It's my blog, I'll write what I want to. Yeoww. I played a fun hand this week at the local duplicate. My opponents were competent players but were not a regular partnership. None vulnerable I held S JT9653 H AK842 D void C T6. Pass on my right. I open 1 Spade! I open light but this is a new record. Let's look at it. 8 hcp plus 6S and 5H easily meets the rule of 20! The AK of hearts is my two defensive tricks and the hand has 6 losers. This is a good hand and I opened it. LHO bids 2NT unusual for minors. Now pard jumps to 4 Spades! In our methods this shows a preemptive hand to make the opponents guess at the five level. It shows no defense! We play unusual over unusual so a bid of 3 Diamonds would be a limit raise or better in spades. This is a cue bid of one of their implied suits showing a spade raise. But it's not over yet! RHO bids 5 clubs and I bid 6 spades! Really, I think it is their hand and I would bid on to 6 spades if they go to 6 clubs. More to come...! LHO bids 7 clubs! It goes p p and NOW WHAT. Should I double? It is match points and I am on lead. I think I have won the board. If I double they may run to 7D and pard is on lead. He might then lead a spade and seven might make. I pass and lead the A of hearts. It holds, down at least one.
The whole hand is:
...............K8742
...............9
...............JT98
...............932
void.......................AQ
T63.......................QJ52
AKQ75..................6432
AK874...................QJ5
................JT9653
................AK874
................void
................T6
I go on and cash the HK and give pard his ruff. We later win a diamond for down 4. We score 75% on the board and I am happy with the result. Any comments?
As always I appreciate your comments. Happy Bridging, SPADEWOOD.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
No Trump Summary
No Trump Summary, based on previous blogs.
HCP count Action
12-14 Open of a suit and rebid 1NT
15-18 Open 1NT
19-20 Open 1 of a suit and jump tp 2NT(or raise 1NT resp to 3NT)
21-22 Open 2NT
23-24 Open 2C(artifical) and rebid 2NT over 2D response
25-26 Open 3NT
27-28 Open 2C(artificial) and rebid 3NT over 2D response.
I've never seen a 29 HCP hand but if I did I'd open 4NT. Not Blackwood I hope.
All the above is bid with balanced hands suitable for NT play.
These No Trump ranges form the basis of a conservative Standard system designed to maximize plus scores in a MATCH POINT scoring game. Further details will follow.
I appreciate your comments. Happy bridging. SPADEWOOD
HCP count Action
12-14 Open of a suit and rebid 1NT
15-18 Open 1NT
19-20 Open 1 of a suit and jump tp 2NT(or raise 1NT resp to 3NT)
21-22 Open 2NT
23-24 Open 2C(artifical) and rebid 2NT over 2D response
25-26 Open 3NT
27-28 Open 2C(artificial) and rebid 3NT over 2D response.
I've never seen a 29 HCP hand but if I did I'd open 4NT. Not Blackwood I hope.
All the above is bid with balanced hands suitable for NT play.
These No Trump ranges form the basis of a conservative Standard system designed to maximize plus scores in a MATCH POINT scoring game. Further details will follow.
I appreciate your comments. Happy bridging. SPADEWOOD
Monday, January 18, 2010
More On NT Bidding
These comments on NT bidding apply to MATCH POINTS only. At IMPs or rubber bridge different odds apply for bidding games. Openings and overcalls are more conservative.
With a balanced minimum hand of say 12-14 hcp you must open with 1 of a suit and rebid 1NT. This puts you right back in the 25+ hcp determination to bid game. For NT games, raise to game with 13 hcp and PASS, yes PASS with 11hcp. Raise to 2NT with 12 hcp to invite game. Opener bids 3NT with 13-14 and passes with a dog.(12 hcp) Some maintain you can rebid 1NT with 11-14 with good effect, since you have the invitational 2NT raise to invite 3NT. The problem with opening with balanced 11 hcp hands is that it will often turn into a minus score. The opponents can overcall easily and can push you to a high level. Further if they push on to higher contracts your partner will be tempted to double expecting a better hand. I suggest sticking to 12 hcp with balanced hands, but venturing bids with weaker hands that are unbalanced, with points in the long suits. In any case you should hold 2 defensive tricks to open in any position.
