: You should just respond normally...for example, raising partner with 4 card support, rebidding your ... | |
| Table Movement | 1/4/2011 |
| Q: We are planning a bridge (party) tournament. There will be 11 tables, 22 couples, and 16 rounds. I ... A: Here is a rotation for 22 pairs lasting 16 rounds. Round 1 22-1 21-2 20-3 19-4 18-5 17-6 ... | |
| short club | 12/31/2010 |
| Q: My group plays that a diamond answer to a club open declares a bust. 2 diamonds says the best suit ... A: People are allowed to use whatever bidding methods work best for them, However in the Standard ... | |
| bridge question (correct bid or bids) | 12/26/2010 |
| Q: North opens one no trump West overcalls two spades. How should South respond if he holds 5 hearts, ... A: I assume that the 1NT opener is 15-17 and that you do not play the Lebensohl convention. You have ... | |
| bridge bidding | 12/24/2010 |
| Q: How and when do I ask partner for how many Aces or Kings he holds? A: You use the Blackwood Convention to ask for aces if a trump suit has been agreed upon and your ... | |
| Bridge | 12/22/2010 |
| Q: I read an article a few years ago regarding placement of dummy's hand on table. Trump has to be on ... A: There is a rule stating A player is not entitled, during the auction and play periods, to any aids ... | |
| table rotation for bridge tournament | 12/21/2010 |
| Q: I am chairman of a group that plays once month. We have nine tables. I would like to obtain a ... A: The following rotation is for 18 pairs, each one playing someone new every mont. The complete ... | |
| What to bid next | 12/21/2010 |
| Q: With AQ109654,A1086,void,43, I open 4 Spades after 2 passes,opponent bids 5 Clubs. After 2 more ... A: I would bid 5S. It is a cheap insurance policy against the possibility that the opponents can make a ... | |
| Difficult bidding sequence | 12/18/2010 |
| Q: How would you bid this hand without competition? Blackwood is 1430. Opener S Void H KQJ109xx D AKxx ... A: The first problem is that opener has 14 cards. Your bidding sequence contains a number of flaws ... | |
| ??? | 12/17/2010 |
| Q: I would like your opinion on this: Partner bids 1D ( 1st seat ) Opponent bids 2C. You have 8 ... A: I would make a negative double for a number of reasons. With 8 points you are not strong enough to ... | |
| INT Overcall | 12/17/2010 |
| Q: My partner overcalled 1NT and I staymaned with 2C but my partner did not alert it as did not think ... A: Playing Stayman after your partner overcalls 1NT need not be alerted. If you essentially play the ... | |
| Party Bridge | 12/15/2010 |
| Q: I would like a movement for an even number of tables, say 8 ( I have worked out one for an odd ... A: Here is a movement for 32 players http://web.mit.edu/mitdlbc/www/bridgemats/Letter/S0824.PDF The ... | |
| 24 and 28 bridge party rotation | 12/13/2010 |
| Q: Do you have example rotation for 24 and 28 party bridge? 6 and 7 tables of bridge A: I can give you rotations for 12 pairs (24 players) and 14 pairs (28 players). !2 Pairs Session 1 ... | |
| Double responses | 12/11/2010 |
| Q: West bid 1S; my partner, North, doubled; East passed. I, South, had 6 points, but gave partner my ... A: You are absolutely correct to bid with your hand. As you say, the double is a demand to bid your ... | |
| Stopped suits | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: I am a total beginner in bridge. What does the term " stopped suits" mean? Can you show me an ... A: Stopper: A card in a suit that the opponents might be expected to take tricks in which is of high ... | |
| A bidding question | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: My partner had 24 high card points, 4-3-3-3 distribution. I held the king queen of spades 3 times, ... A: I do not know specifically what the hands are or what four card suit your partner held. Nonetheless, ... | |
| Reneg | 11/26/2010 |
| Q: A player renegs but does not win the trick with the reneged card. If that partnership further on ... A: If the offending side does not win the revoke trick then there is only a 1 trick penalty assessed ... | |
| aces | 11/18/2010 |
| Q: I was taught to play bridge 40 odd years ago and have always counted singleton aces as 7 and ... A: Every hand offers two source of tricks: --its high cards --its distribution. When we count points, ... | |
| Gerber and Blackwood | 11/17/2010 |
| Q: If a player begins his bid with a suit can he use Gerber as he rebids and then go to Blackwood? A: I can't really see any constructive purpose to doing what you suggest since both Gerber and ... | |
| bidding | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: RHO opens 1C, I have 20 HCP I double. LHO makes 2nt bid my P passes RHO continues with 3C what ... A: This 2NT bid might be confusing to anyone. It is possible that it is the Jordan 2NT Convention ... | |
| 4NT Quantitive | 11/12/2010 |
| Q: Explain the different ways you could use this bid.. A: 4NT is usually played as quantitative in the following situations. After a NT bid by partner when ... | |
| A played card | 11/11/2010 |
| Q: I called for an eight from dummy he started to pick up the ace at that time I said no the eight and ... A: According to Law 45d of the Laws of Contract Bridge A player may, without penalty, change an ... | |
| chicago and rubber bridge | 11/11/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if when playing the the hand in either rubber or Chicago if you touch a card ... A: According to Law 45 of the Laws of Contract Bridge A card must be played (a) if it is a defender's ... | |
| doubles | 11/11/2010 |
| Q: How many hcp's does it show if I double opponent's bid and then bid my own suit? A: Double-then-bid auctions promise a hand too strong to overcall. Today most experts have high ... | |
| replying to partner's double | 11/10/2010 |
| Q: West opens 1 Club, my partner doubles, East passes. With only 4 points and no long suit, can I ... A: You must keep the bidding open even with zero points. Just bid your longest suit as cheaply as ... | |
| bridge | 11/9/2010 |
| Q: What does 1 no trump mean in response to partner opening? How many points do you need to say 1 no ... A: A 1 no trump response to an opening bid by partner shows a hand with 6-10 points and no better bid ... | |
| The 2C opening meaning 22 points | 11/8/2010 |
| Q: If the opponents open 1D,H or S does my opening of 2C still mean 22+ points? If not how, how do I ... A: After someone else opens the bidding, by definition you cannot also open. In any given auction, only ... | |
| Bridge | 11/7/2010 |
| Q: May you overcall a preemptive bid with another preemptive?m A: There is a general rule in bridge that one never preempts over a preempt. Of course the bridge ... | |
| bridge marathon rotation - 14 and 15 pairs | 11/7/2010 |
| Q: I am taking over our Bridge Marathon group and I need two different rotations – one for 14-pairs for ... A: Below is rotation for 14 pairs over 9 months. Month 1 14-1 13-2 12-3 11-4 10-5 9-6 8-7 2 ... | |
| player rotation | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: I coordinate a novice party bridge group and it is growing like mad. Can you give me or tell me ... A: Below is a rotation for 20 individual players each playing with a different partner each time. The ... | |
| Bridge | 11/2/2010 |
| Q: North opens 1NT 12 to 14pts I as East double for penalties with 15 pts a balanced hand and ... A: I agree with you. First let me say that if the opponents play a strong 1NT opening bid then the ... | |
| bridge | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: What constitutes the play of a card? One version is that if the card remains touched by the player ... A: LAW 45 CARD PLAYED Each player except dummy should play a card by detaching it from his hand and ... | |
| conventions | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: I have played party bridge for 30 years and am venturing into duplicate. I find I don't know half ... A: If you are unfamiliar with conventions in general then you can start by using basic Standard ... | |
| reneged in bridge game | 10/27/2010 |
| Q: this afternoon I played in a game where the opposition bid 5 clubs we doubled. The opposition ... A: According to Law 64d(ii) of the Laws of Contract Bridge, there is no penalty for an established ... | |
| very light openers in 1st and 2nd st | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: I always count my distributional pts when opening. If I have 8 hcp, 3 for singlton, 1 for doubleton, ... A: One increasingly popular method for evaluating hands is the Rule of 20. Here is how it works. Add ... | |
| Bidding over a 1 of suit opener. | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: Partner opens 1 heart. My hand is 4-3-3-3 with 4 hearts to the 9. Points are 11 spread across ... A: While I do not know the exact composition of your hand, I would tend to agree that this type of hand ... | |
| Duplicate bridge rotations, | 10/25/2010 |
| Q: I would like to have rotations for 4 1/2, 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 tables please A: Go to this website http://www.bridgeguys.com/MGlossary/Movements.html Refer to the category ... | |
| Bridge card game | 10/24/2010 |
| Q: My partner opened 3 hearts, the opponent's next bid was double. I passed and the opposing partner ... A: You are correct. Today a double of an opposing three level preempt is almost universally played as a ... | |
| Responder's 2nd bid in Acol bridge | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: Recently I opened 1D, my partner responded 1H, my second bid was 1S, my partner then said 1NT as her ... A: Responder's second bid of 1NT does indeed show 6-9 points. When the responder has a minimum but ... | |
| Asking for aces | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: Somewhere in my distant past bridge playing I recall using Gerber to ask for aces with a 4 club ... A: Gerber is a commonly used convention usually employed to ask for aces when notrump is the agreed ... | |
| Transfer bid | 10/9/2010 |
| Q: In contract or party bridge, can the responder say transfer when bidding say 2 hearts to alert the ... A: In a bridge auction, the only authorized way to convey information to your partner is through the ... | |
| preempt bid over a preempt bid | 10/8/2010 |
| Q: For the record; Is it regular to make a 3 level preemptive bid (7+ card suit with less than opening ... A: There is a general rule in bridge that one never preempts over a preempt. Of course the bridge ... | |
| opening bids | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: do I have to alert when opening the bidding with two no trumps? A: Not normally. If your opening 2NT bid shows a strong balanced hand with a range somewhere between ... | |
| bridge | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: Is it ok to pass a takeout double if you think you can set the hand A: It is permissible to pass a takeout double if you feel that you can penalize the opponents and the ... | |
| bidding | 10/1/2010 |
| Q: my hand: x x x K x x A K J x x Q x Partner's Hand x A Q J x x A K J 10 x x x I open 1D LHO bids 2 ... A: With these hands, there is no one definite way that the bidding should go to the exclusion of any ... | |
| Bridge - Convenient Minor - Responses | 9/30/2010 |
| Q: Do you recommend responding to a convenient minor with a four card major at the one level, even ... A: An opening bid of a convenient minor is a legitimate opening bid showing legitimate opening bid ... | |
| bridge bid | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: I have a questions about two different hands. First hand: Partner opens 2NT... opponents ... A: On the first hand you should begin by bidding 3H...transfer to spades...and then bid 4H on your next ... | |
| schedule | 9/26/2010 |
| Q: we are 12 couples who play in 3 groups of 4 people 8 times a year at different houses. Do you know ... A: The following rotation is for 12 pairs with each pair playing every other pair once. The total ... | |
| Alerting Jacoby 2NT | 9/22/2010 |
| Q: The Jacoby 2NT convention (no interference) is alertable. However, should rebids by opener showing ... A: The first person that you've quoted is correct. All of opener's rebids to 2NT need to be alerted. ... | |
| Puppet Stayman | 9/21/2010 |
| Q: We have agreed to play puppet stayman after a 2NT opener. If I, as the responder, have game values ... A: Using simple Puppet Stayman over 2NT it is impossible to look for both a 5 card major in the opening ... | |
| Misdeal | 9/21/2010 |
| Q: If the wrong person deals, and it is discovered before any bidding takes place, should it be called ... A: If it is discovered that the wrong person is dealing before the last card had been dealt then there ... | |
| bidding "convenient minor" | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: What constitutes a "convenient minor"? Is this an alternative to the "short club" bid? A: Convenient minor refers to the fact that if you play five card major suit openings, as a majority of ... | |
| short club | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: I Play with some that use a 2 diamond response as a bust hand less than 4-5 pts to their P's open of ... A: Commonly played systems include a 1D negative response to an artificial 1C opening and also a 2D ... | |
| reneging in bridge | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: How many tricks are required as the penalty for reneging in bridge when the revoke is discovered ... A: A revoke is established as soon as either member of the offending side leads or plays to the next ... | |
| Bridge bidding question | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: My P opens and I have 8 spades to the k/q, a singleton diamond, 2 hearts and the king little of ... A: I did agree that 4S was a reasonable bid with your hand. Opposite the actual 20 point hand, a hand ... | |
| Bridge bidding question | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: My P opens and I have 8 spades to the k/q, a singleton diamond, 2 hearts and the king little of ... A: You 4S bid is not unreasonable. You bid what you think you can make opposite a typical opening bid ... | |
| Can you get to 6nt | 9/16/2010 |
| Q: After RKCB shows that the trump queen is missing, is there any way to get to 6nt as the final ... A: Most partnerships do not have the tools available to determine if their side is missing the 10 of ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: I've been looking for a bridge rotation for a 7 table, 14 couple tournament which will last over a 7 ... A: You have 14 different pairs each playing 2 different opponents a month for 7 months. The rotation ... | |
| reneging in rubber bridge | 9/10/2010 |
| Q: If you call a renege after all cards have been played but next lead has not been made, do you still ... A: If a revoke is discovered before the offender or his partner have led to the next trick then the ... | |
| bridge rotation | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: We have 18 pairs or 9 tables and play 3 rounds for 8 weeks. Do you have a rotation for 18 pairs? ... A: Round 1 18-1 17-2 16-3 15-4 14-5 13-6 12-7 11-8 10-9 2 18-2 1-3 17-4 16-5 15-6 ... | |
| bridge rotation | 8/26/2010 |
| Q: We have 18 pairs or 9 tables and play 3 rounds for 8 weeks. Do you have a rotation for 18 pairs? ... A: Here is a rotation for 18 pairs for 8 weeks. Week 1 18-1 17-2 16-3 15-4 14-5 13-6 12-7 ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 8/25/2010 |
| Q: You were so kind to help me put together a rotation for 20 couples. Now I have encountered a ... A: If one pair drops out then you are left with an odd number so that each week one pair needs to sit ... | |
| bridge rotation | 8/23/2010 |
| Q: We have 22 couples playing once a month in a marathon bridge. We play once a month for eight months ... A: Here is a rotation for 22 pairs each playing against a different opponent for 8 months. Month 1 ... | |
| take-out double | 8/20/2010 |
| Q: Can you make a take-out double if you are a passed hand? A: You certainly can make a takeout double even if you are a passed hand. If you have a perfect takeout ... | |
| Bridge | 8/19/2010 |
| Q: I open one heart with 12 points and 5 hearts. My partner has 6-9 points and 5 spades and responds ... A: I need to revise my answer. I qwas going under the assumption that you were using the American ... | |
| pairing for 10 couple rotation | 8/18/2010 |
| Q: Now another problem I can't solve for someone that cannot work out a schedule for a 10 couple ... A: Below is a rotation for 10 pairs over 7 months. Month 1 10-1 9-2 8-3 7-4 6-5 2 10-2 1-3 ... | |
| Bridge | 8/18/2010 |
| Q: I open one heart with 12 points and 5 hearts. My partner has 6-9 points and 5 spades and responds ... A: Assuming you are playing five card majors, your 1H opening bid promises a five card holding. After a ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: If the opponent on your right opens 3hearts (long hearts, few points), and opponent doubles with 13 ... A: I assume you mean that you or your partner doubled since if one opponent opened 3H then the other ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: I am looking for a bridge rotation for 20 couples, playing once a month, for 9 months. We play two ... A: Below is a rotation. Month 1 20-1 19-2 18-3 17-4 16-5 15-6 14-7 13-8 12-9 11-10 2 ... | |
| Pairing for Bridge | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: Welcome back! Hope your vacation was good. I desperately need a schedule for paring 9 couples for ... A: My vacation was very enjoyable, thanks. Below is a rotation for 9 pairs. Obviously, each week one ... | |
| Bridge | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: The contract being played is down to the last three cards and the declarer is in dummy with probably ... A: According to Law 45 a card must be played if it is a card that declarer holds face up, touching or ... | |
| Rotation for 12 players, playing 8 games | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: Could you help me with the rotation for 12 players, 4 players playing at 3 different homes for 8 ... A: I assume that the 12 players are independent individuals who wish to play with many different ... | |
| contract bridge | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: Could you please help set up a schedule for 12 couples, playing 4 couples in a group each month for ... A: The following rotation is for 12 pairs with each pair playing every other pair once. The total ... | |
| rotation for five players | 7/18/2010 |
| Q: please show rotation for 5 players with sit outs. A: Here is a suggested rotation. 1. The players don't change within a set of 4-deals, so each player ... | |
| response to opener's bid | 7/16/2010 |
| Q: Is the 1NT response to opener's bid limited to 6-9 points or may it be also considered a "waiting" ... A: In Standard bidding a 1NT response shows a hand with 6 to9 or 10 points, a hand not strong enough to ... | |
| Bidding question | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: Holding Qxx,Qx,KJx, AKQxxx I opened one Club. LHO overcalled with 1 Heart which my partner doubled. ... A: First of all it seems that you were dealt 14 cards which obviously enhanced your slam prospects (i ... | |
| bridge | 7/9/2010 |
| Q: I was taught that if one used the better minor to open the game of bridge,you had to have 3 clubs to ... A: It is perfectly acceptable to open 1 diamond with only three diamonds. As a matter of fact, a one ... | |
| Gerber | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I opened 2NT with 20 pts. (20-21 pts is our range) Partner bid 3H and I transferred to 3S holding K ... A: You are correct. Gerber is one of the most misused conventions in bridge. 4C should be Gerber only ... | |
| doubles | 7/4/2010 |
