Monday, May 30, 2016

1NT: Responder has a 6 card major and also a 4 card major

If you are not sure what Stayman is, please check out the previous Stayman posts before reading this one:
Introducing Stayman
Responding to Stayman

You also need to know what Jacoby Transfers are so first read this post: Introducing Jacoby Transfers.
Then read this post: Jacoby Transfers - Completing the Transfer

Partner opened the bidding 1NT (15 to 17). What do I do with this hand:
♠KQ9432
AJ82
9
♣83

I know one thing. I need to get this partnership to game. I have 10 HCP and Partner opened the bidding 1NT. Together we have the values for game. But do I settle for 4♠ knowing we have a fit? (After all Partner must have 2 ♠ in order to open 1NT.) Or do I try to find a 4-4 fit in ? If I want to play in ♠ I need to make a transfer bid. If I want to try to play in I need to start with Stayman. Which is it?

If I have at least 8 HCP I am going to bid Stayman. That way I get the best of both worlds. If I find a 4-4 fit in we will play there. If I do not find a fit in a major through Stayman I will simply bid 4♠ later on. Partner will know I have 6-4 in the majors. After all I must have a 6 card ♠ suit to bid game in that suit when Partner is only promising 2. However I started off with Stayman. I must have a 4 card major. That must be .

So if Partner opens the bidding 1NT (15 to 17) and I have this hand:
♠KQ9432
AJ82
9
♣83

I will bid 2♣. Partner will respond either:
2 -- When Partner responds 2 I give up on any 4-4 fit I might have been dreaming of. But I do know we have a game in ♠ so I just bid 4♠. We have the values for game, we have a fit.
2 -- When Partner responds 2 I know we have a 4-4 fit and I know we have enough for game. I bid 4. Partner will not expect that ♠ suit!
2♠ -- When Partner responds 2♠ I know we have a game in ♠ so I just bid 4♠. We have the values for game, we have a fit. I have 2 more ♠ than I promised and I'm sure Partner will be happy with that!

What happens if Partner opens the bidding 1NT (15 to 17) and I have this hand:
♠KQ9432
AQ82
9
♣AK

With this hand I know we have the values for a small slam. Same principle applies, I start off with Stayman. But this time I bid a small slam rather than game. That's where we want to play.

So I will bid 2♣. Partner will respond either:
2 -- When Partner responds 2 I give up on any 4-4 fit I might have been dreaming of. But I do know we have a slam in ♠ so I just bid 6♠. We have the values for slam, we have a fit.
2 -- When Partner responds 2 I know we have a 4-4 fit and I know we have enough for slam. I bid 6. Partner will not expect that ♠ suit!
2♠ -- When Partner responds 2♠ I know we have a slam in ♠ so I just bid 6♠. We have the values for slam, we have a fit. I have 2 more ♠ than I promised and I'm sure Partner will be happy with that!

Note:
With any hand with 6-4 distribution (that means one 6 card suit and one 4 card suit) you can easily take more tricks than you would think you should make going by point count alone. If Partner has the right cards for you, you can make a game or even slam with fewer high cards than you would expect. At this stage in your bridge career it is VERY difficult to know when to bid higher and when not to bid higher. For now I will say stick to the point count system you know. You won't get too high. But on some hands you will make games when you don't have the values and also make slams when you don't have the values. That is because your hand and your Partner's hand fit well together. When you get better you can figure these things out. For right now, stick with the simple stuff you know. But if you are a little more daring, you can also always just bid games or slams with fewer values taking a chance that you will make them. That is fun also, as long as you don't mind going down if things don't work out.

What happens if Partner opens the bidding 1NT (15 to 17) and I have this unfortunate hand:
♠Q96432
Q842
9
♣32

With this hand I know we don't have the values for game. I can't bid Stayman because I need 8 HCP to do that. I need to give up on any 4-4 fit we might have. I bid 2 which is a transfer to ♠. When Partner bids 2♠ I will Pass. That's where we want to play.

So with that in mind what do you do with each of the following hands if Partner opens the bidding 1NT (15-17)? Then what do you do with each of the possible responses Partner can make?

