By Valerie Rhead<\/p>\n
ONE NO-TRUMP AGREEMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Bridge is a very precise game and especially so when bidding No-Trump contracts. In order to bid accurately, it is essential that you adhere to the agreements you and your partner have in place when making No-Trump bids. Players may use a variety of point\u2011count range agreements to open one No\u2011Trump. The most commonly used point\u2011count ranges with balanced and semi\u2011balanced hands are these: With 15 to 17 points, open one No\u2011Trump. With 18 to 19 points, open with a one bid in your best suit and then jump to two No-Trump. With 20 \u2013 21 points, open two No\u2011Trump. With 22 plus points, open two Clubs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The responder to a one No\u2011Trump opening replies with eight or more points. With 8\u20119, she invites game. With 10\u201115 responder forces the bidding to game. With more than fifteen, responder investigates slam. A responder to an opening two No-Trump bid can reply with as few as four or five points to force to game. (20 plus 5 equals 25 \u2013 enough for a shot at game.) If the responder to opening two No\u2011Trump has three points or less, she may pass.<\/p>\n Last winter I was playing against a pair of newer players. The bidding had gone one No\u2011Trump, two No\u2011Trump, three No\u2011Trump. As the husband, who was dummy, tabled his cards, he asked me if I would tell him at the end of the hand whether or not he had bid correctly. I held my tongue when I noticed that he had only six points. He was too weak for his two No\u2011Trump bid.<\/p>\n Somewhat embarrassingly, they made their contract. I asked the wife to lay down her hand. She had 19 points. She had too much for her bid; the husband had too little for his bid; the two errors had cancelled each other out. But you cannot usually count on being so lucky. You should each bid accurately and then you most likely will arrive in the right contract.<\/p>\n What often happens is similar to what happened at my table recently. My partner bid one No\u2011Trump. I had just seven points so I dutifully passed. We made three No\u2011Trump. Partner had nineteen points in all. Seven plus nineteen was twenty\u2011six, more than enough to have a good chance at making a game.<\/p>\n How should we have bid the game? With 19 points, she should have opened with one of a suit. Hooray, now I can answer a suit bid with 6 to 9 points. She then would jump to two No-Trump showing her 18-19 point count. I would bid game probably in three No\u2011Trump (unless we had a good major suit fit–but that\u2019s for another day.) We happily would have written down our score for a vulnerable game on the score sheet. Bridge is a partnership game! If you don\u2019t adhere to your agreements, you may become a Santa Claus, giving gifts to your opponents!<\/p>\n If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group, send the information to vrhead@sympatico.ca<\/a> and I will include it in this column.<\/p>\n HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB<\/strong><\/p>\n Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:15, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Call Betty 705-789-2560 bennettb@vianet.ca<\/a> or Susan at 705-789-7156 jasu.marshall@gmail.com<\/a> for information and partnerships. For the winter, the game is now held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, enter from the door on Main Street. There will be games as usual 7:15pm Tues Dec 22 and Dec 29. Starting Jan 5 the game moves to the afternoon 1pm for Jan-Feb-Mar.<\/p>\n The following results are for Tuesday, Dec 8 with 8 tables playing a Howell movement. 1. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 2. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 3. Fay MacDonald and Helen Pearson; 4. Betty Rintoul and Bev Parlett; 5. Heather Hockin and David Hockin; 6\/7. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 6\/7. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 8. Chris Karn and Vern Foell<\/p>\n MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)<\/strong><\/p>\n Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before game time. For information\/partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 brian_brocklehurst@sympatico.ca<\/a><\/p>\n The Bracebridge game is cancelled Monday Dec 28 but we will play as usual Dec 21.<\/p>\n The following results are for Monday, Dec 7 with 7 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Bev Parlett and Vern Foel; 3. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 4. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3\/4. Hazel Bowes and Gail Lederer; 3\/4. Betty Rintoul and Rolly Landriault<\/p>\n Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our twice-weekly email digest and get some of our top stories delivered right to your inbox.<\/strong><\/p>\n *<\/span> indicates required<\/p>\n
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