| Q: I've played that doubles under 4 spades are not for penalty. However some people have told me that ... A: This "rule" does not have is definitely not always true. I certainly would not treat the second ... | |
| gerber asking for kings | 7/3/2010 |
| Q: Should you say 5 clubs or can you say 4 NT asking for kins in Gerber? A: Gerber is generally used in notrump auctions, for example 1NT=4C, 2NT-4C, 2C-2D-2NT-4C or 1C (or ... | |
| contract bridge | 7/3/2010 |
| Q: Could you please help me set up a rotation for contract bridge? We have 12 couples, play 6 months, ... A: The following rotation is for 12 pairs with each pair playing every other pair once. The total ... | |
| Bid of a hand | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: Holding: AKQ of spades; A4 of clubs; AJ8 of hearts; AK643 of diamonds. I opened 2 clubs, feeling ... A: If you and your partner play that an opening 3NT shows 25-27 high card points then you certainly can ... | |
| bridge marathon rotation for 11 teams for 10 months | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: Can you help me with bridge marathon rotation for 11 teams from July through May, (11 months). Thank ... A: Since there is an odd number of teams one of the teams will have to sit out each month. Month 1 ... | |
| Stayman Convention | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: I was playing duplicate yesterday when this question came up. The person to my left opened a spade ... A: The mistake you made was not in the bid itself. Using the 2C bid as Stayman after a 1NT overcall by ... | |
| contract bridge | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: Could you please set up a rotation schedule for 12 couples for 6 months. A: The following rotation is for 12 pairs with each pair playing every other pair once. The total ... | |
| revoking | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: if a defending player revokes , but it does not change the outcome of the trick , eg playing partner ... A: If the revoke becomes established (the offender or his partner leads or plays to the following ... | |
| bidding | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: what dictates for a "double" out take bid? How many points should you have and what kind of ... A: To make a takeout double at the one level you should have at least 12 or 13 high card points, at ... | |
| rule of 20 | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: My p says on the rule of 20 i must have 2 controls. Is this true? ANSWER: Hi, Some definitions ... A: The Laws only state that the cards must be dealt face down, one card at a time, into 4 hands of 13 ... | |
| rule of 20 | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: My p says on the rule of 20 i must have 2 controls. Is this true? A: Some definitions of this Rule of 20 include the provision that the holding include two Quick Tricks, ... | |
| bridge marathon | 6/17/2010 |
| Q: I have 14-17 women coming for a 1 day bridge marathon. We do not want to play partners. Is there a ... A: I can give you a rotation for 16 individual players with each player partnering every other player ... | |
| Responding to partner's overcall | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: How many cards should one hold in one's long suit to bid a new suit in response to partner's ... A: If partner overcalls your first priority is usually to support partner with 3 card support or ... | |
| bidding in bridge | 6/14/2010 |
| Q: Vulnerable I held the following: xx AKJxxxx xxxx void my partner had QJxx void KJx AKJxxx I opened ... A: I would recommend that partner passes. First of all there should be no thought of playing in a ... | |
| respomdong to convenient minor | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: My partner opens 1D. I have no 4-card major, but I have 11 points. I also have no 5-card suit. ... A: It would be helpful to know more precisely what your hand is. The Standard bidding system is such ... | |
| Reneging in Bridge scoring | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: If a one or two trick penalty for reneging is correct, are those tricks ever added to the original ... A: The original bid contract is never changed by a revoke. If the contract when the auction ends is 2H ... | |
| How to bid a jump shift | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: I had: Diamonds K, Q, J, 10, x x Spades A, K, Q, 10 Hearts Q, x x Club void I opened one club ... A: It would help to know what your partner (and the opponents) bid. However, opening 1 club on your ... | |
| Bidding - Bridge | 6/10/2010 |
| Q: Can a bid be changed after it is made and a space of time goes by between the two bids - but the nxt ... A: The answer to both your questions is "No". According to Law 24 of the Laws of Contract Bridge, a ... | |
| bidding | 6/10/2010 |
| Q: Nil Vul You are dealer. you hold KJ5 KQJ98653 9 J You choose to open 4H. LHO passes and partner ... A: Given that you and your partner don't have an agreement pertaining to this auction (most people ... | |
| bidding | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: If I open 1 heart my partner says 1 spade can I say skip bid 3 hearts when I want to jump in my ... A: A skip bid announcement should be made before all jumps in the bidding including the ones you ... | |
| Bridge Marathon | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: I need a 10 pair rotation. Each pair plays once a month at one pair's home. I need to get the ... A: The best I am able to do is give you a rotation in which each pair plays every other pair once. The ... | |
| Talking: Alerting | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: some players in our club say it is all right to announce "skip bid" when making a skip bid. Others ... A: When making a skip bid it is entirely appropriate to announce "Skip bid, please wait.", as well as ... | |
| rule of 18 | 6/5/2010 |
| Q: I have been told about this rule by a friend who had a friend who used it to decide what level to ... A: The only allusion I have come across to a "rule of 18" specifies that you should add the number of ... | |
| stayman 2 NT response? | 6/4/2010 |
| Q: Recently a friend informed me that after a 1NT opener when the partner responds 2c (stayman) that if ... A: I assume that your opening 1NT range must be 16-18 (most people nowadays play 15-17). Actually, ... | |
| new suit by opener | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: Is a responder forced to bid when opener bids a new suit without showing extras? When I learned ... A: In standard bidding a simple new suit by opener can be passed. If opener wishes to force the auction ... | |
| bridge transfer bid | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: Can a responder transfer after any opening bid -- a short club, say -- or must it be a response only ... A: In Standard bidding methods as well as most commonly used non standard methods such as 2 over 1 and ... | |
| Eight player rotation | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: Can you give or inform me how to get an eight player rotation Many thanks A: I am not sure exactly what you are looking for. Below is a rotation for 8 individual players over a ... | |
| scoring on a double | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: This afternoon I bid 3 Hearts, the player to my left doubled me. If I had made it, would the ... A: In ordinary contract bridge, while it's possible to double the opponents into game its not possible ... | |
| Bridge etiquette | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: Who is responsible for seeing that the cards are placed in the correct place after a round ie into ... A: Each player is responsible for his or her own hand. If cards are icorrectly placed in the board ... | |
| Bridge table talk | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: I fail to follow suit but declare that I have made a mistake before the end of the hand being ... A: You should make every effort to be aware of the score before each hand begins. While the scorekeeper ... | |
| Re-evaluating | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: South Hand: S- xxx H- K10xxx D- KJxx C- J Bidding: (W) P - (N) 1C - (E) P - (S) 1H - (E) 1S - (N) 2H ... A: Your hand evaluation is consistent with generally accepted evaluation techniques and 10 points seems ... | |
| Bridge/Bidding | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: Explain the proper use of the Gerber convention A: The Gerber 4C Convention is used to ask for aces after partner opens 1NT or 2NT, or after he opens ... | |
| bridge rotation with 24 teams | 5/18/2010 |
| Q: We need for 24 teams (2 persons) to play bridge together, 4 teams to a house, 8 times, with all ... A: The way I understood the problem you had 24 distinct teams (of 2 players each) and did not want any ... | |
| bridge rotation with 24 teams | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: We need for 24 teams (2 persons) to play bridge together, 4 teams to a house, 8 times, with all ... A: Below is one rotation for 24 separate teams to play 8 sessions and play a different opponent every ... | |
| Bridge Bidding | 5/14/2010 |
| Q: How should one open and rebid with 18 or 19 hi-card points and an unbalanced hand? Same for a ... A: With a balanced hand you generally make your natural opening bid of one of your suit and then, if ... | |
| Bridge | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: We play Double is penalties over 1NT(weak). Some partnerships here (better ones) play Double shows ... A: Actually the value showing double and the penalty oriented double are part of the same concept. ... | |
| bidding | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: You have 5 spades (AKQxx) 6 clubs (Ajxxxx) two singletons. Which suit do you open? Thanks A: I would open 1C then bid and rebid spades on your next two turns even if you are forced to bid at ... | |
| Bridge playing problem | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: I am so glad I found this site as I am going out of my head with this! I am a beginner in bridge. ... A: You're very welcome. Just keep plugging away and don't get discouraged. All good bridge players have ... | |
| Bridge playing problem | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: I am so glad I found this site as I am going out of my head with this! I am a beginner in bridge. ... A: Many computer programs play double dummy which means that they play as if they can see the cards in ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: my partner, north, opened the following hand with S AKQ854 H AK973 C KJ5 My hand ,south,was S ... A: I must have been really tired not to notice that the hand actually contained 14 cards. Sorry. ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: my partner, north, opened the following hand with S AKQ854 H AK973 C KJ5 My hand ,south,was S ... A: Partner should open 1S. The way he bid it implies that hearts are longer than spades...6-4, 6-5 or ... | |
| Pre-empt with 9 card suit | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: I'm in the 2nd position, with a 9 card diamond suit, but only one point. The first person passes. ... A: This is the kind of question where if you ask 9 different people you will get 10 different answers ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 5/1/2010 |
| Q: Why do they recommend that you should not use Stayman if you have a 4-3-3-3 shaped hand? A: The reason that some experts do not recommend Stayman with a 4-3-3-3 distribution is that the dummy ... | |
| bridge | 4/30/2010 |
| Q: This seems like a pretty simple questions, but I am arguing with my partner over his opening bid of ... A: To make the 2H bid your partner needs only 5 hearts and can have a bare minimum opening bid, 12 ... | |
| 2 hands are misdealt | 4/29/2010 |
| Q: What happens if the opposing players have wrong amount of cards in their hand. One has 12 and the ... A: I started to answer this question yesterday but the website said that it had been deleted. Anyway, ... | |
| bridge rotation hosting in two houses | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: Our contract bridge group has 20 members. We have 2 tables in 2 different homes 12 times a year. As ... A: The best I can do is to give a rotation for 20 players each playing with a different partner for 12 ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: I would like a rotation for 12 players at 3 tables . the girls would like to play with different ... A: Below is a rotation for 12 players which has them playing with a different partner each week. The ... | |
| Bidding | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: If I open 1 Club and my partner answers 2NT [showing 10 to 12 points and no 4 card major] and I have ... A: While I cannot find a definitive answer to your question I would go with the guidance that if ... | |
| penalties | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: If a player does not play a suit when led, and it is discovered a subsequent time the suit is ... A: A revoke is said to be established if it is detected after someone has played to the next trick. ... | |
| Stayman | 4/11/2010 |
| Q: my hand : AJ86 AK94 Jx Kxx pd hand : KQ94 JT853 Jxx T Bidding went 1NT(me) - 2D(pd) - 2H(me) - ... A: This is somewhat of a subtle distinction since both contracts seem to depend on picking up the queen ... | |
| responder's response | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: If my partner opens 1 club and i have 6 + points , 4 d and 4 of a major. Presuming the opponents ... A: The prevailing school of thought on this issue is that if you have a minimum...6-9 points...you ... | |
| convenient minor | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: I am learning to play the Audrey grant American Bridge. What is a convenient minor and is it ... A: To open a bridge hand with one of a suit you should have 13 points or more. You must also decide ... | |
| Two questions, if you would please. Incorrect number of cards in hands and insufficient overcall. | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: #1 - Today, as the last two tricks were being played, it was discovered that the dummy had 12 cards ... A: The board will be canceled at your table since no valid result can be obtained that compares to the ... | |
| Two questions, if you would please. Incorrect number of cards in hands and insufficient overcall. | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: #1 - Today, as the last two tricks were being played, it was discovered that the dummy had 12 cards ... A: 1. It seems as if the cards were incorrectly dealt. According to Law 10c of the Laws of Contract ... | |
| Overcall | 3/29/2010 |
| Q: Does an overcall of 2NT over a 1NT opening signify the Unusual NT bid? If so, does it show both ... A: An overcall of 2NT over a 1NT opening is indeed an Unusual NT bid. It shows a good hand with at ... | |
| responders bid over 1 of a suit | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: If I open one of a suit and responder bids 2 NT what should he have? A: In traditional Standard bidding responder should have a relatively balanced hand and 13-15 high card ... | |
| 16 player rotation | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: We play party bridge and need a rotation for 16 individual players. A: Here is a rotation over 15 rounds with each player partnering every other player one time. I am ... | |
| Rotation | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: Please provide me with a rotation for 15 players - this is not for bridge - it is for golf - BUT - ... A: I will certainly try to help but I need to let you know in advance that this may well be too ... | |
| signal | 3/21/2010 |
| Q: when my partner follows suit with a high card such as an honor, does she mean continue the suit, ... A: When signalling the first priority is to give attitude toward the suit led. Thus a high card would ... | |
| Michael's Cuebid with interference | 3/19/2010 |
| Q: Opponent opens 1 H, I bid 2H (Michael's Cue-bid with 6 spades and 5 clubs) and opponent's partner ... A: I would not bid over 3H with this hand since it contains only 2 spades (admittedly good ones) and 3 ... | |
| not following suite | 3/17/2010 |
| Q: The opponents were in 2 hearts and my partner failed to follow suite on the 3rd hand played.They ... A: This is definitely not correct. In the event of an established revoke... a failure to follow ... | |
| Question on opening | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: Yesterday I held this hand. Spades: A,K,Q,J,10,8,6,4,3 Hearts: K Diamonds: Q Clubs: Q,J How would ... A: A hand with a long strong suit assured of taking nine playing tricks may be opened 2C and this is ... | |
| response to major | 3/11/2010 |
| Q: partner opens with 1 spade....responder has 12 points no major...can responder say 2 nt trump ... A: In Standard bidding the generally accepted treatment is for the 2NT to show 13-15 points with a ... | |
| Partner opens in three of a suit | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: I fail to follow suit but declare that I have made a mistake before the end of the hand being ... A: The greatest danger of a preemptive bid is not the bid itself but what an inexperienced player might ... | |
| Failure to follow suit | 3/8/2010 |
| Q: I fail to follow suit but declare that I have made a mistake before the end of the hand being ... A: The card that is led out of turn becomes a major penalty card. According to Law 50 of the Laws of ... | |
| bidding | 3/8/2010 |
| Q: My partner (first time to play with her) opened with one heart. I had 18 points, 3 spades, 2 hearts, ... A: In Standard American the 2NT response shows 13-15 points and is game forcing. If partner plays this ... | |
| Failure to follow suit | 3/7/2010 |
| Q: I fail to follow suit but declare that I have made a mistake before the end of the hand being ... A: If you failed to follow suit and it was discovered after a card has been led to the next trick then ... | |
| Rule of 20 | 3/6/2010 |
| Q: What is the rule of 20 and when should you use (or not use) it? Thank you A: The Rule of 20 refers to a secondary hand evaluation methodology when a hand does not have ... | |
| Precision alerts | 3/5/2010 |
| Q: My partner and I have been playing Precision for a number of months. We alert most bids that are ... A: These transfer bids must be alerted. However, you should not announce "transfer". According to the ... | |
| you make a takeout double of a one heart bid and there is no intervening bid by the other oponent what must your partner do ?? | 3/4/2010 |
| Q: north bids one heart east makes a takeout double south passes what must my partner west do.? ( ... A: In most cases partner is required to bid her longest suit even with zero points. In your case ... | |
| This mornings hand | 3/4/2010 |
| Q: South opens 1 dia. with 13 pts. and 4dia. to Ace. West has 10 pts. with 5dia. to the jack,10.and ... A: It is hard to give an intelligent response without knowing the full E-W hands. Although east made a ... | |
| declaring honor points | 2/28/2010 |
| Q: When do you declare your honor points- before playing the contract or after the game is completed? I ... A: It is perfectly fine to wait until the end of the hand to declare the honors bonus. Declarer may ... | |
| Negative Doubles | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: When can one use the negative double? Example: LHO opened 1S Partner doubled RHO passed I bid 2H ... A: Partner made a takeout double, not a negative double. This occurs when the opponents open the ... | |
| bridge hand played by wrong person | 2/23/2010 |
| Q: We had an unusual happening at club bridge today. The dummy accidentally played a hand instead of ... A: Whatever the sequence of events might have been, Duplicate Law 54A states that if declarer begins to ... | |