Hand 1

♠KQ9432
AJ82
9
♣A3



Hand 2

♠AKJT95
QJ72
QT
♣5



Hand 3

♠AQJT
AJ6543
J4
♣Q



Hand 4

♠KQJ986
AK52

♣J98



Hand 5

♠KT9532
AQT8

♣JT9



Hand 6

♠AQ9742
K732
J6
♣K



Hand 7

♠QT93
QT8653
93
♣T



Hand 8

♠AT8532
KQ86
J2
♣6



Hand 9

♠Q752
AQ6543

♣Q75



Hand 10

♠Q98532
8542

♣T97



Hand 11

♠KJT874
9532
J
♣83



Hand 12

♠J742
AKJ975
A8
♣5



Hand 13

♠T98763
KT43
Q9
♣3



Hand 14

♠AQJ862
AK84
A3
♣J



Hand 15

♠Q942
AK9765
J4
♣9



Hand 16

♠T976
JT8643
4
♣A9



Hand 17

♠T86542
AJ97
76
♣8



Hand 18

♠Q632
AQJ963
JT
♣T



Hand 19

♠Q983
JT9872
9
♣J4



Hand 20

♠7653
AKQJ54
3
♣85



Hand 21

♠T863
AKQ983
A5
♣9



Hand 22

♠J985
AJT754
2
♣A2



Hand 23

♠T642
KT8652
9
♣Q4



Hand 24

♠A97632
J763
T87




Hand 25

♠AQ8653
7632
8
♣98



Hand 26

♠AJ9543
J863
4
♣32



Hand 27

♠A543
KQ8752
QT
♣8



Hand 28

♠K98542
KT64
8
♣94



Hand 29

♠KQ9654
AJT6
42
♣7



Hand 30

♠AJT6
KT9863

♣A63



Hand 31

♠AT83
AQT632
8
♣A9



Hand 32

♠J943
JT9864
6
♣QT



Hand 33

♠AJT2
AKJ932
5
♣94



Hand 34

♠Q932
KT9852
8
♣53



Hand 35

♠A942
KQT654
9
♣A2



Hand 36

♠T972
KJ9862
T8
♣8



Hand 37

♠AT9743
K964
4
♣A7



Hand 38

♠JT9764
QJT2
5
♣84



Hand 39

♠AJ9876
KT95
6
♣A6



Hand 40

♠QJ9543
KJ73

♣KQ7



Hand 41

♠QJ86
AKQJT7
J2
♣T



Hand 42

♠AT9743
J854
9
♣J5



Hand 43

♠K876
AQJT72
Q9
♣7



Hand 44

♠JT9865
T982
3
♣T4



Hand 45

♠KT65
AKJT74
T8
♣9



Hand 46

♠9874
T76542
4
♣AJ



Hand 47

♠AQT543
KJ94

♣A72



Hand 48

♠JT9875
K752
JT5




Hand 49

♠AQT972
AT54
A
♣A6



Hand 50

♠AKJ2
AQJ532
K6
♣9



Hand 51

♠AJ8753
Q862
K
♣AT



Hand 52

♠T764
KQJ873
843




Hand 53

♠JT94
JT9652
T2
♣6



Hand 54

♠AK42
KQJT98
8
♣T8



Hand 55

♠AK5432
8764
94
♣A



Hand 56

♠AK96
AKJ875
A8
♣9



Hand 57

♠Q752
Q95432
5
♣53



Hand 58

♠K952
AQJT52
5
♣Q8



Hand 59

♠QT9762
8532

♣Q93



Hand 60

♠AKQ986
QJ96
Q7
♣T



Hand 61

♠K864
QJ7654
5
♣98



Hand 62

♠QJ98
JT8543

♣T65



Hand 63

♠AKQT83
T764
74
♣J



Hand 64

♠AKT654
K964
9
♣82



Hand 65

♠KQT653
KJT7
Q
♣52



Hand 66

♠A98654
A752
A3
♣2



Hand 67

♠AT9542
J982
T2
♣4



Hand 68

♠KT53
AKT954
KT8




Hand 69

♠8743
Q96432
K6
♣4



Hand 70

♠AKJ983
K862
3
♣J5



Hand 71

♠KQJ975
AK83
94
♣6



Hand 72

♠AJ9764
A652
A
♣54



Hand 73

♠AT82
J98642
T
♣J4



Hand 74

♠KJ8743
9763
AK5




Hand 75

♠AKQ873
AKJ2
4
♣J3



Hand 76

♠QJT863
A763
A
♣87



Hand 77

♠KQT973
AJ86
9
♣A6



Hand 78

♠QJ83
AKT852
Q94




Hand 79

♠AJT9
KQJT86
Q9
♣T



Hand 80

♠Q542
KT9764
76
♣9



Hand 81

♠KJT3
AJ9832
A6
♣9



Hand 82

♠KQJ952
A873
96
♣3



Hand 83

♠A96432
A532
7
♣A5



Hand 84

♠AKT853
QJ63
62
♣Q



Hand 85

♠K954
K97632
94
♣A



Hand 86

♠AKJ8
AQT943
A94




Hand 87

♠KQ75
KQJ843
2
♣T6



Hand 88

♠KT73
QJ8732
3
♣62



Hand 89

♠AQ9753
AT85
QJ8




Saturday, May 28, 2016

Rebidding your original suit - Spades

Once you opened the bidding 1♠ and partner responds 1NT, if you have a 6 card ♠ suit you want to rebid your suit. If you rebid 2♠ you show a minimum opening hand with a 6 card ♠ suit. If you have more values you can jump to 3♠ to show 16 to 18 HCP with a GOOD 6 card ♠ suit. Note that you do NOT get to count distribution points here. You have no idea you and your partner have a fit. This is High Card Points only!

