What to Respond?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K98
♥QJ4
♦Q8642
♣J2

Partner opens the bidding 1♦. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) bids 1♠. What is your call?

Show Answer

I think you have either two bids on this hand.

The bid I would choose is 1NT. That shows about 6 to 10 HCP with a stopper in the Opponent's suit (♠) and is NON-FORCING. (A stopper is a card that will win a trick and STOP the Opponents from winning the first five tricks in the suit!)

Another bid would be 2♦. This shows 6 to 10 points and promises ♦ support. You'd like to have five ♦ but will do it with four ♦ only if you are stuck because most of the time Partner will have four and you do want to bid when you can.

The reason why I don't like this bid as much is the fact that this is matchpoints and matchpoints is all about playing in NT if you can.

You are fairly balanced and have the Opponent's suit stopped. YOU are the one that must choose the NT. Partner will not be able to. Show them you have a stopper. Your ♦ tricks will take tricks in NT also.

Plus you have outside values in the ♥ suit also.

On this hand both 3NT and 5♦ will make -- however 3NT will make with an overtrick! That 630 points for playing in 3NT rather than 600 points for playing in 5♦.

Yes, one can argue that Partner should ask for a ♠ stopper to play in 3NT if that is a better place to play but Partner has a singleton ♦ and isn't thinking NT.

What to open?

Playing matchpoints. Neither you nor the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQ94
♥5
♦8732
♣AQT9

You are Dealer. What is your call?

Show Answer

1♦.

With two four card minors open the bidding 1♦.

I know right now you are thinking -- why? Why open 1♦? My ♣ suit is sooo much better.

This is true. Your ♣ suit IS better. Much better.

However it is all about rebids -- not about how good your minor is.

Say you open 1♣. What would you do if Partner bid 1NT? Just play there?

If you open 1♦ and Partner bids 1NT. You can rebid 2♣. "Pick one of my minors to play in Partner!" You do rate to have a minor suit fit since Partner should not have a four card major.

Similarly if you open 1♦ and Partner bids 1♥. You can bid 1♠. If Partner then bids 1NT you can rebid 2♣. "Pick one of my suits to play in Partner!"

However if you open 1♣ and Partner bids 1♥ you could be in a little trouble. You can bid 1♠ but if Partner then bids 1NT you cannot rebid 2♦. If Partner likes your ♣ suit better they would have to bid 3♣. That might be too high. So you are stuck playing in 1NT.

Continuation

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K8
♥AQ942
♦QT54
♣A9

You are Dealer. We decided last post to open the bidding 1♥. The Opponents are silent during the auction. Partner responds 1NT.

What is your call?

Show Answer

2♦

You have a lower ranking four card suit. You are supposed to take Partner out of their 1NT bid and bid your lower ranking suit. You are not even close to jumping to show a nice hand. That would force the bidding to game even if Partner has 6 points!

If you bid 2♦ Partner can (and will!) "PASS".

You can take 10 tricks if ♦ are trump. That's 130 points.

If you "Pass" Partner's 1NT response they can take 7 tricks. (The Opponent's have quite a few ♠ and Partner cannot trump them in 1NT!) That's 90 points.

If you opened the bidding 1NT (last post) then Partner will respond 2NT -- they have 9 HCP -- and even though you will "Pass" the bidding has gotten too high. You will go down in 2NT and lose 100 points.

What to open?

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K8
♥AQ942
♦QT54
♣A9

You are Dealer. What is your point count and what will you open the bidding?

Show Answer

You do have choices.

You have 15 HCP.

You can choose to open the bidding 1NT. You are somewhat balanced.

You have a five card major. You can open 1♥.

Now if you were TOTALLY balanced there is that whole "should I open 1NT with a five card major?" debate. I'm not going to get into that.

But you are NOT totally balanced. You have two doubletons. It is better to open 1♥.

Rebidding!

Playing matchpoints. Neither you nor the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQJ962
♥Q93
♦A3
♣A9

You are Dealer. You open the bidding 1♠. The Opponents are silent during the auction. Partner responds 1NT.

What is your call?

Show Answer

3♠

This shows a GOOD six card suit with 16 to 18 HCP. Perfect!

If you bid 2♠ you tell Partner you have a six card suit but you also tell Partner you have a minimum opening hand. You don't. You have 17 HCP!

If you bid 2♠ Partner will "Pass" (they only have 8 HCP) and you will take 10 tricks.