| Card must be played? | 1/29/2010 |
| Q: I would really like to know when a card must be played! I reviewed all the ACBL various Laws of ... A: There is nothing I can tell you except that the ACBL source of last resort are the Laws themselves, ... | |
| 2club opener | 1/27/2010 |
| Q: what are the responses available when partner opens 2 clubs? A: Standard traditional responses are 2D shows a weak hand with 7 points or less 2H, 2S, 3C, 3D show ... | |
| preemptive bidding | 1/26/2010 |
| Q: Opener bids 2H with a good six card heart suit and a void. Responder has 16 pts and uses the 2NT ... A: There is really no method to communicate that you have a void. The 2NT bid asks for a feature but ... | |
| Preemptive bidding | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: LHO opens the bidding with 1 NT. My partner, with a weak hand and a good 6 card spade suit, makes a ... A: You could make an agreement with your partner that if he coughs twice before making the bid then it ... | |
| bridge | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: i have bridge on bbo for about 6 months - just state 'my profile' when asked for system. today i was ... A: According to the ACBL alert procedure an opening 1C bid is not alertable if it requires a club ... | |
| Bridge Rotation | 1/19/2010 |
| Q: I play in a 2 table duplicate group. We play once a month, 12 months a year, and play with a ... A: It sounds like you have 8 people. Therefore each one can play with 7 different partners. I am able ... | |
| rules - dummy's rights and limitations | 1/13/2010 |
| Q: In duplicate, prior to declarer's lead, can the dummy repeatedly indicate to the declarer where the ... A: According to Law 42 Dummy may try to prevent any irregularity by declarer. An example of this is to ... | |
| short club | 1/12/2010 |
| Q: can a short club be bid with a void in the club suit? A: In standard bidding, even if you play the so called "short club" you should have at least 2 clubs in ... | |
| beginner bridge player question | 1/12/2010 |
| Q: My partner bids 1 spade overcalling a 1 heart opening. I have 3 spaces and 7 pnts. RHO bids 2 hrts. ... A: 1. With 3 spades and 7 points you should bid 2 spades. A simple raise of a one level overcall to the ... | |
| What to bid? | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: I'm currently studying guides on bidding and learning conventions. I can't seem to find an answer ... A: The mark of a good bridge player is that he should always be willing to pass if there is no good ... | |
| Renege | 1/8/2010 |
| Q: Does dummy have responsibility(or the right) to point out a partner's renege? Recently, one of our ... A: The declarer is correct. Since cards have been played to a subsequent trick (after the initial ... | |
| Renege | 1/7/2010 |
| Q: Does dummy have responsibility(or the right) to point out a partner's renege? Recently, one of our ... A: According to Law 42...a)The dummy may ask the declarer, when he has failed to follow suit, whether ... | |
| player rotation | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: We have group of 12 ladies playing canasta 11 times during the year. We need a rotation that ... A: I am able to give you a rotation in which each player partners every other player exactly once. This ... | |
| Bridge rotation | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: I would like to have your advice for a COUPLE rotation with 3 tables, 6 couples playing once a ... A: Try the rotation below. Month 1 12-1 11-2 10-3 9-4 8-5 7-6 2 12-2 1-3 11-4 10-5 9-6 8-7 3 ... | |
| 6 couple rotation | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: I would like to have your advice for a COUPLE rotation with 3 tables, 6 couples playing once a ... A: It would take 5 months to complete a full rotation with everyone playing everyone else. Since you ... | |
| Jacoby & Staymen | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: Is it legitimate to say you play Staymen & Jacoby? A: I don't fully understand your question. It is certainly legitimate to play both Stayman and Jacoby. ... | |
| Rotation for 6 couples, playing 6 months, one a month | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: I would like to have your advice for a COUPLE ratation with 6 tables playing once a month...for six ... A: If, as you say, there are 6 pairs then you have 3 tables. It takes 5 months for everyone to play ... | |
| bidding boxes | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: We have duplicate at our clubhouse and use bidding boxes. One member wants to use the bidding boxes ... A: Bidding boxes are used for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they serve to eliminate any unauthorized ... | |
| preemptive bidding | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I play bridge in which a player bids 3 of a suit when having 7 cards or 6 with strong cards and 6-10 ... A: As you stated, the commonly accepted meaning of an opening bid at the 3 level is preemptive...a ... | |
| take out double | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: E 3spades S pass W 4 spades N dbl Is that double for penalty or asking for a suit from South? A: Over this type of auction it is most effective to define the double as being a three suited takeout ... | |
| Taketout doubles in contract bridge | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: After opponents have bid to the two level, with my partner an intervening pass,should I use my ... A: A double in the auction you describe is intended for takeout and generally forces partner to bid ... | |
| Bridge Bidding Question- reverse | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: Opening bidder is 4-4-4-1, singleton club. 12 points. Opens 1 diamond. (we use that rule of 20) ... A: If your partner responds at the one level then a reverse by you always shows extra values. If your ... | |
| Bidding | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: My partner opens 1 Club and I have the following: AKQJ 8764 K87 96 What should I answer? ANSWER: ... A: I would respond 1H. Of course the spades are still much better than the hearts and some people might ... | |
| Bridge Bidding Question- reverse | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: Opening bidder is 4-4-4-1, singleton club. 12 points. Opens 1 diamond. (we use that rule of 20) ... A: Frequently in bridge there are tradeoffs. For example, the more you restrict the meaning of a ... | |
| Bidding | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: My partner opens 1 Club and I have the following: AKQJ 8764 K87 96 What should I answer? A: Sticklers for the rules might respond 1H and I guess they can't really be criticized for doing so. ... | |
| correct bid | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: the bidding has been ..W 3 hearts, N pass, E 4 hearts...I hold 20 high card points, a singleton ... A: First of all let me say that you had just about the perfect textbook hand for your double of 4H. ... | |
| Bridge rotation | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: I have 12 couples who play 12 months/year with 2 hosts per 3 tables per month. How to schedule? A: I can give you a movement for 12 teams each playing each other once. This full movement will take ... | |
| bridge | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: when i have 12 to l4 points and say 4 hearts and 4 clubs and then 3 and 2 of other suits do i have ... A: A hand such as the one you have described which falls within the prescribed point range and meets ... | |
| etiquette | 10/13/2009 |
| Q: Cutting cards: this process is a point of interest for our group. When the cards are in place in ... A: According to The Laws of Contract Bridge, Law 5... The pack must be cut immediately before it is ... | |
| Bridge - how to play this suit | 10/12/2009 |
| Q: If I have Queen and Jack only in my hand, but Ace and xxxx (4 small cards)how do I play this? ... A: If I understand correctly you have QJ doubleton opposite Axxxx missing the 10 and the 9. If you are ... | |
| 2NT opener rebid | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: Opener bids 1D, partner responds 1S. Opener's hand is 5-3-2-2 with stopper in all except doubleton ... A: Although it is acceptable to jump to 2NT it invlves a substantial risk that either the heart suit is ... | |
| staymen convention | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: Pls explain how this convention is bid and its use A: The purpose of the Stayman convention is to allow you to find a 4-4 fit in a major suit after a 1NT ... | |
| weak 2 bids | 10/9/2009 |
| Q: opponents open bidding at one club. Can I preempt over the opening with two spades? A: You can certainly preempt with 2S after the opponents open the bidding. In order to do this you ... | |
| Re my question: who erred? | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: Regarding my 12/4/08 question. The whole point of south NOT having the D10 is to make it be that the ... A: Not only would I not consider the KQ of clubs worth anything (how likely is it that both N and S ... | |
| weak twos | 10/6/2009 |
| Q: I was told that if I open a weak two and there is a pass by my partner, but, say, my rho bids, that ... A: If you open a weak two it is not illegal to bid again and you are not prohibited from doing so. ... | |
| short club | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: I used to play short club, opening with 14 points and 3 clubs looking for a 4 card major. The ... A: It is perfectly acceptable to use the 1D response to deny a four card major. Of course, responder ... | |
| a sequence indicating 4 diamonds & 4 spades | 10/4/2009 |
| Q: Recently I took a bridge lesson. It was stated that a sequece of 1d - 1h - 1s by me and my partner ... A: This conclusion is based on a number of assumptions. First, since the opening bidder didn't raise ... | |
| Re my question: who erred? | 10/2/2009 |
| Q: Regarding my 12/4/08 question. The whole point of south NOT having the D10 is to make it be that the ... A: West may believe it likely that the slam is going down. However, he only gains 100 (unless he ... | |
| Limit raise cuebid | 10/2/2009 |
| Q: Opener bids 1C. Partner overcall 1S. RHO bids Double. I wish to show a limit raise for my partner ... A: While it is conceivable to show a limit raise by first redoubling and then bidding spades and this ... | |
| Re my question: who erred? | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: Regarding my 12/4/08 question. The whole point of south NOT having the D10 is to make it be that the ... A: I would argue that North limited his hand originally by only bidding 2S. If, despite that, South ... | |
| Bridge bidding | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: Is it permissable to open 1 Club(convenient minor) and after partner's response, jump shift to ... A: It sounds like you are talking about a hand with 3 or 4 clubs and a 5 card major. This type of ... | |
| 2 over 1 Auctions in SAYC | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: Many authorities playing SAYC state that when a responder makes a 2 over 1 response he ALWAYS ... A: No bidding system is perfect and playing this treatment certainly has its flaws. For example, the ... | |
| Double over 3NT | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: Last night I was playing with a partner who is fairly new to bridge. I am looking for a reference to ... A: When the opponents have voluntarily bid 3 Notrump and the player not on lead doubles, the double ... | |
| Use of stamen | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: Is stamen a valid bid after an intervening bid, eg 1NT-2S-3C? A: If there is an intervening bid the dynamics of the auction changes. While different people play ... | |
| Bridge | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: Is there any rule in couples marathon that says the visit couple cannot bring their own cards? ... A: The only rule is that any deck of cards that is used must contain 52 cards of identical back design ... | |
| The first bidding | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: For the 1st bidding can i open 4S? Example: I've point 15 and I have the strong 6 spades. For the ... A: A 4S opening bid in first seat does not show a strong hand. It shows a preemptive hand ideally with ... | |
| bidding hand | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: I played first seat W my hand was H-4, S-Q,7,6,2 D-A,K,Q,7 C-K,Q,6,4 I opened with 1 c. N passed. ... A: This seems like almost the perfect hand for you to reopen the bidding with a "Double". This double ... | |
| marathon rotation for 16 players | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: Do you have a marathon schedule rotation for 16 players for 4 tables? A: There are 8 pairs. The following rotation has each pair playing every other one over seven sessions. ... | |
| card out of place in board hand | 9/9/2009 |
| Q: In a 4 heart contract, the dummy hand had a spade in with the clubs. So it appeared that there were ... A: Unfortunately it is the responsibility of all of the players to be aware of the cards faced on the ... | |
| transfers | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: Haven't been able to find a good explanation of "transfers". Can you help? Is this correct? ... A: Invented by world champion Oswald Jacoby, the Jacoby Transfer is a popular convention that can ... | |
| Forcing Bids with part score | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: I'm having an argument with an experienced bridge player using traditional strong two bids who says ... A: Having forcing bids are an important tool in finding a possible slam and just because you have a ... | |
| 10 Couple Rotation schedule | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: I have a group of 10 couples who play for 9 months, can you please help me with a rotation schedule. A: The schedule below should work. Month 1 10-1 9-2 8-3 7-4 6-5 2 10-2 1-3 9-4 8-5 ... | |
| Schedule | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: Our group is 12 couples. Once a month for 8 months. 2 tables each with 3 hosts each month. Could you ... A: I can give you a movement for 12 pairs once a month over 8 months with each pair playing a different ... | |
| gerber vs. blackwood | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: My partner opens 1H. I have seventeen points 3hearts, 4spades, 3 diamonds, 3clubs. I alert and bid ... A: Although the Gerber convention is predominantly used in notrump auctions...either after a notrump ... | |
| not following suit | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: Can the declarer's partner request to establish the opponent did not follow suit after the hand is ... A: Law 42b3 states that the player who was dummy may draw attention to any irregularity after the play ... | |
| Bidding | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: If one wants to overbid, do the rules prohibit one from going to an "eight of something" bid. For ... A: The rules do indeed prohibit one from bidding more than seven. Law 18 states that each bid must ... | |
| Points for honors | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: I think that the person holding all four or five honors in trumps in their hand receives the ... A: If the final contract is in a suit then if a single player from either side holds all five trump ... | |
| a 1 club bid in bridge | 8/28/2009 |
| Q: Please let me know if a declarer must have more than 1 club in her hand in order to bid a short ... A: Back in the early days of bridge, almost all bids were natural in that they tended to describe the ... | |
| Misplay | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: My partner open the bidding with 3 diamonds, I had 23 pts with a 6 card with 100honors club suit, so ... A: It seems that the sequence of events took place as follows. After the auction was over, everyone ... | |
| another scheduling question! | 8/26/2009 |
| Q: Our group has 11 couples we play 3 rounds once a month for 8 months. Do you have an answer on how ... A: I interpret your question as playing 3 sessions each month for 8 months, a total of 24 sessions. ... | |
| bridge | 8/26/2009 |
| Q: how is it handled when a declarer lays down his hand as the dummy hand/ do you play the hand and ... A: If this action by declarer follows an opening lead out of turn by the wrong defender, then declarer ... | |
| bridge game schedule, rotation | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I have 7 pairs of players that will play once a month for eight months. Jan-April. with the first ... A: If you have 7 pairs of players then, since only an even number of pairs can play the game of bridge ... | |
| how to bid | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: My partner is South and his hand is AKxx xxx Axx xxx I am North and I have Q10xx Qx xx AKJxxx ... A: In this situation, after you have made an overcall, the cuebid by partner generally tells you that ... | |
| how to bid | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: My partner is South and his hand is AKxx xxx Axx xxx I am North and I have Q10xx Qx xx AKJxxx ... A: A number of possibilities exist. Partner could have chosen to initially overcall 1S. Certainly a ... | |
| bridge tournament schedule | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: My question is: I have 48 teams which will be playing once a month for 8 months. Is it possible to ... A: Apparently I do not understand what it is that you need. What I sent is certainly a valid schedule ... | |
| bridge tournament schedule | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: My question is: I have 48 teams which will be playing once a month for 8 months. Is it possible to ... A: There are many possible movemenys that will work. One is listed below. Month 1 48-1 47-2 46-3 ... | |
| 36-Team Rotations | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: In previous questions, you have been able to provide tables indicating how a X number of teams can ... A: Since each of the 36 teams has 35 other teams it can play, a tournament lasting only 7 weeks has ... | |
| Bridge rotation | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: Like your previous questioner I am in charge of a marathon bridge group and one couple has just ... A: With 19 pairs it would take 18 sessions to complete a full rotation. Since there are only 8 ... | |
| Bridge | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: What penalty is imposed for a revoke against the side who is playing the contract, and revoked? A: A revoke becomes established if the offending side leads or plays to the next trick. If the ... | |
| intervening bids | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: With 14 points and no 5-card suit is it permissable to intervene with a 4-card suit? eg 1NT from W ... A: It is inadvisable to come in by bidding a four card suit. It will give a distorted picture of your ... | |
| intervening bid | 7/20/2009 |
| Q: W opened 1NT, N (my partner passed E bid 2D (weak takeout bid) S (myself) intervened with 2S ... A: There are a number of factors which need to be considered. Is your style to generally have a ... | |
| trump | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: Forgive my ignorance, but I would like to use the game of bridge as a sermon illustration. Is there ... A: Yes there is a trump suit in bridge. When a suit becomes the trump suit, any card in that trump suit ... | |
| Jump raise | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: What are the requirements for jump raise(1)by opener,(2) by responder. My partner and I have been ... A: Teaching beginners for free is a very generous gesture. I hope that many prospective players take ... | |
