NO void
NO singleton
Not more than ONE doubleton
Here are four typical balanced hands:
| Hand A | Hand B | Hand C | Hand D |
| ♠A63 ♥K83 ♦Q984 ♣A54 |
♠A63 ♥K83 ♦QJ84 ♣KQ4 |
♠AK3 ♥K83 ♦QJ84 ♣KQ4 |
♠AK3 ♥K83 ♦KQJ4 ♣KQ4 |
| 13 HCP | 15 HCP | 18 HCP | 21 HCP |
All four hands are very balanced. All four hands want to play in NT. But each hand is slightly different in terms of point count. We can't bid Hand A the same way we bid Hand D. Hand A is a minimum opener while Hand D has almost enough for game in their own hand! How do we show Partner that our hand is balanced but also tell Partner about our point count?
Hand B is easy to bid. Open the bidding 1NT. This shows a balanced hand with 15 to 17 HCP.
Hand D is also easy to bid. Open the bidding 2NT. This shows a balanced hand with 20 or 21 HCP.
Hands A and C are a little more difficult. We can't tell everything to Partner right away. We need to show our hand on our REBID. That means on the first bid we make Partner doesn't know much. But after Partner bids and we make another bid we can describe our hand perfectly!
So on Hand A we will open the bidding 1♦. This doesn't tell Partner much. But assuming Partner responds 1 of a major (say 1♥) we can now rebid 1NT. This shows a hand that is balanced (since we are bidding NT when we have other choices to make) and also a hand that was too weak to open 1NT in the first place. So about 13 or 14 HCP. (Maybe a good 12 HCP.)
On Hand C we will open the bidding 1♦. This again doesn't tell Partner much and certainly doesn't tell Partner we have a big hand. But assuming Partner responds 1 of a major (say 1♥) we can now JUMP in our rebid to 2NT. This shows a hand that is balanced (since we are bidding NT when we have other choices to make) and also a hand that was too strong to open 1NT but too weak to open 2NT. So about 18 or 19 HCP.
| 13-14 HCP and a balanced hand | Open 1 of a suit and rebid 1NT |
| 15-17 HCP and a balanced hand | Open 1NT |
| 18-19 HCP and a balanced hand | Open 1 of a suit and rebid 2NT |
| 20-21 HCP and a balanced hand | Open 2NT |
Question: Should I show a balanced hand if I have support for Partner's major?
Answer: NO. You should always support your Partner's major first!
Question: If I have a balanced hand with a four card ♠ suit should I rebid 1♠ or rebid 1NT to show my balanced hand?
Answer: You should always show your ♠ suit first! More on that later...