If you bid 3♠ Partner will bid 4♠ (game!) and you will take 10 tricks.

What to open?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠A875
♥7
♦A983
♣AJ95

Three "Pass"es to you. What is your call?

Show Answer

1♦.

With two four card minors open the bidding 1♦.

It is all about rebids.

Say you open 1♣. What would you do if Partner bid 1NT? Just play there?

If you open 1♦ and Partner bids 1NT. You can rebid 2♣. "Pick one of my minors to play in Partner!" You do rate to have a minor suit fit since Partner should not have a four card major.

Similarly if you open 1♦ and Partner bids 1♥. You can bid 1♠. If Partner then bids 1NT you can rebid 2♣. "Pick one of my suits to play in Partner!"

However if you open 1♣ and Partner bids 1♥ you could be in a little trouble. You can bid 1♠ but if Partner then bids 1NT you cannot rebid 2♦. If Partner likes your ♣ suit better they would have to bid 3♣. That might be too high. So you are stuck playing in 1NT.

So you've opened 1NT -- Now What?

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AKQ6
♥A53
♦KT75
♣62

You are Dealer. You play 15 to 17 1NT opening bids so you decide to open the bidding 1NT. Both Opponents are silent throughout the auction. Partner says 4NT.

What is your call?

Show Answer

First of all just what is Partner's 4NT bid? Is it asking for Aces?

No. Over a 1NT opening bid, 4♣ is asking for Aces. (Gerber.)

4NT is QUANTITATIVE. Partner is asking if you are minimum or maximum for your opening 1NT bid. With a minimum they want you to "Pass" and with a maximum they want you to bid 6NT. They should have either 16 or 17 HCP.

You are neither. You have 16 HCP. You are right in the middle! What do you do?

Well that depends on just who you are as a bridge player.

If you like to bid your slams then bid 6NT. You have two four card suits that might get you an extra trick. Being slightly unbalanced is better than being perfectly balanced (4-3-3-3).

If you are way too scared of the 6 level then just "Pass".

If you feel you MUST have 33 HCP to be in a small slam, bid 5NT and ask Partner if they have 17 HCP. With 16 they will "Pass" but with 17 HCP will bid 6NT.

(That last bid is more modern. When I was a kid growing up we had to man up and decide for ourselves whether or not to go to slam. No passing the buck to Partner!)

Partner has the hand on the previous post:
♠T75
♥KQ4
♦A984
♣AK5

Everyone took 12 tricks. Some even took all 13 tricks!

Responding to 1NT

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠T75
♥KQ4
♦A984
♣AK5

Partner opens the bidding 1NT. (You play 15-17 1NT opening bids.) Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass".

What is your call?

Show Answer

You have 16 HCP (High Card Points) and Partner has opened the bidding 1NT. Your correct bid is 4NT.

4NT is QUANTITATIVE. You are asking Partner whether or not they are MINIMUM (15) or MAXIMUM (17) for their bid.

This is all you need to know.

If Partner has 17 HCP you want to be in a small slam. Together the partnership has 33 HCP and that's all you need to make a small slam. (Well, for a good shot at making a small slam!)

However if Partner has 15 HCP you DON'T want to be in a small slam. Together the partnership will have only 31 HCP and that's not QUITE enough to make a small slam. If you had a longer suit maybe...but you don't.

Asking for Aces WON'T help here. The Partner ship could have all four Aces but be missing two Kings and a Queen/Jack combination! That's not good. (Bidding 4♣ over 1NT would be Gerber -- asking Partner how many Aces they have.)

Responder

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠85
♥K87
♦QJ942
♣863

Partner opens the bidding 1♣. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) bids 1♥. What is your call?

Show Answer

I'm okay with a couple of bids.

The bid I would choose is 1NT. That shows about 6 to 10 HCP with a stopper in the Opponent's suit (♥) and is NON-FORCING. (A stopper is a card that will win a trick and STOP the Opponents from winning the first five tricks in the suit!)

If you are a little intimidated by the colours (vulnerability) I sympathize. You are vulnerable and you have a pretty weak hand. You might go down a trick and lose 100 points. So I'm okay with a "Pass" here also. A little timid but sometimes timid works.

I am NOT okay with bidding 2♦ on this hand. That shows 10 or more HCP (High Card Points) and forces the bidding to a MUCH higher level. Partner must bid again -- remember?

On this hand if you and Partner go past the 1NT level you will go down in your contract. 1NT is the last safe place to be.