Opener Responder
1♠ 1NT
2♠ Partner I have about 13 to 15 HCP and 6 ♠
3♠ Partner I have about 16 to 18 HCP and a GOOD 6 card ♠ suit


With that in mind on all the following hands you opened the bidding 1♠. Partner responded 1NT. It is your turn to bid again. What will you bid and what does it say about your hand?

Hand 1

♠AQJ986
T
J98
♣AQ4



Hand 2

♠AKQ764
QJT
Q5
♣QJ



Hand 3

♠AKQT52
QJ8
KQ
♣JT



Hand 4

♠AQJ654
AK5
A8
♣52



Hand 5

♠KQT543
AK8
Q
♣753



Hand 6

♠KQJ983
AKJ
8
♣K74



Hand 7

♠AKQJ82
J87
Q
♣KJ3



Hand 8

♠AKQJT2
Q7
84
♣KJ9



Hand 9

♠AKT954
K74
AQ
♣Q3



Hand 10

♠AKT976
K84
6
♣K74



Hand 11

♠AQT874
K98
9
♣A96



Hand 12

♠KQJT74
K64
AJ8
♣3



Hand 13

♠KQT964
A6
A5
♣A62



Hand 14

♠AQJ872
T7
Q96
♣A9



Hand 15

♠AQJ943
KQJ
Q
♣JT9



Hand 16

♠AKQJ94
K96
QJ5
♣J



Hand 17

♠KQ9653
4
AQ2
♣AJ7



Hand 18

♠AQT954
K2
AK9
♣75



Hand 19

♠AQT743
Q54
KJ9
♣K



Hand 20

♠KQJ984
K76
AJ
♣83



Hand 21

♠AKQ954
Q6
JT3
♣J2



Hand 22

♠AKT932
Q5
Q2
♣AQ6



Hand 23

♠AKQT87
JT8
KQ
♣J3



Hand 24

♠AKQJ97
KJ9
AT8
♣2



Hand 25

♠AQJT86
JT5
KQ
♣T7



Hand 26

♠AKQT52
84
J83
♣A2



Hand 27

♠AQ8732
9
AK9
♣QJ6



Hand 28

♠AQ9432
J2
A5
♣K83



Hand 29

♠KQJ973
AK
A65
♣T3



Hand 30

♠T98654
AK2
AT8
♣A



Hand 31

♠KQJT95
KQ
KQ7
♣43



Hand 32

♠AK8652
J98
7
♣AJ3



Hand 33

♠KQJ976
KJ8
KJ
♣76



Hand 34

♠AQJT74
A63
963
♣Q



Hand 35

♠AKJ972
A3
KJ8
♣65



Hand 36

♠AKQJT2
J3
Q97
♣KT



Hand 37

♠AKQ962
A83
QJ2
♣7



Hand 38

♠AQ9865
K4
K2
♣JT7



Hand 39

♠AQ9542
T74
K
♣KQ8



Hand 40

♠AKQ642
A
QJT
♣J43



Hand 41

♠AKJ652
Q2
J9
♣AJ3



Hand 42

♠AKQJ87
K87
J83
♣Q



Hand 43

♠AJ8653
Q5
AK
♣AT2



Hand 44

♠AKJ974
A5
Q86
♣A5



Hand 45

♠AQT987
QJ6
Q8
♣Q7



Hand 46

♠AQJT85
42
AK7
♣QJ



Hand 47

♠KQJT54
Q2
JT9
♣AK



Hand 48

♠KJ9632
Q42
AK
♣Q2



Hand 49

♠AKQ876
Q83
7
♣AQJ



Hand 50

♠AQ9752
QT3
AT
♣Q7



Hand 51

♠AQJ652
Q2
A84
♣62



Hand 52

♠AKT984
AJ4
J6
♣KQ



Hand 53

♠AQT943
8
K94
♣A54



Hand 54

♠AJ9865
T6
KQ
♣KQ6



Hand 55

♠AQJ972
AJ5
K3
♣J2



Hand 56

♠AKQ872
AT6
J53
♣K



Hand 57

♠KQT965
Q98
T
♣AQ4



Hand 58

♠AKJ864
K8
AJ4
♣72



Hand 59

♠KJ8753
K73
AQ5
♣J



Hand 60

♠AKQ872
K73
AT2
♣J



Friday, May 27, 2016

Rebidding your original suit - Hearts

Once you opened the bidding 1 and partner responds at the 1 level (either 1♠ or 1NT), if you can’t support partner you need to make another bid. If you decide to bid your again you should have more length than you originally promised. After all you don’t want to keep telling partner what you already told them! You told them you had 5 when you opened the bidding. If you rebid 2 you show a minimum opening hand with a 6 card suit. If you have more values you can jump to 3 to show 16 to 18 HCP with a GOOD 6 card suit. Note that you do NOT get to count distribution points here. You have no idea you and your partner have a fit. This is High Card Points only!