| Delayed Stayman | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: Opp1 Me Opp2 Partner Pass 1D Pass 1H ( with 5 H, 3S ) Pass 1N Pass ? ... A: Bidding 2C would be appropriate if partner has a hand containing at least game invitational values, ... | |
| 1430 response | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: How do you respond to the 4NT request from your partner when the suit or Nt to be played has not ... A: It is important that the partnership have a clear understanding of which suit is the trump suit. You ... | |
| Revised Question about Bridge marathon | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: When I sent a Question about a 20 team bridge marathon I did not give you enough information. So ... A: From what I understand, the same four pairs play at each location for all seven months. In that ... | |
| Bridge | 7/8/2009 |
| Q: When a team calls (say 2S), and the opponents concede the game, how many points does the calling ... A: The score for making a contract depends only on the contract. For 2S you would get 60 points below ... | |
| Responsive double | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: If the bidding goes as follows: 1C P 1S X 2S X is the second X responsive or penalty or does it ... A: It certainly depends on partnership agreement. Although one option would be to play this for ... | |
| Bridge Marathon rotation | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: I need a rotation for 20 teams playing 7 months A: With 20 teams it would take 19 months to complete a full movement where everyone plays everyome ... | |
| jump shift alerts during bridge bidding | 7/3/2009 |
| Q: Some players announce;"skip bid" or "alert" when making a jump shift or overcall as the bidding ... A: When making a jump shift or any other skip bid, the bid itself conveys its message to partner and ... | |
| jump shift alerts during bridge bidding | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: Some players announce;"skip bid" or "alert" when making a jump shift or overcall as the bidding ... A: Not only is this practice legitimate, it is actually required in duplicate bridge tournaments when ... | |
| Transfer Bids | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: Is there a cue-bid or transfer bid to use when the opener bids a suit instead of 1 no trump, or when ... A: When partner opens 1NT the most commonly used transfers are 2D showing hearts and 2H showing spades. ... | |
| bidding and scoring a takeout double in bridge | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: If I am the south player and my opponent to my right (east) is first bidder and she bids l spade, I ... A: Unfortunately your opponent is correct. Bidding is a form of communication between partners to try ... | |
| "Etiquette" | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: our Bridge Ladies group has an ongoing debate : which one of he defending opponents collects the ... A: The Laws of Contract bridge make no distinction as to which of the defenders should collect the ... | |
| Team vs Partnership Play | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: The local bridge instructor in Charleston, SC promotes and encourages team play unmercifully. My ... A: Over the years, Swiss Teams have proven to be substantially more popular than pairs events at all ... | |
| misdeal | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: What do you do if you don't realize the misdeal until the last card is played?sppwo A: It depends on the specific circumstances. It is hard to see, though, how a player can be dealt the ... | |
| pre-empts | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: Is it advisable not to pre-empt when one is vulnerable? A: You can certainly preempt even if you are vulnerable. However, you should tend to be a little more ... | |
| transfer bids | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: A friend told me that, when making a transfer bid, you must say "transfer" or "transfer to (hearts, ... A: Over the past years the powers that be in the duplicate bridge world have instituted a system of ... | |
| splinter | 6/21/2009 |
| Q: my partner opened 1 s. i responded 4 H (splinter-us that ok) with h-7, s-k,q,j,9,8,3 d-q,6,3 and ... A: First of all I probably wouldn't make a splinter bid with your hand, I would just bid 4S. I like to ... | |
| bridge | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: two players just dropped out......how do you rotate 10 people at two tables???? A: Assuming the 10 players consist of 5 partnerships then the full rotation is completed in five ... | |
| Party Bridge Couples Rotation | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: We have a Church-sponsored couples party bridge group consisting of 12 couples. Can you provide a ... A: If the pairs are split into three groups of four each then each one can only play the three others ... | |
| Party Bridge Couples Rotation | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: We have a Church-sponsored couples party bridge group consisting of 12 couples. Can you provide a ... A: Since there are only 8 sessions everyone will not play everyone else and there is more than one ... | |
| When do you declare having honors? | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: When are you suppose to declare that you have honors? What if the game has begun and you did not ... A: It is perfectly fine to wait until the end of the hand to declare the honors bonus. Declarer may ... | |
| response | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: My partner opened 2 D(second seat). How do I respond with S-K,Q,9,7 , H-K,Q,10,6,3 C-6,3 D-J,7 A: Assuming that the 2D is a weak two bid you should pass. Partner should have about 6-11 points and ... | |
| rotatio | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: I need a rotation for 6 people. We have a girls' trip and plan on playing for several days. ... A: I can give you a rotation where each player plays with each other one. This results in three pairs ... | |
| Penalty when you Renege | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: Has the rules changed regarding penalties when you Renege? I played today. The declarer trumped a ... A: According to Law 64A, If the trick on which the revoke occurred was won by the offending player ... | |
| Opening lead | 6/9/2009 |
| Q: I am a new bridge player and wondered about the signal sent to partner in an opening lead. I have ... A: Partner can only judge whatever evidence he has based on the auction and what he sees in dummy in ... | |
| Bridge Rotations | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: I am looking for a bridge rotation for 4 tables, playing twice monthly over 12 months. We prefer a ... A: Apparently there are 16 different players. I can supply a scheme in which over 15 sessions each ... | |
| bridge rule | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: What is the rule when toward the end of playing a hand it is discovered that one players does not ... A: It depends on whether the player has too few or too many cards. If it is a missing card it depends ... | |
| BRIDGE ROTATION FOR 13 COUPLES | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: Please, please, can you help me???? I'm in charge of a Ladies Marathon Bridge Group.....for the ... A: As far as I can tell, I really exist. Since there is an odd number, it will be necessary for one ... | |
| Rosenkranz/Reverse Rosenkranz doubles | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: OK I thought, then I read that Rosenkranz later changed the order so 3 cards with honours was 2M and ... A: The reasoning for reversing the meaning is that a better hand for the bid suit should raise the ... | |
| Short Club | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: what are the rules for opening with one club....short club. ANSWER: Hi, You just bid normal ... A: You were wrong to open 1C. I assume you did not have 5 hearts or 5 spades, you never mentioned how ... | |
| Short Club | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: what are the rules for opening with one club....short club. A: You just bid normal Standard American with 5 card majors. The only restriction is that in order to ... | |
| 4nt | 5/30/2009 |
| Q: opener bids 2clubs 24-25hcp responder bids 2 diamonds opener rebids 4nt. with balanced hand. Not ... A: Most people play that after 2C-2D, a rebid of 2NT can show 22-24 or 23-24, in other words just above ... | |
| bridge bidding | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: 1. What is gained by an untraditional low-count 1 No Trump bid? 2. I open 24 points NT ... A: If by a low count 1Nt you are referring to 10-12 high card points or perhaps an even lighter point ... | |
| Bridge | 5/27/2009 |
| Q: What are "transfers"? ANSWER: Hi, The Jacoby Transfer is a popular bidding treatment to enable the ... A: Many people play that transfers as well as Stayman are still on over a double. They essentially play ... | |
| Bridge | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: What are "transfers"? A: The Jacoby Transfer is a popular bidding treatment to enable the Notrump opener to become declarer ... | |
| marathon bridge | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: Is there a place to find rotations for different numbers of couples participating in marathon ... A: Offhand I know of no such site. You might try sending an e-mail to Richard Pavlicek at ... | |
| Honors | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: if the opponents bid i nt and opposition has 4 aces does the opposition get the points for honors. ... A: If the final contract is in a suit then if a sigle player from either side holds all five trump ... | |
| short club open | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: how many clubs do you have to hold to open one club, we play short club open, my partner only had ... A: Even if you play "short club" you need to have at least 2 clubs to open 1 club. Even then, you only ... | |
| Marathon Bridge Rotation for 9 couples over 8 months | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: Can you give me a rotation for 9 couples playing marathon over 8 months. Thank you. Dana Kopsa A: Since there are 9 pairs, one of them will have to sit out each month. Also, since there are only 8 ... | |
| Acol 3 diamond preemptive bid | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: I opened 3 diamonds with 10HCP (QJxxxxx diamonds, x club, KQxx spades and QX hearts). My partner - ... A: First off, your hand seems to contain 14 cards. I would hope that in reality you only had 3 spades ... | |
| Jump Shift | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: How many points do you need to jump shift? A: It depends when it occurs. A jump shift can be made either by the responder after partner's original ... | |
| Bridge Card game | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: Is 2 Diamonds always weak? I had 19pts and no 5 card major, 1 club and killer diamonds. I bid 2 ... A: In the old days, all 2 bids were strong and natural (2C showed clubs, 2D showed diamonds and so on). ... | |
| intervening bid | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: if there is an intervening bid, are all conventions off??? A: There are dozens of conventions and each one has its own treatment. In some cases an intervening bid ... | |
| card to lead | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: The bidding has gone W- 1D, N (me)-P,E- 2D, S-2H,W- 5D,N-5H E-P, S-P,W-6D,N- Double, all Pass. My ... A: Opening leads are always easier after you see all four hands and if it turns out that there is one ... | |
| Responding in Staman | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: Partner opens 1NT. I have 5 spades. Do I go right to 2 spades? A: It depends on the strength of your hand and your distribution in the other suits. If you have a ... | |
| bidding in rubber bridge game | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: My opponent has bid 3 no-trump. If I desire to bid in diamond , can I bid 4 diamond or should I ... A: You have the perfect right to bid 4D over a 3NT by the opponents if you wish. You are not required ... | |
| Bridge Question | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: Partner opens one diamond (convenient minor). RH opponent passes. I have eleven points counting ... A: TThere are times when Standard bidding lacks the tools to adequately do the job you need to do. This ... | |
| Revoke | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: S. is the declarer. Halfway through the game,S. leads his QC to the dummy hand who has no C'S but ... A: If either defender plays to the following trick then the revoke becomes established. If the ... | |
| Revoke | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: S. is the declarer. Halfway through the game,S. leads his QC to the dummy hand who has no C'S but ... A: Since neither the offender nor his partner has led to the next trick, the revoke has not become ... | |
| Bridge Question | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: Partner opens one diamond (convenient minor). RH opponent passes. I have eleven points counting ... A: Bid one heart. If you had a good six card club suit you could bid 2C in preference to bidding 1H ... | |
| take out doubles | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: partner n passed, e-1 H, s(me)-2D, w-2 H, partner bid double (take out double) Is this (takeout ... A: It is certainly possible that his bid could be correct even though he passed initially. You showed a ... | |
| Denying opening bid of one club | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: My partner has made opening bid of one club. I have only 5 points and hence desire to indicate to my ... A: My earlier response applied to an opening bid of one club. In that case you had to entire one level ... | |
| Akol -bidding | 4/5/2009 |
| Q: Is it a rule in Akol that by changing suit you promise a stronger hand than first implied? ie. I ... A: You are correct. A nonjump rebid of a new suit at the 2 level that is of a lower level that the ... | |
| Denying opening bid of one club | 4/5/2009 |
| Q: My partner has made opening bid of one club. I have only 5 points and hence desire to indicate to my ... A: Five points is a borderline hand. With fewer than 5 points you should almost alway pass. This is how ... | |
| misdeal | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: Ifa there is a misdeal and the cards are redealt I would not think there would be a penalty if ... A: There's no penalty if a misdeal is noticed immediately. Once the play has begun, a redeal is ... | |
| a bridge renege | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: When a player reneges does the other side get two tricks? Can those 2 tricks go toward a score for ... A: If the offending side won the revoke trick then that trick is transferred to the opponents. In ... | |
| 1430 Roman Keyvard | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: Using 1430 where 5C's means 1 or 4, is there any way to tell if the 1 answer is an Ace & just not ... A: Bridge is a game of imperfect information and you cannot always find out everything that you would ... | |
| Bidding When Doubled | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: Please help us settle a small disagreement. Tonight during a game North bid 4H, East Doubled, South ... A: The bidding is never over until there have been three passes in a row. North still has another turn ... | |
| Announcements of Transfers and Alerts | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Is it required to announce Transfers? Who announces the transfer--bidder or partner? Also, is it ... A: In the first auction at the point that your partner bids 2H, then you, not your partner, needs to ... | |
| Announcements of Transfers and Alerts | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Is it required to announce Transfers? Who announces the transfer--bidder or partner? Also, is it ... A: Transfers need to be announced at ACBL tournaments and club games. Partner is the one who announces ... | |
| bidding | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: My partner opens 1NT and I have 5 hearts and 5 spades of equal strength. For Jacoby transfer should ... A: It depends what the strength of your hand is. If you are planning on ending up in 4 of a major you ... | |
| odd even | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: What are the ACBL restrictions on playing odd/even signals. Can you play them on leads ? ( odd to ... A: According to the ACBL General Convention Chart, a partnership may use odd/even or other forms of ... | |
| Bridge | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: When are SKIP BID and ALERT properly announced and used? I have always thought that ALERT is used to ... A: Your concept of an alert is basically accurate. It is to tell the opponents that a bid or call has ... | |
| Bridge Penalties | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: I recently moved the dummies cards to place the suit that was led to the far right. Is this illegal ... A: The only reference in the laws to the arrangement of suits in dummy is that the trump suit be laid ... | |
| Invitational Bid | 3/19/2009 |
| Q: I am a new bridge player. Could you please tell me what the definition of an "invitational bid" is? A: One example of an invitational bid is to bid 2NT after partner opens 1NT. Basically an invitational ... | |
| bidding | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: With an opening hand of 21 points and 3 four card suits plus a singleton, what should I bid? Thanks ... A: 21 points is usually a borderline 2 level opening. With a balanced hand you can certainly open 2NT. ... | |
| bidding | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: With an opening hand of 21 points and 3 four card suits plus a singleton, what should I bid? Thanks A: I don't know which suit you have a singleton in. In general, if you have a singleton in a minor suit ... | |
| Bidding weak 1NT how many suits need stopping | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: I've been bidding 12-14 1NT with ANY balanced distribution. The other day I did this with two suits ... A: There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Some experts insist on having at least 3 suits ... | |
| bidding | 3/16/2009 |
| Q: Bearing in mind that my partner and I call 4 card suits in ascending order and a 5 and a 4 card suit ... A: A new suit at the 2 level by opening bidder that is below the suit originally opened in no way shows ... | |
| bidding | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: south passed, west passed, north bid 4 clubs; east doubled. south passed again. Is west required ... A: The double by east is intended primarily for takeout. It should show a very good hand and and ... | |
| a question about Stayman | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: In Stayman, if the opener bids 1NT, the responder bids 2 clubs, the opener says 2 hearts, if the ... A: In traditional Standard bidding, a 2C Stayman bid by responder promises at least one 4 card major. ... | |
| Responses to convenient minor bids | 2/25/2009 |
| Q: With a bust hand, what are the responses to a bid of one club or one diamond? A: If you have a bust hand...fewer than 5 high card points... the response to a bid of 1 club or 1 ... | |
| WJO | 2/21/2009 |
| Q: Do wjo follow the same rules as opening weak twos? I.e. would you not bid a wjo with 4 cards in an ... A: Generally the rules for weak jump overcalls are similar to those for weak 2 bids. However, in the ... | |
| Bid after double | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: If partner doubles 2 Spade bid by opponents, I would expect him to have at least 4 Hearts. If after ... A: While partner should tend to show four hearts if he doubles 2S, absolutely requiring him to have 4 ... | |