With a stronger balanced hand say, 15-18 open 1NT as previously stated. With 19-20 hcp open 1 of a suit and jump rebid to 2NT over a suit response. Over a 1NT response jump to game(3NT) with 19-20hcp. Pard should have 6 hcp or more for his response and game should be safe. The question is always asked, "Is the 2NT jump rebid forcing?" Yes it is, thats why I play the 15-18 NT so my jumps to 2NT have some authority. The only reason to shade a response to a one level opening is having a long suit and 4-5 hcp. In these cases game is still a good shot and there are methods to sign off at the 3 level if desired.
One other bid in this sequence is the jump rebid to 3NT after 1 of a suit and a one level response. say, 1c p 1h p, 3NT ap. The 3NT rebid shows likely 9 tricks with a long solid minor suit. It also shows a singleton or void in pards suit. The 3NT bid says pass if holding a sure stopper in the suit and remove to the minor suit otherwise.
There are numerous rebids and responses to openings to be considered. I will start covering them in my next blog. I always appreciate your comments.
Happy Bridging, SPADEWOOD
With a balanced minimum hand of say 12-14 hcp you must open with 1 of a suit and rebid 1NT. This puts you right back in the 25+ hcp determination to bid game. For NT games, raise to game with 13 hcp and PASS, yes PASS with 11hcp. Raise to 2NT with 12 hcp to invite game. Opener bids 3NT with 13-14 and passes with a dog.(12 hcp) Some maintain you can rebid 1NT with 11-14 with good effect, since you have the invitational 2NT raise to invite 3NT. The problem with opening with balanced 11 hcp hands is that it will often turn into a minus score. The opponents can overcall easily and can push you to a high level. Further if they push on to higher contracts your partner will be tempted to double expecting a better hand. I suggest sticking to 12 hcp with balanced hands, but venturing bids with weaker hands that are unbalanced, with points in the long suits. In any case you should hold 2 defensive tricks to open in any position.
With a stronger balanced hand say, 15-18 open 1NT as previously stated. With 19-20 hcp open 1 of a suit and jump rebid to 2NT over a suit response. Over a 1NT response jump to game(3NT) with 19-20hcp. Pard should have 6 hcp or more for his response and game should be safe. The question is always asked, "Is the 2NT jump rebid forcing?" Yes it is, thats why I play the 15-18 NT so my jumps to 2NT have some authority. The only reason to shade a response to a one level opening is having a long suit and 4-5 hcp. In these cases game is still a good shot and there are methods to sign off at the 3 level if desired.
One other bid in this sequence is the jump rebid to 3NT after 1 of a suit and a one level response. say, 1c p 1h p, 3NT ap. The 3NT rebid shows likely 9 tricks with a long solid minor suit. It also shows a singleton or void in pards suit. The 3NT bid says pass if holding a sure stopper in the suit and remove to the minor suit otherwise.
There are numerous rebids and responses to openings to be considered. I will start covering them in my next blog. I always appreciate your comments.