Opener Responder
1 1♠ or 1NT
2 Partner I have about 13 to 15 HCP and 6
3 Partner I have about 16 to 18 HCP and a GOOD 6 card suit


With that in mind, on all the following hands you opened the bidding 1. Partner responded 1♠. It is your turn to bid again. What will you bid and what does it say about your hand?

Hand 1

♠6
AKJT52
AQ9
♣AT9



Hand 2

♠QT
AKQ653
92
♣Q93



Hand 3

♠AQT
KQJ642
J96
♣A



Hand 4

♠AQ7
AKQJ94
9
♣542



Hand 5

♠43
AQ6542
A5
♣KJ6



Hand 6

♠Q8
AJ7542
K2
♣K74



Hand 7

♠AT7
AT7643
A95
♣Q



Hand 8

♠QJ3
AK9732
86
♣AK



Hand 9

♠J52
AKQJ32
AK8
♣9



Hand 10

♠AJ
AKQJT2
J5
♣QT7



Hand 11

♠T7
AQT543
A32
♣K7



Hand 12

♠KJ7
KJ8763
5
♣AJT



Hand 13

♠AJ7
KQT763
Q4
♣A9



Hand 14

♠AT7
AQT653
A7
♣A7



Hand 15

♠KQJ
KJ8742
T7
♣AT



Hand 16

♠Q32
AKQT53
A52
♣3



Hand 17

♠T4
AK8542
KQ
♣A65



Hand 18

♠842
AQJ976
Q8
♣AT



Hand 19

♠Q74
AKJT82
KQ
♣Q8



Hand 20

♠A8
AQJ752
J3
♣Q63



Hand 21

♠Q87
AKT964
A74
♣8



Hand 22

♠AJ
KQJ654
T3
♣AJ3



Hand 23

♠K84
KQJ432
A4
♣42



Hand 24

♠AK3
AJ9542
KJ
♣42



Hand 25

♠QJ6
AKQJ62
Q
♣K92



Hand 26

♠K
AKQJ73
Q86
♣K65



Hand 27

♠Q54
AQJT86
QJ
♣J3



Hand 28

♠J6
AQJ876
Q5
♣AQJ



Hand 29

♠Q82
AQT985
K9
♣Q5



Hand 30

♠KT6
QJT532
KJ
♣KQ



Hand 31

♠KQ6
AQ6432
K5
♣Q4



Hand 32

♠AJ
AQJT42
K74
♣J4



Hand 33

♠J
AKQJ73
Q53
♣J62



Hand 34

♠J93
KQJT63
KT
♣QJ



Hand 35

♠KQJ
AQT542
5
♣A83



Hand 36

♠AQ
KJT764
AQ
♣Q52



Hand 37

♠A9
AKQT43
K6
♣T64



Hand 38

♠AKJ
QJ9732
Q
♣QJ6



Hand 39

♠8
AKQT73
AT9
♣QJ3



Hand 40

♠A62
AKT754
Q7
♣A9



Hand 41

♠KQ
AKJT65
AJ2
♣T3



Hand 42

♠K9
AKJT86
K2
♣964



Hand 43

♠A42
AKQ765
K
♣843



Hand 44

♠KJ
AJ9632
KJ2
♣95



Hand 45

♠K6
AQJ862
KT
♣KJ4



Hand 46

♠K8
AKJ932
A7
♣J74



Hand 47

♠432
AKT643
A
♣K97



Hand 48

♠Q4
AKJ732
32
♣A85



Hand 49

♠AK5
A87653
AK4
♣5



Hand 50

♠A53
JT8653
A
♣AQ9



Hand 51

♠KT7
T87632
AJ
♣AK



Hand 52

♠K2
AKQ543
J3
♣642



Hand 53

♠A2
AQ9643
A65
♣72



Hand 54

♠754
AK8652
K5
♣K3



Hand 55

♠K72
AQJT96
T2
♣A2



Hand 56

♠3
AKQJ64
852
♣AT6



Hand 57

♠AT2
KQJ754
KJ4
♣K



Hand 58

♠AK7
A96542
9
♣K43



Hand 59

♠AK2
KQJT82
K7
♣52



Hand 60

♠KT8
AKQT53
2
♣J92