The Rule of 20

WARNING: The following post is for more EXPERIENCED players. Do NOT read this post if you have only played for a year or two. Realistically maybe 5 years or so. Wait a few more years and then come back. You won't be nearly as scared then.

I just received a question on my blog. It is about opening the bidding. Here it is:

I have few questions:
1- Some bridge systems count only 3 points for a void. Do you agree?
2- May I open a bid (1 Spade) if I hold 5 spades, 10HCP and a 6 Club cards (2 length points)?
3- May I open a bid (1 Spade) if I hold 5 spades, 9HCP or 5 Heart Cards (1 Length Point), and 6 Club cards (2 Length points)?


Opening the bidding when you are first starting out is quite different from opening the bidding when you have more experience. When you have even more experience it changes yet again. Depending on your style your opening bid will range in points and distribution. So some people will open the bidding on hands that others won't. This is all good. As long as you are comfortable with your style.

Another factor to think about is just how well do you play the hand? If you play the hand very well start to think about opening the hands a bit lighter. If you don't play the hand well at all stick with good solid openers. No point in getting higher in the bidding if you will just go down.

To answer Question 1:
Way back in the dark ages people were taught to count 3 points for a void in order to have the 13 points needed to open the bidding. That is old school. For the most part I DO like old school VERY MUCH but I don't (and have never) used that method. I don't like it.

How do I teach?

When I get new players I teach them to open with 13 HCP (High Card Points) and no fewer. They don't get to count length. They don't get to count voids or singletons when they are opening the bidding. They have to wait until they know they are going to be Dummy. Now they can count shortness. This works for NEW players because they don't know how to play the hand very well at all. They don't know what a finesse is. They forget to take out trump. It is devastating for them to go down in their contract. It is for all these reasons (and more) that they need a GOOD SOLID opener.

But then they play. They improve. I now allow them to open with a good 12 HCP. This works.

But then they play some more. They get better still. They get tougher. They understand that just because they went down in their contract it wasn't the end of the world. Maybe it stopped their Opponents from playing the hand and things worked out anyhow. Now it is time for them to learn the "Rule of 20".

What is the "Rule of 20"?

The "Rule of 20" is a rule you use in determining whether or not you should open the bidding. It tends to be used in first and second seat mostly. (Third seat most experienced players open a bit light anyhow and opening bids tend to be more lead directional when they are light -- and fourth seat you are supposed to use the "Rule of 15".)

The "Rule of 20" says to count your HCP and add that to the LENGTH in your two LONGEST suits. If that equals 20 or more then open the bidding.

Something most people tend to ignore is that you should have your HIGH cards in your LONG suits.

Another tidbit which should be added is that you should have a couple of quick tricks. What is a quick trick? An Ace is a quick trick. An AK together is two quick tricks.

We talked about values in the suits. High spot cards in the suits are very important also. (The spot cards are the cards with spots -- or pips -- on them. These are the 2s through 9s and having QJT987 for a suit is MUCH DIFFERENT than having QJ5432 for a suit.)

Vulnerability? That's another factor. If you are VULNERABLE you are better off having a good hand when you open the bidding. If you go down two Vulnerable you give the Opponents 200 points. That is better than any part score they can make. Something to think about for sure.

These are the main things to consider.

So let's look at some examples.

Your hand:
♠AQT98
♥6
♦AT987
♣82

You have 10 HCP. You have five ♠ and five ♦. So 10 HCP + 5 (length in longest suit) + 5 (length in next longest suit) = 20.

All your HCP are in your long suits. Good.

You have two quick tricks -- those two Aces. Good.

This is a hand you can open the bidding.

Your hand:
♠98643
♥A
♦98742
♣AQ

You have 10 HCP. You have five ♠ and five ♦. So 10 HCP + 5 (length in longest suit) + 5 (length in next longest suit) = 20.

Are your HCP are in your long suits? No.

This is a hand you should NOT open the bidding.

Your hand:
♠KQ643
♥9
♦KQ742
♣98

You have 10 HCP. You have five ♠ and five ♦. So 10 HCP + 5 (length in longest suit) + 5 (length in next longest suit) = 20.

All your HCP are in your long suits. Good.

Do you have two quick tricks? No.

This is a hand you should NOT open the bidding.

Those were easy examples. They get tougher. Your hand:
♠J6543
♥8
♦AK742
♣Q3

You have 10 HCP. You have five ♠ and five ♦. So 10 HCP + 5 (length in longest suit) + 5 (length in next longest suit) = 20.

Are all your HCP are in your long suits. Mostly...

Do you have two quick tricks? Yes

Will you open the bidding? You have to open 1♠. You have a pretty bad suit. Some people will open this hand and others will not. I probably would not. My suit is just too terrible. I don't like my Doubleton Q♣. She is not pulling her weight.

Switch the suits and you get this hand:

Your hand:
♠AK543
♥8
♦J7642
♣Q3

You have 10 HCP. You have five ♠ and five ♦. So 10 HCP + 5 (length in longest suit) + 5 (length in next longest suit) = 20.

Are all your HCP are in your long suits. Mostly...

Do you have two quick tricks? Yes

Will you open the bidding? I get to open 1♠. I have a very nice ♠ suit and some distribution. I am much more likely to open this hand. If I was not vulnerable I would. If I was vulnerable I might not. My spots could be better. It's tricky.

So now that you have an idea on what the "Rule of 20" says, let's get back to those questions.

With five ♠ and six ♣ and 10 HCP you potentially could open the bidding. You have 10 HCP + 11 for the length in your two longest suits.

But is your hand this?

Hand A:
♠98543
♥A
♦A
♣Q87643

Or this?