| opening with two minors | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: As dealer, you have 12 points, and two five card minors. Do you open one diamond or one club? A: You should open 1 Diamond. That way you should be able to rebid 2 Clubs on your next turn and if ... | |
| What should be my opening bid? | 2/11/2009 |
| Q: I dealt the following: AKx diamonds AKx of clubs AKx of spades AKQx of hearts other than a laydown ... A: From your question it looks like you have 30 high card points missing 3 queens. An opening bid of 2C ... | |
| bridge ruling on revoke | 2/11/2009 |
| Q: I read an answer from Bill CUBLEY dated 4/19/2004 to a question about reneging. Can you tell me if ... A: If a revoke is discovered before the trick is completed it is still considered to be a revoke, ... | |
| Taking a card back | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: Is it considered reneging when I did not follow suit, but corrected it before all 4 cards were ... A: It is hard to answer without having seen what happened. If declarer took the card out of her hand ... | |
| Jump shifting over an intervening bid? | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: If partner opens, RHO bids, does my jump of one more than necessary over RHO mean a jump shift to ... A: Most people today play that a jump shift after an intervening bid has a different meaning from what ... | |
| Taking a card back | 2/9/2009 |
| Q: Is it considered reneging when I did not follow suit, but corrected it before all 4 cards were ... A: According to Law 45, a card must beplayed if a) It is a defender's card and it is possible to see ... | |
| 4NT quantitative ? | 2/8/2009 |
| Q: We play 2/1 The bidding starts with me with 1S Partner responds 2H game force My bid is 2 S showing ... A: One possibility is using 4NT as RKC in partner's own suit, in this case hearts. He is saying he ... | |
| 4NT quantitative ? | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: We play 2/1 The bidding starts with me with 1S Partner responds 2H game force My bid is 2 S showing ... A: I do not like 4NT either way since, as you say, if partner wants to support spades he can bid 3S ... | |
| Renege in bridge | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: Is it considered reneging when I did not follow suit, but corrected it before all 4 cards were ... A: It is considered a revoke but if it is discovered before the trick is completed then it has not been ... | |
| Leads against NT | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: Pls list best leads against NT in order of priority. Normally, you would lead the suit bid by ... A: If neither you nor your partner have bid then the lead that is usually best is 4th from your longest ... | |
| response by partner | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: I open with 1 club, opponent bids 1 diamond, my partner bids 1 heart, I bid 1 spade, (opener bids a ... A: The bid is not 100% forcing however partner should try to make every effort to find a bid. The ... | |
| bridge rules | 2/1/2009 |
| Q: what is the rule of eleven? A: The rule of eleven applies when the original opening lead is the fourth highest in the suit, ... | |
| jump shift | 1/30/2009 |
| Q: Since I learned that the first round of bidding is to primarily show how many points you have, how ... A: It is matter of terminology. A jump shift is made either by the responder after partner's original ... | |
| bidding 2 nt in second position | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: My RHO opens with 1 club. I have a balanced hand with 16 points. Can my partner respond as if I had ... A: Certainly...many players do exactly that. Many people use the same responses to the 1NT overcall as ... | |
| splinter | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: why are high card values in the suit of your partners splinter not counted A: To my knowledge it is not true that high card values in the splinter suit are not counted. However, ... | |
| Scoring after renege. | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: After I reneged in a game, I was penalized two tricks. Opponents had bid three spades. The penalty ... A: You are correct. If the originally bid contract is not a game (or a part score which is doubled into ... | |
| forcing bids | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: We are learning American Std Bridge. We are confused as to which bids are forcing. Can you give us ... A: The answer to this question could cover a number of chapters in a text on elementary bidding and is ... | |
| revolving discards | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: can you use a spade discard for hearts and a heart for diamond diamond for a club and a club for a ... A: The standard treatments are, 1. A low card calls for the suit below the suit in which the signal ... | |
| Question re bidding | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: East was dealer and she passed. I was South and with 3 points I also passed. West bid 1NT. My ... A: There are a number of methods people use when overcalling a 1NT bid by the opponents. Lacking any ... | |
| Bridge question about renege/revoke | 1/19/2009 |
| Q: Please tell me how does one establish when a renege has occurred. A: A revoke becomes established when the offender or his partner leads or plays to the following trick ... | |
| Reverses | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: My partner had this hand: S: QJX H: KTXX D: AKQXX C: X He opened 1D and I responded 1S and he ... A: This is a difficult hand to bid since any bid you make has some flaws. It is not quite strong enough ... | |
| opening/overcall | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: 2 qustions: 1. What is the best opening bid with this hand S-9,8 H-8, D- A,Q,9,8,6,4,2 C-A,K ? ... A: The best thing to do with this hand is to look for the missing card as the hand has only 12 cards. ... | |
| rotations | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: I am looking for a rotation for 12 women for 12 months (meeting once per month) ANSWER: Hi, What ... A: First of all, since each woman only has 11 possible different partners, a complete rotation will ... | |
| Opener rebids following response by partner who has previously bid | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: What does a two diamond bid mean in this partnership bidding sequence? P 1C 1D 2D. Does this 2D ... A: The 2D bid should not show added values. It is just a minimum range opener with diamond support ... | |
| how should we bid | 1/13/2009 |
| Q: right hand opened 1S 1 have s-k952 h-a92 d-k53 c-Aqj L hand p partner s-6 h-1008 7 4 D-j962c-423 ... A: In that case you will probably be playing in 1NT unless the opponents decide to do something ... | |
| Short Club Opening Bid | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: It is my understanding that this was a convention used with a balanced hand of 13-14 points (no 5 ... A: Opener could easily have 4 or even 5 clubs and not rebid the club suit. If, for example, the auction ... | |
| Short Club Opening Bid | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: It may be outdated, but I recall that when a hand is evenly distributed with 13-14 points one had ... A: If you play a weak notrump you should open those hands 1NT. If you play a strong opening 1NT (15-17 ... | |
| transfer to diamonds after 2NT opening by partner | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: My partner opened with 2NT. I hold 6 diamonds with 2 honors in that suit. My thought would be to bid ... A: Well, you could try to surreptitiously sneak your partner a note under the table describing what you ... | |
| reverse | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: Can you simply explain a "reverse" in bidding a bridge game? A: A reverse by an opening bidder is a rebid at the 2 level in a higher ranking suit than the suit he ... | |
| responders bid after 2C - double - ??? | 1/4/2009 |
| Q: this came up recently. partner opened 2C and next hand doubled. i passed with a 2 jack bust, and ... A: Although your treatment of this situation depends on partnership agreement and also on the meaning ... | |
| bridge - forcing bids | 1/1/2009 |
| Q: If I am a passed hand and partner opens 1 of a suit, what bids that I make are forcing and what bids ... A: In Standard bidding, once you've passed no bid is forcing. Partner may now pass any natural bid that ... | |
| response bidding | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: Partner opens 1c, I have 10pts with 4h, 5d, 2c, 2s. Which suit do I bid first; h or d? A: You should bid 1 diamond unless the suit is really terrible. If you only hand 6 or 7 points it ... | |
| take out doubles | 12/29/2008 |
| Q: The bidding sequence went as follows: E S W N 1S double 3S double Is the double by N for ... A: Today most people play this double as a Responsive Double. North is showing a hand with high card ... | |
| Duplicate Bridge | 12/25/2008 |
| Q: Please explain Revolving Discards A: This is a method of discarding which assigns a suit preference meaning to the first discard on any ... | |
| responder's rebid of 2NT | 12/20/2008 |
| Q: take a bidding sequence with no interference; 1D, 1H, 1S, 2NT - 2NT = 11-12 points But if ... A: The indirect 2NT would be invitational regardless of whether you play a direct 2NT as 11-12 or ... | |
| Duplicate Bridge | 12/16/2008 |
| Q: Is it proper to use transfers after your partner has overcalled an opening bid, or are transfers ... A: I assume you are referring to partner overcalling in notrump. Many players utilize transfers after ... | |
| Penalty for reneging in pitch/setback | 12/16/2008 |
| Q: I'm starting a pitch/setback league at a local club, and I'm stuck on one rule. What's the penalty ... A: The American Contract Bridge League enforces the following rule at its tournaments. If the ... | |
| Bidding to obtain 3NT contracts | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: How does a partnership improve chances of getting a contract at 3NT instead of 4 in a major? WHAT is ... A: This could potentially be a long, drawn out subject and in this venue I can only give some rough ... | |
| weak two bid | 12/12/2008 |
| Q: In your answer to a question "can you open a weak two with a void" dated 11-14-08 you have shown a ... A: Perhaps my example was too hastily or not optimally constructed. Change the heart holding from Axx ... | |
| Where can I find info on this 2C response system | 12/12/2008 |
| Q: I was playing bridge online today, and someone said they used the European 2C response system known ... A: This seems to be some sort of system developed by Pierre Albarran in 1946. The good news is that I ... | |
| Reneging | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: My partner and I were playing Two Spades. One of the opponents reneged. They gave us the two ... A: The final contract is and remains Two Spades regardless of any revoke or penalty that occurs. It ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 12/8/2008 |
| Q: How do I respond to my partners opening bid, to show 3 card support and 10-12 points, after an ... A: After partner opens one of a major, most players who cuebid with 10 or more points will allow ... | |
| follow up to who all erred question | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: For starters, i meant to give west the diamond 10, and N passed over 2c. I was wandering if s knows ... A: I addressed the first part of this yesterday. Concerning 5NT, this bid is usually used to ask ... | |
| regarding my last question | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering, what if north had cuebid 4c, and bid 4s over 4d, then 5s over 5h? Should south ... A: In my humble opinion, most rational Norths would not pass over 2C with K10xx of spades and and ... | |
| Best minor or convenient minor? | 11/17/2008 |
| Q: Please explain this bid and the response. thanks, shirley ANSWER: Hi, Playing convenient minor if ... A: Bidding is an investigative process to ideally determine the best place to play the contract. A 4-4 ... | |
| Best minor or convenient minor? | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: Please explain this bid and the response. thanks, shirley A: Playing convenient minor if you have two 3 card minors and have to open one of them you open 1C to ... | |
| convenient minor | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: I recently partnered someone who had never heard of a convenient minor. How do i explain it to him. ... A: Most players today play 5 card majors. That is to say that in order to open one heart or one spade ... | |
| Bridge-- weak 2's | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: Can you open a weak two with a void? A: You can make a weak 2 bid with a void and many people do. However in their classic book "Preempts ... | |
| jacoby transfers | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: What is the minimum points for a transfer? A: The minimum points for a Jacoby transfer is zero. Assume your hand is Spades 765432 Hearts ... | |
| Opening 2 Club bid | 11/13/2008 |
| Q: Speficially how many points are required to open 2 Clubs? A: Whether or not to open 2 clubs depends on the playing strength of your hand, not just point count. ... | |
| regarding my last question | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering, what if north had cuebid 4c, and bid 4s over 4d, then 5s over 5h? Should south ... A: If South takes a pessimistic view, he might pass in the given auction. However, if he takes the ... | |
| overcalling | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: Playing ACOL, partner is a passed hand. My RHO opens 1H. Holding a 3-card spade suit, AKx and ... A: You basically can make whatever kind of bid that you want to. However, if your bid does not conform ... | |
| who all erred? | 11/9/2008 |
| Q: Here are the hands South West North East S:AQJ9864 S:3 S:K1075 S:2 H:AQ ... A: The slam doesn't seem to be unreasonable and I don't think that getting there was an error. South ... | |
| Bridge | 11/7/2008 |
| Q: I had an opening hand with 27 points, equal distribution. What should my opening bid be? A: In the old days this hand would be shown by opening 3NT (25-27 balanced). Today, however, assuming ... | |
| Game of Bridge | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: When do you declare honors?( Before you play or after you play the hand.) A: There doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer and, alas, the rules are no help. Since the rules are ... | |
| bridge | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: Is there a penalty for announcing a part score to partner after bidding begins? A: During the auction, communication between partners should be effected only by means of the calls ... | |
| game of bridge | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: would you repeat your minor suit opening if there are only 5 of them? A: While it is allowable to rebid a 5 card minor suit, it is usually not a good choice and I would only ... | |
| bidding | 11/3/2008 |
| Q: biding goes, 1C-pass-1nt. does the 1nt show 6/9 points or 10/11 points A: Most people play that the 1NT response shows 6-9 points. If you choose you could expand the range ... | |
| Bridge Ettiquette | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: First of all.... Are there "watchers" allowed when playing bridge? IF so... Can a "watcher" be asked ... A: Generally watchers, also known as kibitzers, are permitted both at game sites and in the real world ... | |
| Marathon Bridge | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: What does the term MARATHON bridge signify? Is it scored differently? Does the partnership ... A: Marathon bridge is basically a bridge competition that goes on over an extended period, usually ... | |
| Stayman | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: I bid 1NT. LHO bids 2S. Partner says 3C...later says it was Stayman. Is it? For what reason? Same ... A: In the absence of any predetermined partnership agreement both bids are natural and show a club ... | |
| Bidding | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: there Was playing Contract Bridge with friends this afternoon and my friends were saying that if you ... A: I assume you are talking about opening the bidding. Generally 80-90% of the 13 point hands and ... | |
| responses to 2C opening bids | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: I learned that 2D was waiting, 2H, 2S, 3C, 3D was positive showing 5+ suit headed by a least a queen ... A: First of all, many people still play that 2D is waiting and 2H, 2S, 3C and 3D are positive ... | |
| Allowable bidding | 10/20/2008 |
| Q: I would like to bid with 3-4 pts in 3rd or 4th seat if left hand opponent opened, partner passed, ... A: You basically can make whatever kind of bid that you want to as long as there is no reason for your ... | |
| discarding a card | 10/16/2008 |
| Q: If you go to discard a card and do not remove your hand from the card, are you able to pick it up ... A: If you are a defender, your card must be played once it has been held in such a manner that it is ... | |
| Bidding | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: North Hand S: XX H: JXXXXXX D: Q C: XXX South Hand S: KJX H: AKXX D: AKTXX C: A (my ... A: It is unlikely that a competent defender would lead a spade against 6NT since the general strategy ... | |
| bridge (Gerber) | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: Partner bids 2 nt I hold k86,kq653,j654,7 I transfer her to H. So now it is 3 H. Can I bid 4 C as ... A: Different people play the 4C bid in this auction as either natural, showing a club suit along with ... | |
| Bidding question | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: We were playing in a swiss game competions and I was the dealer. I had a rule of 20 1 spade opener ... A: I have no clue as to the nature of your partner's hand. He could have had 6 hearts and 4 points. ... | |
| Responding to 1NT(weak) | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: I have a hand containing 6 or 7 clubs and fewer than 8HCP. I am told that I cannot bid 2C followed ... A: You should want to win because you are better (or luckier) than your opponents, not because you are ... | |
| Weak 2 and peempt | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: What are the main differences between weak 2 and preempt bids and responses beside 6 and 7 cards in ... A: I will refer to the book "Preempts from A to Z" by Anderson and Zenkel, a book which is a ... | |
| shut-out bid | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: Can I bid 3 spades with the following hand: AQJxxx spades J hearts xxx diamonds xx clubs? Someone ... A: I would probably open 2S with that hand. If you are nonvulnerable and the opponents are vulnerable I ... | |
| bid | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: w n e s - - 1s pass 2d 2h 2nt pass 3s pass 4s pass my ... A: If you play splinter bids you can bid 4H over 1S. This shows a game forcing hand with at least 4 ... | |
| Direct cue-bid | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: What is the current thinking on the direct cue-bid? Standard bidding was that it showed a very ... A: The standard cue bid has gone the way of the buggy whip, the Edsel and Lehman Brothers. Virtually no ... | |
| scoring for party bridge. | 9/18/2008 |
| Q: We play four hands with dealer vulnerable after the first deal with all not vulnerable. If a bid of ... A: If a bid of less than game is doubled resulting in game, the bonus points for game are awarded. The ... | |
| jump shifting to a new suit. | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: Can you ever jump shift in response to your partner's bid with 16 points? A: I assume you are referring to a jump shift by responder after partner has opened the bidding. If ... | |
