By Val Rhead
THE MAGIC OF BIDDING – PART TWO: LIMIT YOUR HAND WHILE BIDDING SUIT CONTRACTS
An important tool in bidding, that produces magical results, is the concept of limiting your hand. It’s not all you have to know to produce magical results but it is an important beginning.
Bridge is a partnership game. Certainly, you make bids, but you also have to listen to the bids your partner makes and decipher their meaning. At some point, one of you has to limit the value of his hand. This means that one of you has to tell the other the approximate value of his hand. The partner of the player who limits his hand knows the value of his own hand, and now he knows the value (within about three points) of partner’s hand. By adding the two numbers together, he now knows the approximate value of the pair’s assets. This person becomes the captain. He’s the one who directs the team to a part-score contract, to a game contract, or sometimes to a slam.
For example, you sort your cards and add up your points. You have 14 points and a five-card Heart suit. You open One Heart. All your partner knows at this point is that you have a least 12 points, but possibly as many points as 21. He also knows that you have a five-card or longer Heart suit. He has three Hearts and 6 to 9 points. He bids Two Hearts. He has limited his hand. You are now the captain. You know that the partnership has your 14 points plus his 6 to 9 points and at least eight Hearts. The combined total can’t be more than 23 points. A shot at making a major-suit game requires at least 25 points. You don’t have enough. You, the captain, passes.
There is another bid that your partner could make that also would indicate that he has a minimum bid of 6 to 9 points. If he didn’t have support in your Heart suit, he could reply One No-Trump. This bid mainly just shows the strength of his hand. It doesn’t need to have stoppers in all suits. However, if your opponent has competed with a bid of One Spade, your partner should have a Spade stopper to bid the One No-Trump.
Also, if your partner had at least four Spades and at least 6 points, and the opponent has passed, he could reply One Spade. Now this bid does not limit his hand. He has at least 6 points, but he could have many more. The bidding must continue. Remember the rule: A bid of a new suit by an unpassed responder is unlimited and forcing for one round. You must bid again in answer to his One Spade.
If your partner has Heart support and 10 to 12 points, he could jump to Three Hearts. In this case, he has limited his hand, so you are the captain. Also, once you and your partner have found at least an eight-card fit, you can add points for shortness (voids, singletons or doubletons) to the total making a possible game contract more likely.
Sometimes as opener you have a very good hand of about 18 or 19 points points. When partner shows a fit by bidding Two Hearts, by counting in any shortness points, you know that you have enough to make a game. Don’t mess around inviting game by bidding Three Hearts; you would be disappointed if your partner passed. Just bid the game.
Next week, we’ll talk about limiting your hand with No-Trump bidding and also with Weak-Two bids.
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 theActive Living Centre on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the multi-purpose room 2nd floor (elevator) (back entrance of Summit Centre). 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 Heritage Village 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, contact Andree or Scott 705-764-3827 [email protected]
Winners for Dec 3: 1. Els Vandenberg & Peter Rhead 2. Andree Baillargeon & Scott Staples
Winners for Dec 10: 1. Els Vandenberg & Mary Jane Rogers 4020
2. Andree Baillargeon & Scott Staples 3870 3. Ted & Susan Daglish 3310
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, Dec 11 with 10 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon; 2. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 3. Betty Fagin and Joanne Garvey; East-West 1. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 2. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 3. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell
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, Dec 10 with 13 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 2. Mary Mitchell and Isabel Hellberg; 3. Kathy Kent and David Kent; 4. Gerry Flaherty and Ralph Hair; 5. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 6. Betty Rintoul and Hazel Bowes; 7. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber
Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.
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