Chapter 1 - Evaluating hands and bidding balanced hands

Question 0

How would you open the bidding with a balanced hand and 12-14 points?

Answer 0

1NT

Question 1

What constitutes a balanced hand?

Answer 1

• no voids or singletons

- no more than one doubleton

Question 2

How should you open the bidding with a balanced hand and 15-16 points? (And what should you plan to rebid?)

Answer 2

• longest suit at the 1 level

Plan to rebid NT at the cheapest level

Question 3

How should you open the bidding with a balanced hand and 17-18 points? (And what should you plan to rebid?)

Answer 3

Bid longest suit at 1 level and plan to rebid NT, jumping a level.

Question 4

How should you open with a balanced hand and 19-20 points? (And what should you plan to rebid?)

Answer 4

Open with longest suit at the 1 level and plan to rebid 3NT.

Question 5

How should you open the bidding with a balanced hand and 20-22 points?

Answer 5

2NT

Question 6

How should you open the bidding with a balanced hand and 23+ points?

Answer 6

2 Clubs

Question 7

With a balanced hand opening, what should your partnership’s contract goal be? (List in order of preference)

Answer 7

1. A Major suit contact (if you can establish an 8 card fit between you)
2. A NT contract
3. A minor suit contract

Question 8

What are the point levels for a NT rebid by opener?

Answer 8

15-16 (bid NT at cheapest level)
17-18 (bid NT, jumping a level)
19-20 (bid game, 3NT)

Question 9

You have a balanced hand and 15+ points. You opened with your longest suit at the 1 level, planning to rebid NT at the appropriate level to show your balanced hand and point count. When should you go off plan and not rebid NT?

Answer 9

• partner bid a major suit and you have 15-20 points and 4 card support (bid the major suit at the appropriate level)
  OR
• partner passes or gives weak support (pass unless you have 17+ points)

Question 10

What is the rule of 20?

Answer 10

You can open with fewer than 12 honour card points if the number of cards in your two longest suits added to your HC points equals 20 or more.

Question 11

When first evaluating a hand, what should you add to your honour card points?

Answer 11

Add 1 point for every card over 4 in any suit.

Question 12

How many combined points are needed for game in NT?

Answer 12

25-26

Question 13

When responding to a balanced hand opening, how many combined points are needed to make each of the following levels?
1 level (7 tricks), 2 level (8 tricks), 3 level (9 tricks, aka game in NT), 4 level (10 tricks, aka game in major suit), 5 level (11 tricks, aka game in minor suit), 6 level (12 tricks), 7 level (13 tricks)

Answer 13

20-22 combined points = 7 tricks
23-24 combined points = 8 tricks
25-26 combined points = 9 tricks
27-28 combined points = 10 tricks
29-32 combined points = 11 tricks
33-35 combined points = 12 tricks
36+ combined points = 13 tricks

Question 14

When can points be added for shortages?

Answer 14

ONLY after a suit fit has been established

Question 15

Once an 8 card suit has been established, how many points can you add for shortages?

Answer 15

Void = 3 points
Singleton = 2 points
Doubleton = 1 point