Hand B:
♠AT987
♥5
♦3
♣AQT987

Hand B I would open but Hand A I would not.

Hand B I would open 1♣. Show my length. I would not open 1♠. I want to show my 6-5 in the black suits.

With 9 HCP? Rule of 20 says you are fine. 9 HCP + 11 for the length in the two longest suits.

Hand C:
♠AT987
♥5
♦3
♣AJT987

So Hand C I would open 1♣.

It gets a little trickier with ♥.

Hand D:
♠3
♥AT987
♦3
♣AJT987

If you open Hand D what do you open? 1♣ to show the length or 1♥?

I personally like to open my length first but if I open Hand D 1♣ and Partner bids 1♠ now I cannot show my ♥. That would be a reverse.

On the other hand if I open 1♥ and Partner bids 1♠ I can rebid 2♣.

But I really don't like to do that at all.

Hand D I would probably just "Pass" and hope to show my distribution LATER ON. Remember just because you originally "Pass" doesn't ban you from bidding later on. Later on you can go wild in the bidding if needed. I like to do that also.

So there are hands that are identical that if you switch my ♠ suit to a ♥ suit I go from opening the hand to passing the hand. It is much easier to show ♠ when you open later on than it is to show ♥ later on when you open.

So opening the bidding is really very much a STYLE thing. What I like to open on is different from what others like to open on. Hopefully you and your Partner are on the same wavelength and it all works out. But honestly, me and my Partners sometimes are NOT on the same wavelength as to whether or not we should open the bidding and therefore hands are bid quite differently than they would be if each got the other's hand. That's the fun of bridge. Every hand an adventure.

Remember IF you open the bidding LIGHT Partner might not understand. Things will work out beautifully if you have a fit. Things can get ugly if you do NOT have a fit. If you do not have a fit and Partner has an opening hand they will still get the partnership to a game because after all you DID open the bidding and now you will probably go down. This is a risk you take. But life is not without risk. Partner will soon learn that you could be opening on distribution and maybe they will be a little more wary.

Try to open with the suit you have values in. If you don't get the contract at least you got Partner off to the best lead.

However I do like to show length first. So that is a priority with ME. (This does not have to be a priority with you.)

So let's look at some hands.

I did 30 random hands.

Ten hands with 10 HCP and five ♠ and six ♣. (Question 2).

Ten hands with 9 HCP and five ♠ and six ♣. (Question 3).

Ten hands with 9 HCP and five ♥ and six ♣. (Question 3).

Would I open the bidding with any of them? Let's see.

I can tell you right now that I rarely open the bidding with 9 HCP and five ♥ and six in a minor. I would rather wait and come in later. Most of the time I can then show a distributional hand with fewer values. That describes my hand better. My Partners are like your Partners -- if I open the bidding they think I have an opening hand. They don't get the joke right away. When they do get the joke we are two or three levels higher than we should be and most of the time Doubled.

So keep in mind that this is what I would open the bidding. I don't mind going down in contracts. I have Partners that do understand that I will open light because of distribution. This does not mean that YOU need to open the bidding with these hands. Do NOT do it if you are uncomfortable opening the bidding with fewer values. You are MUCH SAFER if you just "Pass" these hands. Most of the time you can come in later on if it is right to do so.

Some of these are very close.

We talked about having two quick tricks. Sometimes I do ignore that rule. I am prepared to take the consequences if this backfires on me.

These opening light hands are just judgement calls and some days I am feeling a little friskier than others. Some days I get bored because I don't get as many hands. I am more likely to open in both those cases.

Okay, you were warned. Here goes. These are the hands -- see if you think I would open or not. I explain my reasoning and you can certainly disagree. I'm good with that.



Hand 1

♠KT983
♥
♦Q9
♣AJT854



Hand 2

♠A9532
♥Q
♦6
♣A87642



Hand 3

♠AQ854
♥85
♦
♣AT9854



Hand 4

♠KJT63
♥5
♦6
♣AQ9654



Hand 5

♠Q7654
♥A9
♦
♣AT7652



Hand 6

♠QJ983
♥5
♦J
♣AQ5432



Hand 7

♠KQT97
♥86
♦
♣KQT973



Hand 8

♠AQT94
♥A
♦8
♣T98543



Hand 9

♠J9875
♥A
♦Q
♣QJ9872



Hand 10

♠AK876
♥63
♦
♣KT6542



Hand 11

♠JT763
♥K
♦7
♣KQ6432



Hand 12

♠KT853
♥
♦K9
♣QJ8763



Hand 13

♠KJ875
♥8
♦3
♣AJ8543



Hand 14

♠AQJT6
♥
♦86
♣Q97432



Hand 15

♠KQ765
♥A5
♦
♣987543



Hand 16

♠QJ763
♥8
♦Q
♣KJ8732



Hand 17

♠QJ976
♥7
♦A
♣QT7652



Hand 18

♠J7532
♥A
♦4
♣KJ8642



Hand 19

♠AQT85
♥
♦86
♣QJT975



Hand 20

♠AT643
♥J
♦K
♣J98432



Hand 21

♠6
♥KQ984
♦4
♣KJT874



Hand 22

♠
♥AJT42
♦75
♣A65432



Hand 23

♠
♥KQ853
♦J8
♣QJT876



Hand 24

♠
♥T9764
♦AQ
♣KT8742



Hand 25

♠72
♥K9872
♦
♣AQ7654



Hand 26

♠J3
♥AJ932
♦
♣QJT532



Hand 27

♠AQ
♥QJ864
♦
♣T97643



Hand 28

♠9
♥K9643
♦3
♣AQ7542



Hand 29

♠
♥AJ764
♦T8
♣A98654



Hand 30

♠6
♥KJT54
♦6
♣KQT983