Armed with all that information let's see how well you do on these examples.
On the following hands what would you open? (Tip: count your HCP to decide!) If you opened 1 of a minor what will you respond if Partner bids 1♥? What does your bid tell your Partner?
Hand 1
♠A84
♥KT3
♦KJ62
♣QJ2
Hand 2
♠QJ2
♥AJ9
♦K753
♣AK5
Hand 3
♠QJ3
♥AK6
♦AQJ
♣QJ87
Hand 4
♠K65
♥AK84
♦A3
♣QJT2
Hand 5
♠K65
♥AQ4
♦AK92
♣K54
Hand 6
♠AKQ
♥AK3
♦Q862
♣Q62
Hand 7
♠KQT9
♥Q72
♦AK
♣J732
Hand 8
♠QJ3
♥AQJ
♦KQ73
♣QJ9
Hand 9
♠A92
♥AT9
♦JT83
♣AQ2
Hand 10
♠K74
♥KT3
♦AT64
♣QJ3
Hand 11
♠AQJ
♥K64
♦A642
♣AT2
Hand 12
♠QJT
♥AKJ
♦KJT9
♣KT8
Hand 13
♠AK
♥AQ42
♦A964
♣K82
Hand 14
♠A64
♥953
♦KT74
♣AQ7
Hand 15
♠AQ9
♥A543
♦A5
♣AQ73
Hand 16
♠AKQ
♥K92
♦KJ83
♣QJ3
Hand 17
♠A62
♥763
♦AKT9
♣Q43
Hand 18
♠8543
♥A98
♦AJT7
♣AQ
Hand 19
♠AJ2
♥QJ9
♦KQT2
♣KQJ
Hand 20
♠Q94
♥KT2
♦AQJ6
♣Q87
Hand 21
♠KJ53
♥Q97
♦AK9
♣AK4
Hand 22
♠K6
♥AJ7
♦A9765
♣AKQ
Hand 23
♠AQ9
♥K62
♦AKT3
♣K73
Hand 24
♠JT4
♥KQ3
♦AQ74
♣QT2
Hand 25
♠KT6
♥KQ6
♦AKJ8
♣Q43
Hand 26
♠KJ8
♥A95
♦QJT6
♣K85
Hand 27
♠A85
♥A52
♦KT8
♣AKQ2
Hand 28
♠AK6
♥A5
♦QT97
♣AK72
Hand 29
♠K86
♥KQ4
♦KQ82
♣AJT
Hand 30
♠A54
♥AK8
♦T432
♣K98
Hand 31
♠AT2
♥AJ9
♦QJ76
♣AQ2
Hand 32
♠J652
♥AQT2
♦A4
♣AKQ
Hand 33
♠AJ
♥T43
♦KQ7
♣AQ964
Hand 34
♠AJ5
♥A74
♦KJT7
♣AJ2
Hand 35
♠AQ6
♥KQ9
♦A975
♣A62
Hand 36
♠KQ6
♥KJ8
♦Q32
♣AJ97
Hand 37
♠JT4
♥A84
♦AJ74
♣A32
Hand 38
♠J75
♥AK73
♦AT64
♣A4
Hand 39
♠AJ4
♥Q95
♦QJ73
♣K94
Hand 40
♠AJ98
♥AQ9
♦KQ
♣KQ32
Hand 41
♠KQ54
♥KT
♦J95
♣AQ42
Hand 42
♠K96
♥AQT
♦AQT3
♣A86
Hand 43
♠AJ
♥AK4
♦Q986
♣AK65
Hand 44
♠JT83
♥A74
♦AK83
♣K5
Hand 45
♠KJ8
♥A75
♦KJ92
♣Q95
Hand 46
♠Q97
♥A43
♦AJT3
♣Q52
Hand 47
♠AQ6
♥K9
♦AQ763
♣AJ4
Hand 48
♠AQ3
♥AQ8
♦KJ93
♣K32
Hand 49
♠A3
♥AKJ6
♦K83
♣AQ84
Hand 50
♠AK5
♥J97
♦A862
♣Q84
Hand 51
♠A74
♥AK2
♦AQ95
♣J85
Hand 52
♠A965
♥A8
♦JT2
♣AQT7
Hand 53
♠AKJ7
♥AJ8
♦A2
♣QJ83
Hand 54
♠A974
♥K87
♦Q32
♣AQ3
Hand 55
♠AK8
♥A65
♦KJ72
♣QJ6
Hand 56
♠KQ7
♥K8
♦K98
♣AKQT9
Hand 57
♠QT6
♥AQT2
♦K96
♣AT5
Hand 58
♠KQJ3
♥KT
♦832
♣AK43
Hand 59
♠AK95
♥KJ3
♦KQ96
♣A8
Hand 60
♠K94
♥KJ6
♦A987
♣QJ5
Hand 61
♠A82
♥AQ62
♦AQT3
♣A3
Hand 62
♠K74
♥T8
♦AQT9
♣AK64
Hand 63
♠AQJ
♥QT8
♦KJ76
♣762
Hand 64
♠AQJ
♥AKQ
♦QT64
♣653
Hand 65
♠KJ6
♥AKQ5
♦72
♣A952
Hand 66
♠Q95
♥KJ7
♦AKJ9
♣KJ5
Hand 67
♠KT5
♥AJT
♦AT32
♣J63
Hand 68
♠AQ
♥J62
♦AKQT8
♣T94
Hand 69
♠982
♥842
♦KQ86
♣AKJ
Hand 70
♠J63
♥KQ5
♦KQJ6
♣KQJ
Hand 71
♠AKQ
♥Q653
♦Q73
♣AQJ
Hand 72
♠QT4
♥J72
♦AK84
♣K87
Hand 73
♠A972
♥AJ
♦AJ4
♣AKT7
Hand 74
♠K65
♥K97
♦A982
♣K43
Hand 75
♠K85
♥AJ2
♦QT93
♣A98
No comments:
Post a Comment