Happy Bridging, SPADEWOOD
Friday, January 15, 2010
No Trump Bidding Theory
I am one of few bridge players who advocate a 15-18 hcp opening 1NT bid. Here's why. To make a NT game typically requires 25 hcp or more. To bid 3NT with 25 points is about a 50% proposition. At MATCH POINTS it is about as good to miss a 50% game as bid it. If you bid it you must play the cards well, and make it or you get a bad score. In my experience a plus score is twice as good as a minus score on the average. So, the rule I use is to bid game if we have a combined holding of 25 hcp OR MORE. With 25 OR LESS play below game level. To make an intelligent decision the hcp range must be clearly defined as a TWO POINT range. If you typically have 12+ hcp for a minimum opening, 12 hcp in partners hand is always INVITATIONAL. As a result of this all limit bids by responder should show 11-12 and be game invitational. Of course there are always other factors like LTC and law of total tricks but with balanced hands point count is a good reference. Now, what should an opening 3NT show? It's not gambling, unless you play that. I think it should be 25-26 hcp. This ties to our 3NT game requirement. 23-24 is shown by opening 2 Clubs and rebidding 2NT over a negative response. A 2NT opening would show 21-22 hcp. (THIS ALL SOUNDS OLD FASHIONED BUT TRY TO BID ACCURATELY WITH A 21-23 OR 20-22 hcp 2NT opening.) To show 19-20 hcp you simply open one of a suit, then jump rebid to 2NT.
Finally, you open 1NT with 15-18 hcp,since you are 2 levels from 3NT. You can bid game with 10+ hcp and pass with 7 hcp or less. With 8-9 hcp you invite game. There are many ways to do this. Traditionally you raise to 2NT and pard can bid game with 17-18 hcp and pass with 15-16 hcp.
Let's see what happens if we open a more usual 15-17 1NT. Now pard bids 3NT with 10 hcp and passes(REALLY HE SHOULD, see 25 point rule above)with 8 hcp or less. He now invites game with 9 hcp. Opener has an easy rebid. He raises to 3NT with 16-17 and passes with 15(a dog). But what a price to pay. To show 18-19 you open 1 of a suit and rebid 2NT. The nature of the beast is that this bid will often be passed with a minimum 6 point hand(or less) and the contract is in danger. Further, The 2NT opening is now 20-21 hcp, with many people shading down to 19 hcp. To show 22-23 you open 2C and rebid 2NT. This means a 3NT opening must be made with 24+ hcp in violation of our 25+ rule for game in NT. Many look for solutions such as showing 22-24 with a 2NT rebid. We know this wont work.
In summary, try the 15-18 1NT opening. Your bidding will improve and you will get better results. Much more to come. Your comments are always welcome.
Happy bridging, SPADEWOOD.
Finally, you open 1NT with 15-18 hcp,since you are 2 levels from 3NT. You can bid game with 10+ hcp and pass with 7 hcp or less. With 8-9 hcp you invite game. There are many ways to do this. Traditionally you raise to 2NT and pard can bid game with 17-18 hcp and pass with 15-16 hcp.
Let's see what happens if we open a more usual 15-17 1NT. Now pard bids 3NT with 10 hcp and passes(REALLY HE SHOULD, see 25 point rule above)with 8 hcp or less. He now invites game with 9 hcp. Opener has an easy rebid. He raises to 3NT with 16-17 and passes with 15(a dog). But what a price to pay. To show 18-19 you open 1 of a suit and rebid 2NT. The nature of the beast is that this bid will often be passed with a minimum 6 point hand(or less) and the contract is in danger. Further, The 2NT opening is now 20-21 hcp, with many people shading down to 19 hcp. To show 22-23 you open 2C and rebid 2NT. This means a 3NT opening must be made with 24+ hcp in violation of our 25+ rule for game in NT. Many look for solutions such as showing 22-24 with a 2NT rebid. We know this wont work.
In summary, try the 15-18 1NT opening. Your bidding will improve and you will get better results. Much more to come. Your comments are always welcome.
Happy bridging, SPADEWOOD.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Start a Bridge Blog
Well, here I am, starting a Bridge blog. I plan to go through the Standard American ACBL card and discuss my preferences. At some point I will explain my use of Spadewood as title of the blog. For now I plan to stop and think. Where do I go next? My decision to start this blog was made quickly and I don't yet know the ramifications. My primary objective is to review my bridge preferences for the benefit of my beautiful, faithful, understanding wife. Of course any of you can send in a comment if that is your desire. I'll follow with my first bridge post soon.
Thanks for reading. SPADEWOOD
Thanks for reading. SPADEWOOD
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