| Conceding a trick, putting cards in board, and then reconsidering | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: I played in a Swiss Team tournament last weekend and encountered a situation where we had four ... A: If a trick that has been conceded cannot be lost by any probable play of the remaining cards and if ... | |
| Responding to 1NT(weak) | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: I have a hand containing 6 or 7 clubs and fewer than 8HCP. I am told that I cannot bid 2C followed ... A: There are varying treatments used by different players in this situation. Traditionally, the ... | |
| contract result overheard | 9/12/2008 |
| Q: In the course of an evening of pairs in the other room we could quite clearly hear that a dodgey ... A: Bridge ethics dictate that if you have accidentally received unauthorized information concerning a ... | |
| Jacoby Transfer after interferance | 9/11/2008 |
| Q: Hope ypu had a good vacation. I have 2 questions. 1. I opened with 1 NT with 15 p and balanced hand. ... A: The vacation was very nice, Thanks. 1. If both your partner and the opponent really bid 2D then ... | |
| Jacoby Transfer | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: If your left hand Op bids on the 1 level and your Part bids 1 NT - rt. hand Op passes, would you do ... A: Always glad to be of help. Many people choose to use the same bidding structure over partner's 1NT ... | |
| strong 2 bid | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: if the bid is 2 NT is partner forced to bid? thanks A: An opening 2NT bid can be passed by partner. Whether you play it to show the traditional range of ... | |
| Convenient Minor bid and response | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I had 13 points, so I opened with 1 club, (holding 5 clubs with the 10.9 .8 6 & 5 high) My partner ... A: You cannot raise 1 spade to 2 spades holding only 2 cards in the spade suit. Partner is only ... | |
| X or XX in bridge bidding | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: What does an X or XX mean in bridge bidding? ANSWER: Hi, X is the symbol for "Double" in a bridge ... A: The contract of 1 heart (or anything else) doubled is still the same original contract, in this case ... | |
| Response to 2 Club openinhg | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I missed a 6 spade contract. We play step response to 2 clubs so I bid 2 spades (7 to ... A: It is hard to say what you should have done without knowing what your hands actually were. However, ... | |
| Bridge | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I actually have 2 questions if you would be so kind. 1) Is it true the the declarer can pretty much ... A: When the declarer touches a card in the dummy hand, it is considered played (except when he is ... | |
| bridge | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: What are the consequences for a renege A: If the offending side won the revoke trick then that trick is transferred to the opponents. In ... | |
| responding to an overcall | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: My partner and I play that a new suit response to an overcall is forcing for one round. However, ... A: In Standard American and in most other systems a new suit response to an overcall by a passed hand ... | |
| Responding to 1 club | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: Recently I opened with 1 club, my partner responded with 1 heart and I only had 2 hearts but the ... A: In Standard bidding responder generally tends to go out of the way to show a 4 card major. This is ... | |
| Bridge | 8/16/2008 |
| Q: I read the answer to the 8 person marathon. Could you give mea rotation for 12 people and a 9 month ... A: Since there are only 9 weeks everyone will not play everyone else and there is more than one ... | |
| overcalls | 8/16/2008 |
| Q: What do i need to overcall a 1nt opening in 2nd seat A: If you play natural suit overcalls over a 1NT opening bid the most important consideration is to ... | |
| Opening Leads | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: Against a notrump contract I know to lead my partner's suit but should I lead the highest card I ... A: From a 2 card holding you should always lead high. From 3 or more holding an honor you should lead ... | |
| Bridge | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: what is the term for a bid to stop other people bidding, please? A: A bid that tells partner not to bid any more is called a "bar bid". It says "Partner, I know what ... | |
| 17+response | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: In one of your answers you wrote that a 1 S or H response at first round shows up to 17 points . ... A: Traditionally with a hand of greater strength the responder would have to jump shift (the the ... | |
| overcall | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I was 4th seat. South passed. My partner opened with 1D. Opponents overcalled with 2c. How should I ... A: It seems as if you picked up a hand with only 12 cards. Assuming, however, that you are 5-5 in ... | |
| Bridge...rule of 20 | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: What is the rule of 20 and how useful is it? A: The Rule of 20 refers to a secondary hand evaluation methodology when a hand does not have ... | |
| marathon bridge rotations | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for marathon bridge rotations for an 8 team marathon played over 7 months. I hope you ... A: You might try the following Month 1 8v1 7v2 6v3 5v4 Month 2 8v2 1v3 7v4 6v5 Month ... | |
| Revoke | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: An opponent contends that a revoke can only be called if it is called by the declare and opponent. ... A: During the play of the hand, dummy may ask the declarer (but he may not ask the defenders) who has ... | |
| Minimum for a jump-shift ? | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: I've always understood that in order for opener to jump-shift on the second round he should hold at ... A: The confusion may lie in the consideration of whom is doing the jump shifting. A jump shift by ... | |
| penalty doubles | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: Can an opponent bid a penalty double after there has been three passes to her? Is a penalty double ... A: All auctions end after there have been three consecutive passes...no exceptions. In any auction the ... | |
| bridge | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: what is the penalty for talking across the table A: Although it does violate the Rules of Conduct and Ethics and may be considered rude, there is no ... | |
| bridge | 8/3/2008 |
| Q: What is marathon bridge? A: Marathon bridge is basically a bridge competition that goes on over an extended period, usually ... | |
| 1NT doubled | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: Our opponents opened 1NT, followed by Pass, Pass, and I was the 4th player with good points in ... A: In all cases a bridge auction does not end until there are three consecutive passes. This is always ... | |
| Bridge Etiquette | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: Is it proper to "close" the deck when you are the player who cut the cards? I have always done this ... A: According to the Laws of Contract Bridge... The pack must be cut immediately before it is dealt. ... | |
| Bridge | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: There are a number of players I come across who insist on a response to a one club bid when i have ... A: Bridge players are allowed to use any treatment they want that is not considered to be illegal. ... | |
| Bridge | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: Would like to know what constitutes a "Reverse Bid" and show examples A: A reverse by an opening bidder is a rebid at the 2 level in a higher ranking suit than the suit he ... | |
| Jacoby transfer or Stayman | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: What would be your bidding sequence as responder after a 1NT(15-17) openning bid by partner when you ... A: The method I prefer is the following. If you definitely want to be in slam you could use 5NT to ... | |
| Honors | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: When MUST a player declare honors? We had some discussion at a game yesterday. One long time ... A: There doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer and, alas, the rules are no help. Since the rules are ... | |
| 3rd round bidding | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: Opponents passed thu out bidding. 1 opened 1 C.P-1 S, I-1NT, P 2H. I-PASS. My partner said that I ... A: Over a 1NT rebid by opener, a new suit at the 2 level by responder is generally not forcing. The ... | |
| opening | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: what exactly does it mean opening 4 or 5 card majors? Needless to say I have not been playing long. ... A: I am using the Standard American bidding system as a frame of reference in which the point count ... | |
| reneging in bridge play | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: What is the penalty for reneging on one play and discovering it the next play? A: If the offending side won the revoke trick then that trick is transferred to the opponents. In ... | |
| Bidding staman | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: What do I do if Partner has opened NT (1 or2) and there is an intervening bid? A: If the opponents intervene by bidding 2C over 1NT then many people play thay a double is Stayman. ... | |
| Bridge | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: I am a novice bridge player. I have just been told that opening 1 diamond or 1 club is asking ... A: Generally you open the bidding in a suit that you actually have length in. Standard bidding systems ... | |
| Bridge | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: What is the "unusual no-trump bid" Can I have some examples A: The Unusual No Trump is a convention designed to show two suited hands in competitive situations ... | |
| bridge | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know the correct bidding of this scenerio. My partner opened 1 diamond and I hav 11 ... A: I would bid 1 heart first. This does not deny a good hand and ensures that you get you major suit ... | |
| bridge | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: is it allowed to lay a card and take it back if it has not been covered by another card? A: If a card has been played so that it is touching or nearly touching the table or can be seen by the ... | |
| bidding | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: 2 passes and 3rd seat preempts 2 spades. 4th seat was ready to open 2 clubs holding 23 points. Since ... A: It is difficult to give a definitive answer to this question without knowing the exact nature of ... | |
| MISDEALS | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: Can a misdeal be declared after the bidding has started. If a misdeal is discovered after play has ... A: A misdeal can be declared and a redeal required after the bidding has started under the following ... | |
| Bridge | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: What exactly is "Michaels Convention" Please give some examples. A: The Michaels Convention is the use of an immediate cue bid of an opponent's bid to show a ... | |
| weak/preempt | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: I hope you enjoyed your vacation. What are the general rules concerning weak/preempt bids. How many ... A: To make a weak 2 opening bid you should have a 6 card suit with 2 of the top 4 honors (but probably ... | |
| short club convention | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: Partner opened one club. No intervening bid. My only four card suit was diamonds. I had 9 points. ... A: Although you did not tell me the exact nature of your hand, in most cases your most descriptive bid ... | |
| response to 2C bid | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: why do we need 8 points to give a positive response when the opener has at least 22 points. are we ... A: Most people still play that you need an 8 points minimum for the positive response although suits ... | |
| response to 2C bid | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: why do we need 8 points to give a positive response when the opener has at least 22 points. are we ... A: Usually when someone opens 2C he's pretty close to having a game in his own hand and is entertaining ... | |
| penalty | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: Declarer discarded a diamond instead of a club after leading clubs from dummy (& won the trick). She ... A: If the declarer won the revoke trick then that trick is transferred to the defenders. In addition, ... | |
| short club convention | 6/2/2008 |
| Q: I have been playing with a person who often opens the bidding with "1 short club". I tell her that ... A: You are correct. There are only 15 words allowed to describe one's calls in a bridge auction...one ... | |
| renege | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: I understand the renege and the penalty trick plus one(if the offenders have won the trick). ... A: There is no extra penalty for a second revoke in the same suit by the same player. However, if there ... | |
| weak two bid | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: Please explain the weak 2 bid. Thank you A: A Weak Two Bid is a bid of 2D, 2H or 2S that shows 6-11 HCP and exactly 6 cards in the bid suit. The ... | |
| bridge | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: Is there a mechanism you know of to ask for Aces once partner has bid at the 4 level and 3 NT has ... A: It depends on partnership agreement but since most people would play 4NT as natural showing a hand ... | |
| Bridge question | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: West bids 1 spade, partner passes,East bids 2 spades. I have J , AKQJx, 7 ,K9xxxx. What is my bid ? ... A: There is a feature in Bridge World magazine in which a group of about 10 or so experts are given a ... | |
| panaltyof a double renege | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: sitting south playing 6S dbl by E pulling trumps twice, E discards later E trumped side suit twice ... A: Technically, the penalty for the situation you describe is 2 tricks...there is no additional penalty ... | |
| not following suit | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: What is the penalty if the declarer leads a suit and the opponent trumps the trick (when he actually ... A: If a defender revokes as he did here the penalty is the following. If the defense won the revoke ... | |
| stayman | 5/11/2008 |
| Q: 1NT- opening 12-15 Partner has 1 -4card (hearts)8 points... bids 2 clubs (stayman) ( his hand=SS ... A: First of all a responder should only use Stayman over 1NT if his hand is at least worth a game ... | |
| Bridge etiquette | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: Is okay to question your partner's played card if it does follow the led suit, i.e., to avoid a ... A: Any player may ask another player who has failed to follow suit whether he has a card of the suit ... | |
| "stole my bid" | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: When is "double" used to show "stole my bid?" A: A common situation is if the opponents make a cue bid in partner's suit which is the same as the bid ... | |
| bidding over 3nt | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: Partner opens 1S (5 card). I have AQJ10 in clubs, 4 diamonds (something like KJ109, a very poor ... A: 3NT is acceptable, many people would choose that bid especially playing match points, but it is ... | |
| Dummy Hand | 4/12/2008 |
| Q: I wasn't in this game but a friend of mine asked the question and now I am curious. When leading to ... A: Sorry but my answer will be pretty boring. Assuming that the dummy always had the correct number of ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: These questions pertain to competitive duplicate bridge. As a responder, how to handle interference ... A: Most experts handle interference over 1NT by using the Lebensohl convention. In brief, after the ... | |
| Renege | 4/5/2008 |
| Q: There is a 2 trick penalty for the renege, but where is it placed, above or below the line? A: The final contract remains the unchanged. As an illustration, if the result before the penalty was ... | |
| Defensive Bidding | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: My LHO opened the bidding with 1 S; my reasonably strong partner overcalled with 2 D. I had 12 ... A: 2NT over a 2D overcall generally shows an invitational hand of 9+ to 12 or 13 and obviously a decent ... | |
| response to strong 2 clubs | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: I like 2 diamonds if under 7 pts; if 8 pts and 5 card major bit it, otherwise with 8 pts bid 2 nt. ... A: I prefer using 2 of a major to show a good 5 card or longer suit and 8 or more high card points. If ... | |
| Claiming tricks in duplicate bridge | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: My opponent in a game of duplicate claimed the last few tricks by virtue of having the top trump ... A: If you intend to contest a claim you should not say anything to the declarer but instead immediately ... | |
| reverses in bidding | 3/24/2008 |
| Q: What is a reverse? Please give examples in bidding. What does it mean? How do you respond? A: A reverse by an opening bidder is a rebid at the 2 level in a higher ranking suit than the suit he ... | |
| bridge expression | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: Exactly what does offside or onside mean. I hear people say "Everything was offside" etc. Thank you A: Offside and onside refer to the position of honors you are finessing against. Suppose you lead up ... | |
| stayman | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: after partner bid 1nt how do I ask for 4 catd major if stayman unavailable. for exanple if opponents ... A: The most common treatment is to cuebid their suit to ask partner for any available 4 card major ... | |
| Bridge Penalties | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: If the contract winner draws a card from dummy, and changes his or her mind before anyone else has ... A: The rules state If a card from dummy is deliberately touched by the declarer with the purpose of ... | |
| response to opening bid | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: I am just beginning to learn to play bridge. Audrey Grant states in her book that the first priority ... A: Generally in Standard American bidding you would bid 1D. Your partner can then bid 1H or 1S if he ... | |
| Open with 2 nt | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: I had 23 point with . all 4 aces two 4 card suits so i opened 2nt and my partner pases with 7 pts ... A: It is hard to understand exactly what your question is but your partner certainly had to bid with ... | |
| bridge | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: what does 2/1 mean in bridge thank you A: Most players in the US begin playing bridge by learning the Standard American bidding system. While ... | |
| Blackwood vs Gerber | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: Here are west and east hands: West: S Q, H AKQ109XX, D KQ, C A10x; East: S Axx, H Jx, D xxxxx, Q ... A: What the opponents bids mean is defined by their partnership agreement. It is certainly reasonable ... | |
| Bridge penalties | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: What is the penalty for reneging in Bridge and how is it assessed? A: A revoke becomes established if either member of the offending side leads or plays to the next ... | |
