By Val Rhead
Your partner opens the bidding with One of a major suit (Hearts or Spades). What options have you for your first response bid? In this article, we will use Hearts as the major, but almost the same actions will be taken if you are bidding Spades. The only difference is that if the suit is Spades, you will not be able to bid a higher-ranking suit at the one level.
Before you respond, paint a mental picture of the possibilities that exist in partner’s hand. You know that he has a hand with at least five Hearts and that he has opening points somewhere between twelve and twenty-one. If he had 15 to 17 points, and the right shape, he might open One No-Trump, even with five Hearts. If he had 20 or 21 points and a semi-balanced hand, he would have opened Two No-Trump even with five Hearts. If he had 22 points or over, he would have opened a strong Two-Club bid. But you know nothing else at this time about the other suits in his hand.
Well, what do you do? If you have fewer than six points, just pass. With 6 to 9 points and three-card Heart support, raise his One Heart to the Two level. If your hand is stronger, with three-card support jump to the Three-Heart level showing a limit raise of 10 to 12 points.
Without three-card support, you could respond One No-Trump with 6 to 9 points and fairly even distribution. With 10 to 12 points, jump to Two No-Trump. These two kinds of raises, are useful because they limit the value of your hand immediately. The opener now knows, within about three points, how many points you have and he has somewhat of an idea of the shape of your hand. So, he becomes the Captain and must lead the partnership to the right contract.
Another bid that you can make after his One Heart opening is One Spade with 6 or more points and four spades. Or with ten points, bid any other new suit at the two level. Any new suit bid does not limit your hand but is forcing for one round. You could have anywhere from 6 to 30 points (10 to 30 with a new suit at the two level). You or your partner will limit their hand with one of their subsequent bids. A new suit by you, an unpassed responder, is always forcing for one round. The opener must bid again. Only if you, the responder, initially passed, is the opener at liberty to pass your bid of a new suit.
When partner opens One Heart, he may have four Spades also. Therefore, if you have four Spades as well as three Hearts, you should respond One Spade to let partner know you have that suit. You can show the support in Hearts later but knowledge by opener of a double-fit is important.
Once either partner has limited their hand, the first priority is discovering at what level the contract should be played. The partner of the player who has limited their hand becomes the Captain. The Captain knows best approximately what is in the combined hands. The Captain is in a position to know the best level at which the contract should be played. The Captain knows whether the partnership’s joint holdings have enough to have a good chance of making a game, or even a slam, or only enough points to make a part-score.
The second priority is to discover the best suit for the hand to be played. If you don’t find a major-suit fit between your two hands, you may find that you have stoppers in all four suits, and a No-Trump contract is the best place to be. The Captain will decide.
You may invite game by bidding a limit raise (a jump to the Three level) in opener’s suit, or by jumping to a bid of Two No-Trump. Opener will either accept the invitation and bid game or decline the invitation and pass for a part-score.
If the combined assets of the team look promising, the bidding will continue. More about this possibility next week.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will try to include it in this column.
NEW SOCIAL BRIDGE GAME IN HUNTSVILLE
Games are at the Active Living Centre (back of the Canada Summit Centre), Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the multi-purpose room on the 2nd floor (elevator).
Just come – with or without a partner. For information, please contact Donna or Peter Tikuisis at 647 471 1774 or [email protected].
For now, this game will be played following Chicago Rules (allowing both fast and slow games). You will keep your same partner for the entire evening. Cost is $1.50 per person. Parking is outside the north entrance opposite the Muskoka Heritage Place railway station.
PORT CARLING SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Port Carling Social Bridge Club are Monday afternoon 1pm at the Port Carling Community Centre, 3 Bailey Street. Please arrive with your partner at least 10 minutes before game time.
For information during November, contact [email protected]
Winners for Nov 12: 1. Louise and Joan, 2. Kathy and Jim, 3. Els and Peter
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:00, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Nov 13 with 10 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Joanne Garvey and Liz Graham; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Fay MacDonald and Helen Pearson; 3. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time.
The following winners are from Monday, Nov 12 with 15 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1/2. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 1/2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber; 4/5. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 4/5. Val Rhead and Joanne Garvey; 6. Barb Forth and Vern Foell; 7. Betty Fagin and Gail Lederer; 8. Liz Barnes and David Bryce
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