| Reverses v. Jump Shift | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to sort out my rebids with a 16+ unbalanced hand. I was taught reverses & barrier ... A: First, let me agree that since the responder may indeed only have 5-6 points, any rebid certainly ... | |
| Reverses v. Jump Shift | 2/10/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to sort out my rebids with a 16+ unbalanced hand. I was taught reverses & barrier ... A: A jump shift as a rebid by opener is forcing to game in almost all bidding systems. Therefore your ... | |
| Weak & Strong 2's | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: I recently had a discussion with a bridge friend of this subject. She bid strong 2's, so when she ... A: I agree with you. If you bid strong 2 bids then all 2 bids are strong and natural...2C shows clubs, ... | |
| bridge bidding | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: when opener opens 1 club and partner has 4 diamonds AND a 4-card major, is it proper to bid the ... A: Both methods are commonly in use. Players who use Standard bidding methods tend to bid up the line ... | |
| changing a bid | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: We were in a friendly game of bridge with slam interest. I bid 4NT and my partner responded 5H, ... A: Law 24 of the Laws of Contract Bridge states that a player may substitute his intended call for an ... | |
| bridge bidding question | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: you hold: KJ109- AK985 - A9 - A9 your ptr holds- AQ763 -void - 10 5 - K107653 You open 1H, ptr ... A: Your bid of 4S is fine. It described your strength and distribution quite accurately. This is ... | |
| penalty | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: I can't find what the penalty is for a renege during the game play. I am also uncertain if it is ... A: If the offending side won the trick on which the revoke occurred then that trick plus one of any ... | |
| bidding over interference | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I open in a suit. My LHO overcalls. My partner bids: a. one of a new suit b. two of my suit c. ... A: In the situation you describe, a bid of one of a new suit should have the same requirements as it ... | |
| Revoke & equity | 1/21/2008 |
| Q: We play bridge at a duplicate club in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. At a table last night my wife ... A: This is the first correspondence I have ever received from Pietermaritzburg, SA. I believe that is ... | |
| double after 3 h opening bid | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: I opened with pass. Opponent then bid 3H. My partner then doubled. What type of double is this and ... A: The double is a takeout double similar to what it would be if the opponent had opened 1H and partner ... | |
| Kelsey seems to have overlooked something in one of the hands in his book | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: In one of his "matchplay books" there is a hand. S s-A h-x d-AKQxx c-AQ10xxx N S-KJx h-A10xx d-xxx ... A: You are absolutely right. I wrote the answer late at night and by the time I got to the last ... | |
| etiquitte | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: Is it poor etiquitte to ask "whose queen is that" before playing a card. Isn't it the responsiility ... A: While I can find no mention of this specific issue in the Laws of Contract Bridge or on the ... | |
| Kelsey seems to have overlooked something in one of the hands in his book | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: In one of his "matchplay books" there is a hand. S s-A h-x d-AKQxx c-AQ10xxx N S-KJx h-A10xx d-xxx ... A: I assume the play goes HA, ruff H high (east showing out), club to 9, ruff heart high, SA, club to J ... | |
| stayman...still playable or not? | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: Over the weekend, I had a solid 1NT opener. Say I was South in this instance...West overcalled 2H, ... A: The most common method in use today is that if there is an intervening two level overcall over 1NT ... | |
| 3 no trump forcing? | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: The following hand was dealt: South - S A10xx, H xxxx, D Axxx, Cx; West S Kx, H J10x, D xxx, C ... A: Normally a 3NT overcall of a preempt shows either a balanced 15+ to 19+ point hand with a stopper in ... | |
| bridge -cards | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: Partner opens one diamond. With 16 points and all suits covered what is the response A: Since you did not describe your hand in more detail, the best I can do is to give you a general ... | |
| Bridge question | 1/9/2008 |
| Q: i have in my hand KJ108 and my partner have 9765. how do i need to play in order to loss only 1? ... A: The best play to lose only one trick with this combination is to first to run the 9 (play the 9 from ... | |
| weak-2NT | 1/5/2008 |
| Q: I opened with a weak 2d bid showing 6-9 points and 6 cards. opponents passed. My partner raised to 3 ... A: Bidding 3D over 2D is not a constructive bid. It usually shows three card diamond support and about ... | |
| bridge | 1/1/2008 |
| Q: explain negative double3 A: In simplest terms, if partner opens the bidding at the one level and the next hand overcalls then if ... | |
| preempt double | 12/31/2007 |
| Q: The dealers opening bid was 3 clubs. I passed, and the opening bidders partner passed. My partner ... A: Your partner is correct, the double is indeed a takeout double. Ideally his hand should be short in ... | |
| Tournament vs Contract Bridge | 12/29/2007 |
| Q: What differences are there between "Tournament Bridge" and "Contract Bridge"/ A: In rubber bridge each hand is dealt and played once, a score is determined for each hand based on ... | |
| Opening 2 or 3 bids | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: Other than the 2C opener (21+points), what is the difference between a 2 suit opener and a 3? A: In general an opening 3 bid requires a more distributional hand and a longer suit. To open 2 of a ... | |
| Bid out of rotation | 12/23/2007 |
| Q: South bid 1H out of turn when North was the dealer and I was asked to make a ruling. I have read the ... A: There was a bid out of turn. It occurred before anyone else had said anything and it was the ... | |
| Renege | 12/22/2007 |
| Q: Who and when should a renege be called. What if after the renege no further tricks are taken by the ... A: A revoke should be called as soon as it is discovered. The penalty for an established revoke is that ... | |
| Bidding in 5 card majors (SAYC) | 12/20/2007 |
| Q: Recently I had this hand: S - AJ85 H - 874 D - AJ92 C - K2 I opened 1D and partner bid 2C. I ... A: This hand presents a problem for which there is no attractive solution. That is why many people ... | |
| bridge questions | 11/22/2007 |
| Q: my partner opens the bidding with 1 club. The next person overcalls 1 heart. Now it is my bid. I ... A: 1. with the hand you describe you should pass, you have no other reasonable call. If you had 4 ... | |
| redouble | 11/21/2007 |
| Q: My partner opened with 1 D. Opponent passed. I bid 1 H. Opponent doubled and my partner redoubled. ... A: Partner is showing a hand that is quite strong and is suggesting that he might be interested in ... | |
| opp. interference | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: partner opened 1 nt. Opponents overcalled. How do I ask for majors (staymen) or use Jacoby ... A: It depends what they overcall. If they bid 2C you and your partner can agree to use a double to ask ... | |
| penalties for renegging | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: I was down to the last four cards of our hand. They were all mine. In fact, I could have claimed ... A: Unfortunately when you led to the next trick (the king of hearts) the revoke became established and ... | |
| an untold virtue of smith echoes | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: Once upon a time, when declarer got Suit A lead into his AQ against 3nt, had to finesse suit b, ... A: The only point I was trying to make is that thought and analysis is better than no thought and ... | |
| an untold virtue of smith echoes | 11/13/2007 |
| Q: Once upon a time, when declarer got Suit A lead into his AQ against 3nt, had to finesse suit b, ... A: As you astutely point out, this stategy would certainly tend to expose declarer's attempt at ... | |
| Marathon Bridge | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: What is the procedure when the wrong defender plays first? This came up today when I played first ... A: When a defender leads out of turn the declarer may either accept the lead in which case play ... | |
| redouble | 11/9/2007 |
| Q: South opens one club (convient minor), west doubles. Is it ok for me (north) to redouble if I have ... A: A redouble shows 10 or more points. It does not mean that you like clubs and are happy to play 1C ... | |
| 1 c | 11/8/2007 |
| Q: I passed my partner's 1 c opening bid with no support or points. Opponents passed. The contract was ... A: In Standard bidding if your hand is too weak to respond to an opening bid then you need to pass. ... | |
| 1 club | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: My partner opened 1C. Opponent passed. With 4 HCP, no fit I passed. My partner said that you have to ... A: In Standard American bidding you definitely do not have to respond to a 1C opening bid. If you were ... | |
| Irregularities | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: 1) Is it permitted for dummy to ask declarer, if he/she does not follow suit, if they have no more ... A: Sorry about the delay but I had informed the allexperts website that I would be away from 10/23 ... | |
| response to weak bid | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: I am 4th seat. The bidding: pass 2D(partner) pass ?(me) What should I bid with this ... A: You should pass. You have 12 points, your partner has at most 11 and could have only 5 or 6. It is ... | |
| Leading from wrong hand | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: As declarer, if I lead a card from my hand when I should have led from dummy, do I have to lead the ... A: Under the current laws you may lead any suit from dummy, it need not be the same suit as the card ... | |
| Regeging | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: How are the two penalty tricks counted when a reneg has occurred? Are they counted above or below ... A: The two penalty tricks are added to the other tricks won by the declarer to get the final total. The ... | |
| convenient minors | 10/13/2007 |
| Q: tell me how to use this bid. thank you A: In standard bidding in order to open one of a major suit you need to have 5 cards in that suit. ... | |
| bridge | 10/12/2007 |
| Q: Is there a way of learning how to force your opponent to be end-played in a hand? A: There are many books featuring card play technique and instruction which describe the general ... | |
| Big 2c opener | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: The last game that I played a north bid 1d and south bid 2c. South then yelled at North saying the ... A: I don't understand the question. You said that north opened 1D not 2C. The big 2C bid is an opening ... | |
| Scoring | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: Rubber Bridge: WE score a game. Then THEY score a game. WE score another game for a 500 rubber. Do ... A: They get the points that they earned during the course of the rubber, for example, if they bid and ... | |
| doubles and redoubles | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: after a takeout double and the opponent's redouble, is the doubler allowed to do any more doubling? A: If it goes double, redouble, pass, pass, the doubler is not allowed to double again...he must either ... | |
| bridge bidding | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: Sir...I have a question about a hand I played yesterday with a gentleman from Germany. He opened 1 ... A: I am afraid that your partner is correct. The double of a 1NT overcall is generally for penalty ... | |
| take out, overcall | 9/30/2007 |
| Q: 1. How many card support for unbidden suits is needed to bid takeout double 3 0r4 2 after 2 opening ... A: You should have 3 card support for the unbid suits. However, if you double a major suit it is ... | |
| No Trump Bidding | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: Your partner opens 2NT (20-21HCP) and you hold this hand: S:XXX H:XXX D:XX C: KJXXX What is ... A: Everything you say is definitely true...a greater point imbalance between the two hands in NT will ... | |
| continued bid | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: West dealer. I play south,4th hand bidding: W N E S PASS 1H ... A: Bidding 1S on the first round was fine. Your spade suit is not that good and you also gave partner ... | |
| Response to conv minor | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: I learned the English system first so I came rather late to the "convenient minor" idea and although ... A: There are also many hands with 6 card club suits in which 1NT plays well and 3C goes down a few ... | |
| Response to conv minor | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: I learned the English system first so I came rather late to the "convenient minor" idea and although ... A: Every system has its advantages and disadvantages. Given that there are a very limited number of ... | |
| Bidding over redouble | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: My LHO bids one D, partner doubles, RHO redoubles. I hold 10 82 KQxx Jxxxxxx. What is my bid? (I ... A: With six diamonds in your hand I would pass since now you have a fair chance of setting 1D and there ... | |
| short club | 8/29/2007 |
| Q: If my partner bids 1 club and I have 4 3 3 3 with 13 HCP what should I bid? A: Usually when one describe a hand the suits are listed in order of rank with spades first. Therefore ... | |
| Super expert 1 NT | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: kindly explain the above mentioned A: I am not familiar with any bridge convention called super expert 1NT. You nay be referring to super ... | |
| Responder | 8/26/2007 |
| Q: What should responder bid in response to 1C opener with the following hand? S-Q108 H- D-AKJ64 ... A: It depends on what system you are playing. If you are playing Standad American in which jump rebids ... | |
| Strong jump shift | 8/26/2007 |
| Q: What does a 2D response over a 1C opener mean in the 2 over 1 system? A: In the 2 over 1 system, the 2D response over a 1C opening bid is generally played as a strong jump ... | |
| Bridge Bidding question | 8/25/2007 |
| Q: My hand - Spades(10) Hearts(AQ108) Diamonds (A93) Clubs(KQJ96) - Bidding S(me) W N E ... A: This is a tough situation and there is no clear cut solution. If it were up to me, though, I would ... | |
| Quantative Bid | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: Please let me know what is Quantitative bid for 1Nt-4Nt or 2NT-4NT. Please explain in detail. Thanks A: A quantitative bid is natural, limited and shows a specific point range. The 1NT-4NT and 2NT-4NT ... | |
| response to short club bid | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: Partner opens with short club bid (1 club). I hold 1 club, 5 hearts, 4 spades and 3 diamonds. My ... A: You should pass. You have less than the 5 or 6 points required for a response. Some people play a ... | |
| short club opening | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: One lady at a seniors partnership bridge club, opened 1 club with 2 5-card majors, just to find out ... A: A partnership is allowed to employ any bidding method it chooses. In tournaments it is required that ... | |
| Bridge Etiquette | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: Hey there, I play bridge weekly with "The Bridge Ladies". They are called The Bridge Ladies because ... A: I very much enjoyed reading your narrative recounting your experiences past and present. Although, ... | |
| Convenient minor opening with no 5-card major | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: My partner opened 1D. I responded with 2D because I had 6-9 points and a biddable diamond suit. ... A: I think that in that situation if you have a 4 card major suit you should bid it. Your partner is ... | |
| responses to take out doubles | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: Response on the 1 level to take out double shows 0-8 points 1c(opponent) double(me) pass (op) ... A: You cannot know if partner has 0 points or 8 points any more than you can know if, for example, he ... | |
| bridge bidding | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: If a player makes a bid that is insufficient (1 heart over opponents 1 spade, for example), what are ... A: If the insufficient bid is corrected to the lowest sufficiet bid in the same denomination (to 2H in ... | |
| double | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: Opponents opened with 2S and my partner then doubled. Is this a takeout double? If my partner ... A: Partner made a takeout double. You should only bid NT with at least 8 points and a good stopper in ... | |
| overcall | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: Welcome back! Im modern systems and playing how many majors and what is the min and max points to ... A: With the hand you describe you should definitely double. You have support for all the unbid suits. ... | |
| overcall | 8/11/2007 |
| Q: Welcome back! Im modern systems and playing how many majors and what is the min and max points to ... A: If I understand your question correctly it is what is the minimum and maximum number of points ... | |
| duplicate bridge | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: What is duplicate bridge and how is it different from contract bridge A: Duplicate bridge is the main competitve form of contract bridge. The same prearranged hands are ... | |
| contract bridge | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: explain stamen convention A: The Stayman Convention is used after an opening 1NT bid by partner. The objective is to find a 4-4 ... | |
| Short Club | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: What exactly is a short club? I am learning and open 1C with 13HCP and 3C if I have 3C and 3D. If I ... A: Some people like to play that a 1D opening bid promises at least 4. In that case a hand with 2 ... | |
| scoring | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: WE bid 3 diamonds, opponent doubled. We made 3. Did we get doubled into game or slam? Thank you. A: You got doubled into game. 3D undoubled would give you 60 below the line, 3D doubled gives you 120 ... | |
| bridge | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: What does it mean when my partner opens with 2 clubs? A: Most people play that a 2C opening bid is strong and artificial. By artificial I mean it says ... | |
| Scoring | 6/30/2007 |
| Q: My opponent on my left bid "2 spades" (I had 6 spades in my hand.), my partner bid "3 diamonds", and ... A: Your double was illegal, you cannot double your partner's bid (as much as you might sometimes like ... | |
| 1h Opening bid what to respond | 6/30/2007 |
| Q: How do I respond to my partner's 1h opening bid with the following hand: S Q943, H A J7, D KQ , C K ... A: I would bid 1S. Partner will then further describe his hand. If he shows a minimum opening just bid ... | |
| Bridge deal probability | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: What is the probability of being dealt an all black or all red hand in a game of bridge? How is this ... A: The probability of any given distribution of cards is expressed as a fraction with the numerator ... | |
| ruling | 6/15/2007 |
| Q: RHO opened 1 spade. I have 14 points and 6 spades headed by KQJ. I double. LHO says 2 clubs and ... A: Not only is he not required to admit his mistake but it is improper for him to do so since it would ... | |
| Bidding | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: Opener holds: KQ K7 A842 AQT76 and opens 1C Responder holds: A67 AQ6 KQ67 J95 How ... A: It depends what your agreement is concerning a 3NT response. In old fashioned standard where 3NT ... | |
| ovecall | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: Is there a upper point limit in an over call and if so what? 2 examples 1. opp partner 1C ... A: The maximum strength for an overcall is about 16 points at the one level and 17 points at the two ... | |
| NT or 2 C | 6/9/2007 |
| Q: W N E S P P 1C 1H P 1S P 1NT I played ... A: The overcall is not a thing of beauty...terrible suit, no aces, mostly queens and jacks and a ... | |
| bridge question | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: SHould you have all four suits stopped to open 2NT or 2C where you plan to bid 2NT at your next bid? A: In a perfect world you should have all four suits stopped to make these bids but in bridge sometimes ... | |
| bridge question | 6/5/2007 |
| Q: Do you prefer 2D waiting or weak over a strong 2C opening by partner? Why? A: I prefer to play 2D as a waiting bid. In this auction, it is the 2C bidder who usually has the ... | |
| bridge question | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: Partner opens 1 NT; RHO bids 2S; I have 9 points and 4 hearts; How do I find out if my partner has 4 ... A: I assume you mean that you want to find out if partner has 4 hearts. Some experts play conventions ... | |
| bidding 51 | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: Opponents passed. My partner opened with 1D .I had 17 HCP, 5S and 4D. I bid 1 S. he then rebid 1 ... A: Sorry for the delay, I was out of town for the weekend. When you respond 1S you are allowed to have ... | |
| 3rs hand bid | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: W N E S P 1S ? What should South bid with 8 HCP, 1 S, ... A: What I would do is to bid 3H preemptive nonvul against vul but pass in all other situations since I ... | |
| Rubber brudge | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: I've been playing rubber bridge for a couple years. Right now, all I've done is get bad cards, but ... A: Below is what I found on the web. Apparently no one knows the origin of the term "rubber" not even ... | |
| Declaring when all the trumps haven't been gotten in | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: I was the defender in a bridge game today, and I'd just taken the last trick and was about to play ... A: In a contested claim by declarer, the result should be adjudicated as equitably as possible to both ... | |
| No Trump Bidding | 5/14/2007 |
| Q: Partner opens 1NT and you hold this hand S: JTXX H: JTXX D: KJXXX C: K You bid 2C (Stayman) and ... A: Assuming that your 1NT range is 15-17 I would bid 2NT invitational. A case can be made for just ... | |
| Bidding a minor after response to Stayman | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: North opens 1NT with the following hand: S AQxx H Qx D AJx C xxxx South responds 2C (Stayman) with ... A: Most people play that 3D is forcing to game, either worried about an unbid suit for NT or else ... | |
| point count values when bidding | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: What point count values would you use for having just the K and Q of diamonds? Personally, I always ... A: In general unsupported honors are worth less than their assigned point value. For example a ... | |
| rebid | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: bidding 1S(PARTNER) PASS (OP) 1 NT (ME) PASS 2C PASS ? I have ... A: Since you have 0-7 points, you do not have sufficient values for a positive response. You should ... | |
| responding after overcall | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: 1 am 1st seat and opened with 1D. My hand is 5D with A,K, 4S with Q, 4C with Q,J and void in H ... A: Bid 2C. You should not bid 1NT with a void in partner's suit. Bidding 2C describes your hand and ... | |
| overcall | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: My left hand opponent opened one diamond. I hold a hand of 14 HCP with a seven card spade suit ... A: In the old days that hand could be shown by a bid of 2S (14-17 points and a good 6 or 7 card suit). ... | |
| diamonds? | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: I am 3rd seat . partner opened 3S 4H(opponent) ? (me) I had 9HCP with 9! diamonds headed by KQJ ... A: I don't know what the vulnerability is but I would bid 5D. You have 8 probable diamond tricks and ... | |
| Bidding to Lay Down Grand Slam | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: During a recent Rubber Bridge game, my partner dealt and picked up a hand of: ... A: It seems like both of you have the king of spades. I wll assume partner has the queen instead. Roman ... | |
| bidding | 4/11/2007 |
| Q: My partner opened with 1 H. Our opponents did not bid at all. I had A, J, xxx in diamonds, xx in ... A: Assuming that you play that 2NT is game forcing, there is nothing wrong with making that bid. You ... | |
| 2/1 sequence | 4/10/2007 |
| Q: we play 2/1, and the following sequence arrived: 1S-P-2D-P-2S (doesnt show 6cds, just limits the ... A: This reminds me of the Master Solvers club in Bridge World magazine where a problem is given to a ... | |
| Bridge question | 4/10/2007 |
| Q: Would you open the following hand with both sides vulnerable? If so, would you open a Heart or a ... A: I would not open this hand. It would distort the strength of your hand and possibly grossly mislead ... | |
| response after opponents overcall | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: I am 3rd seat. the bidding: 1H(partner) 3S (opponent) Me? I had only 2 hearts but 7 D with ... A: There is no clear answer...a group of 10 experts might be equally divided between 4D or pass. ... | |
| Partner (N) 1nt doubled by E | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: In recent Swiss Team event, partner (N) with sp.A7,H.KQ862.,DJ87.,CK78, was doubled by (E) ... A: Playing a weak 1NT (12-14 or 13-15 points) has its advantages and its disadvantages. The bid has ... | |
| partner's bid | 3/21/2007 |
| Q: Please explain my partner's bid and is it correct I opened 1 C. Opponent passes and my partner ... A: Partner should respond 1H then bid 2H next time (or a minimum number of hearts depending on the ... | |
| response to overcall | 3/19/2007 |
| Q: bidding 1 D(OP-OPENING BID 1S(PARTNER) 2D(OP) ? (ME) I had 10 HCP 2s and 5 H . should I bid 2 ... A: It depends on your heart suit. You have enough points to bid but if your suit is terrible it might ... | |
| Bridge | 3/2/2007 |
| Q: I opened the bid with a club and my oppenent bid 2 spades. My partner passed and her partner passed ... A: I thought I had answered your question last week but I was just informed that the response was never ... | |
| weak bids | 2/26/2007 |
| Q: TO open with a weak bid or to bid a weak jump overcall, is it enough just to have 6/7 cards in the ... A: To make one of these bids it is necessary to have honors in the suit. The main feature of the hand ... | |
| response to bid | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: I am 3rd seat. My partner opens with 1 H. Opponent passed. I have 12 HCP, 3card support in hearts, ... A: Partner can have anywhere from 12 to about 21 points. You will get a clearer picture as the auction ... | |
| what a mess | 2/11/2007 |
| Q: Playing in a club game with both vul I (east) held: xxx AJx QJ10xxx x The bidding proceded by North ... A: it certainly was a mess. As far as your hand is concerned, your 1 diamond bid was fine. You should ... | |
| overcalling on high level | 1/28/2007 |
| Q: Opponent opened with 4 S. I had 6 H with K and J and 10 HCP. What should I bid. In general how many ... A: With only 10 HCP you do not have enough to bid over 4S. To overcall over 2 and 3 level bids you ... | |
| Bridge question | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: Had a question recently: Is there a term in bridge called "revolving lavinthal discarding? A: Lavinthal discards assigns a suit preference meaning to the first discard on any hand. Using normal ... | |
| response to 1 C | 1/20/2007 |
| Q: If my partner opens with 1C and I have 6+ points and 5D and 4 H should I respond 1 D or 1 H assuming ... A: If you have a minimum (6-8 points) your hand is probably worth only one bid unless partner shows a ... | |
| Jacoby Transfer in Bridge | 1/16/2007 |
| Q: I open 1nt and my partner answers 2h wanting to transfer to spades when do i announce that was a ... A: It certainly does need to be announced immediately. The purpose of the announcement it to provide ... | |
| rebid | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: I opened with 2H 6h, 2s,1d and 4 c- 10 hcp opponent passes / my parner responded 2s What does his ... A: After you open a weak 2 bid, a new suit by partner is forcing for at least one round. He should have ... | |
| which 1st, longest or strongest? | 1/6/2007 |
| Q: am I supposed to bid my longest or strongest suit? Do I reply with my longest or strongest? A: Generally when opening the bidding and also when responding you need to bid your longest suit first. ... | |
| reneging | 1/5/2007 |
| Q: I led trump spade, and my opponent threw off a diamond. I led a spade again, and she followed suit ... A: A player is obligated to correct a revoke on the current trick if it is brought to her attention ... | |
| preempts | 1/5/2007 |
| Q: I opened with 2 D . I had 4S-K,J 1H-6 2C-10,3 AND 6D headed by K,Q. Firstly,was this the correct ... A: You had a good 6 card diamond suit and 9 high card points. This is well within the parameters of an ... | |
| slam? | 1/1/2007 |
| Q: I opened the bidding with 1H. I had 20 points 5 H, 4 S, and 2 of each of the minors. Opponent passes ... A: Do not know the exact details of your hand but the normal bid would be 4S showing 18+ to 20 points ... | |
| bid after overcall | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: In general in SAYC or other systems if my parner bids a new sit on the 1 level after opponents ... A: Over a takeout double a new suit at the one level need only show 4 cards in the suit, otherwise it ... | |
| shut out bids | 12/5/2006 |
| Q: explain to me if there is an explanation, what a shut out bid really is. ive been told that a 3nt ... A: A shut out bid as defined by the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge is a preemptive opening at the 3 ... | |
| staymen | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: west opens one heart. pass pass. I sit south and bid 1NT with 15 pts and even distribution and 4 ... A: Some people play that the 2 club bid is Stayman, many of them go even further and have the ... | |
| penalty for reneging | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: The winner of the bid trumped a trick (when he actually had one of the suit led), proceeded to take ... A: This situation is an established revoke. The penalty is that the offending side forfeits the trick ... | |
| bridge sitoation for experts | 10/30/2006 |
| Q: against 4 spade (south) west starts with q club - find a contract that will work against ANY ... A: I would play the A and K of clubs on the first trick, draw 3 rounds of trumps and then lead the 2 of ... | |
| game forcing bids | 10/29/2006 |
| Q: how many high card points to make a game forcing bid. is a jump shift a game forcing bid requiring ... A: As an opening bidder you would need 22 points to make a game forcing bid. Alternatively, you could ... | |
| Short Club Convention | 10/27/2006 |
| Q: Now I'm curious if the short club is still used and a brief explanation if you don't mind. Thanks ... A: Actually I have not heard the expression "convenient minor" used in my area of the country. Instead ... | |
| What is a convenient minor? | 10/25/2006 |
| Q: Out of the bridge loop for a # of years. Folks are asking me if I bid a "convenient minor"? It is ... A: Convenient minor probably refers to the New Minor Forcing convention. Assume that the auction ... | |
| 1 NT ? | 10/22/2006 |
| Q: My partner opened 1 NT. Opponent passed . I had 7 S and 14 points. How do I respond? ... A: If your other points included an Ace or 2 kings the simplest approach would be to bid 4C Gerber to ... | |
| 1 NT ? | 10/21/2006 |
| Q: My partner opened 1 NT. Opponent passed . I had 7 S and 14 points. How do I respond? A: In Standard bidding you can just bid 4S. If you play transfers you could bid 2H telling partner to ... | |
| bid 10 | 10/16/2006 |
| Q: Please explain the difference in number of H and number of points between 1S 2H AND 1S 3H ... A: The minimum requirements to overcall 2H vary with the vulnerability. If you are not vulnerable you ... | |
| interference | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: In general how do I respond to partner's opening bid if my natural bid is taken by opponent's ... A: According to your question, you are still able to bid 2H. If instead of 1S, the opponent bid 2S then ... | |
| bid10 | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: please explain the bid pass 2h pass 4s A: 4S here says you want to play in 4S. You've heard your partner and you know he has a weak two bid in ... | |
| bid 10 | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: Please explain the difference in number of H and number of points between 1S 2H AND 1S 3H A: In Standard American bidding, 1S 2H requires a minimum of 10 points and 5 hearts. It is forcing for ... | |
| Bridge rukes | 10/13/2006 |
| Q: when do you bid a reverse? Or, what IS a reverse bid A: A reverse is rebid (second bid) by opener or else by responder that is at the 2 level or higher and ... | |
| Michaels Convention | 10/7/2006 |
| Q: Playing on MSN the other evening, my partner made a constructive comment in a very pleasant manner. ... A: "Never" is pretty strong word. Usually cuebids of enemy weak 2 bids can be used to describe a ... | |
| Renighing | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: Not sure of the spelling-- but I would like to know if there are any other rules pertaining to this ... A: A renege or revoke is established when the offending side plays or designates a card to be played to ... | |
| bidding | 9/19/2006 |
| Q: can you explain the responses to a 2 d (multi) opening bid(6 card major, 7-10 points) and what are ... A: I will list the responses and rebids, going into an in depth discussion would just get too long and ... | |
| duplicate bridge laws | 9/16/2006 |
| Q: Could you explain the meaning of LAW 45C4b. Thanks! A: I assume you are referring to the section that addresses the Correction of Inadvertent Designation. ... | |
| Bridge | 8/19/2006 |
| Q: Would like an overview on how to use the Staymen Convention A: The Stayman Convention uses a response of 2C over a 1NT opening bid in order to enable the ... | |
| chicago bridge | 8/16/2006 |
| Q: My question concerns Chcago bridge scoring. For instance, the first hand declarer bids 2 spades and ... A: The 60 goes below the line and the 30 goes above the line...same as rubber bridge. However, your ... | |
| Bidding | 6/19/2006 |
| Q: My partner 1NT [16 to 18 points] I held the following: Jxxxxxxx xx xxx void What ... A: If partner has the right cards you will make 4S, if he does not you might have no play for it. If he ... | |
| Stamen (sp?) | 6/2/2006 |
| Q: I have been playing bridge for many, many years but mostly social and am afraid I am still stuck ... A: Sorry for the delay but I was away during the weekend. The Stayman convention, or "Stayman" as it ... | |
| Playing rules | 1/20/2006 |
| Q: Declarer is playing at 6 NT. 11 cards have been played and he is on the board where there are 2 ... A: Sorry that I took longer than I normally do to respond but when I tried last night, the website was ... | |
| Bidding | 9/14/2005 |
| Q: South hand KQ5 4567 AK87 78 North hand 5 A Q 10 9 9654 AK54 ... A: Usually North would open 1D with a 1-4-4-4 distribution which wound tend to give him more flexibity ... | |
| SCORING A REVOKE | 6/11/2005 |
| Q: I DO NOT PLAY DUPLICATE BRIDGE BUT THIS IS MY QUESTION. IF MY BID IS 2 HEARTS AND MY OPPONENT ... A: A revoke is established as soon as either member of the offending side leads or plays to the next ... | |
| Bidding | 4/11/2005 |
| Q: Cards are dealt, you pick up the following hand AKQ6, KJ653, 95, 65 You count 14 points (13 HCP ... A: Most bridge players generally use point count systems to evaluate the strength of a hand and it is ... | |
| Bidding Diamonds | 10/31/2004 |
| Q: My group and I play that open 1D with 4 pcs, 1C with three, 1H/1S must have 5 pieces. When my P ... A: Although in the early days of bridge it was common to respond up-the-line, bidding diamonds first, a ... | |
| Best Discards? | 10/26/2004 |
| Q: My partner and I are SLM players competing in events like Life Master Pairs, Blue Ribbon Pairs, etc. ... A: You and your partner appear to be experts in your own right so there's probably not that much I can ... | |
| Bergan convention | 9/13/2004 |
| Q: my p opens 1 heart, I hold 4 hearts and have 8 points my bid sh be 3c in bergan but the opposition ... A: If an opponent makes an intervening bid then most people play that the Bergen bids no longer apply ... | |
| leading out of turn | 9/4/2004 |
| Q: When defender leads out of turn, what are options? Can any lead be called, or is it a choice of the ... A: When a defender leads out of turn the declarer may either accept the lead in which case play ... | |
| bidding | 5/31/2004 |
| Q: my friend and i both play weak 2's.i held the following hand AKxxx AKx Axx Ax i opened 2 clubs and ... A: This is a borderline hand that many experts would disagree on depending on their style. Opening 2C ... | |
| Revolving discards | 10/1/2003 |
| Q: I have arranged to play "revolving discards" with a new partner - her description is totally ... A: This is a method of discarding which assigns a suit preference meaning to the first discard on any ... | |
| bridge bidding question | 8/17/2003 |
| Q: In the following disaster, how do you assess blame? North (Dealer, white against red, IMPs, playing ... A: In Bridge World magazine a disaster hand is occasionally presented and a number of experts are asked ... | |
| bidding in response to take out dbl | 8/13/2003 |
| Q: please settle this for us-pard makes take out dbl of say 1c by opponent-the other opponent (pards ... A: In the situation you describe, assuming everyone is telling the truth, it is unlikely that your hand ... | |
| Bridge | 8/4/2003 |
| Q: The declarer has just won a trick in the dummy. Now he leads a card from his hand. Is this a ... A: Sorry for the delay but I was out of town for a few days. According to section 55B of the Laws of ... | |
| Playing on line | 7/7/2003 |
| Q: How do I find players to play on line with? A: Two of the best sites are www.acbl.com and www.okbridge.com. They have small monthly fees but have ... | |
| bidding | 7/2/2003 |
| Q: What does it mean when my LH opponent bids a suit as the opener and my partner bids the same suit at ... A: The classical meaning for this bid by your partner (called a cuebid) is to show a very powerful hand ... | |
| bridge play/bid | 5/7/2003 |
| Q: 1. holding AJXXXXX opposite 10 9-----WHAT is percentage play for one loser-please explain % ... A: 1. Taking the double finesse is the best play for one loser. There are 16 different ways that the ... | |
Unhunk
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions on bidding and on cardplay with the caveat that the former may necessarily involve some subjectivity. I have been playing tournament bridge for over 20 years and I have won several regional tournaments.
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