Responding to 1 NT Opening

Question 1

What message does a 1 NT opening bid send?

Answer 1

A 1 NT opening is an Invitational bid by the Opener (O). The responder (R) knows how many HCP the Opener has (15 to 17). The Opener may have a 5-card suit or may have a balanced hand.

Question 2

When would Responder Pass a 1 NT Opening bid? {2 conditions}

Answer 2

The responder (R) has less that 7 points and no 5 card suit.

Question 3

What message does a 2 NT response to a 1NT opening send?

Answer 3

A 2 NT response indicates the responder as 8 or 9 points and the responder wants to play NT. He doesn’t know if there are enough combined points to go to 3NT. It is an Invitational bid. If the Opener has

Question 4

What message does a 4 level response ( 4H or 4S ) to a 1NT opening send to the opener?

Answer 4

Responder has a 6 card major and enough point to go to Game (O with 15 -17 and R with 11+) . Combined with the Opener’s balanced hand (must have at least 2 of each suit) they have a Magic Fit. Contract should be played in that suit. A 4 level response is a Sign-off response. R could have also used a Jacoby Transfer and then bid game in this suit. The difference is in whose hand will be the Declarer and whose will be the Dummy.

Question 5

Given a choice, would you play a contract in NT or a Major suit? Why?

Answer 5

All things being equal, you should play in the Major Suit. Playing a suit lessens the risk the the opponents will have a long suit to defeat you with if you are in NT.

Question 6

How does the Responder revalue his hand after a 1 NT opening?

Answer 6

The fact that the Opener has a strong, balanced hand makes your long suits worth more.

• A 5 card suit with 2 honors is worth 1 extra point
• A 5 card suit with 3 honors is worth 2 extra points
• A 6 card suit headed by a K or A is worth 2 extra points
• A 6 card suit headed by 2 of top 3 honors or 3 of the 5 honours is worth 3 extra points.

Question 7

What does a 2C response to a 1 NT opening mean?

Answer 7

Stayman Convention: A 2C response to a 1NT opening is R asking O if he has a four card major. R is looking for a Magic Fit with a 4 card major R holds.

Question 8

How many combined points are required to bid to a 3 NT game level?

Answer 8

25 combined points.

Question 9

You as Opener open with 1NT and Responder responds with 2NT. What message does that send you?

Answer 9

A 2NT response to a 1NT opening indicates that R has 8 or 9 points. It is an invitational bid asking O to decide whether to go to game or not.

(O has 15 to 17 pts. It takes 25 Pts for a Game in NT. R can’t reach the level required (10 Pts) so he makes an Invitational 2 NT bid.)

Question 10

Opener opens with 1NT. You as responder have a 5 card suit. How would you revalue the points in your hand?

Answer 10

For each 5 card suit with 2 Honours, you add 1 point. With 3 honours, you add 2 points.

Question 11

Opener opens with 1NT. You as responder have a 6 card suit. How would you revalue the points in your hand?

Answer 11

A six card suit headed by an A or K is worth 2 additional points.

A six card suit with either
- 2 of the top 3 honours or
- 3 of 5 honours
is worth 3 extra points

Question 12

How many combined points are required between the two hands to bid to Game in NT.

Answer 12

25 Points

Question 13

If your partner opens 1 NT and you have 8 to 9 points in your hand as responder, how high would you take the bidding?

Answer 13

Partner has 15 to 17 points. You have 8 to 9. Taking the two low values, you assume your partnership has 23 or 24 points. You need 25 for game. Bid 2NT.

Question 14

What are the criteria for using a ‘wrap-around’ response of 2S to a 1NT opening?

Answer 14

To use a wrap-around response of 2S to a 1NT opening you must have a 6+ card Minor.

Question 15

Opener opens with 1NT. Responder has a 6 card Major. What important information does this give the Responder?

Answer 15

To open 1NT, Opener had to have a balanced hand. He therefore has at least 2 of each suit. Responder now knows the partnership has an 8 card fit.

Question 16

In response to a 1NT opening, what’s the difference in the bidding pattern between R having a 5 card Major or a 6 card Major?

Answer 16

With a 6 card Major, R can transfer to the suit and then on the next bid he can bid Game. With a 5 card suit, R doesn’t know if there’s an 8 card fit so he transfers to the suit and then bids NT at the cheapest level. O has to decide of the partnership can go to Game level (if O has 3 of the suit) With a 6 card suit R can transfer to the suit and then on the next bid he will bid at Game level.

Question 17

In response to a 1NT opening bid, what does Responder’s bid of 2D or 2H mean?

Answer 17

The responder is using a Jacoby transfer. He is showing that he has 5H (if his bid was 2D) or 2S (if his bid was 2 H.

Question 18

In response to a 1NT opening, what does a 2S bid by Responder indicate?

Answer 18

Responder is saying he has a 5+ card Minor and asking the Opener to rebid 3C.

Question 19

In response to a 1NT opening, what does a 2NT bid by responder indicate?

Answer 19

A 2NT response to a 1NT opening shows Responder has 8 or 9 points and no 4 or 5 card Majors.

Question 20

If Opener has a weak Minimum hand (13 or 14 points) that is Balanced, how does he convey this information to his partner?

Answer 20

To indicate a minimum, balanced hand, Opener should bid 1 of that suit and then 1NT (or the cheapest NT available) on his second bid.

This indicates a balanced hand that was too weak to open 1NT

Question 21

If Opener has a Maximum hand (18 or 19 points) that is Balanced, how does he convey this information to his partner?

Answer 21

To indicate a maximum, balanced hand, Opener should bid 1 of a suit on his first bid and then ‘Jump rebid’ to 3NT on his second bid.

This indicates a balanced hand that was too strong to open 1NT. With 18/19 points and Responder’s promise of 6+, the Partnership gets to 2NT level.

Question 22

What type of bid is when a partner either:

• rebids a previously bid suit (either his or his partners) or
• makes a NT bid?

Answer 22

These are both ‘Limiting Bids’. They tell the other partner how many points and what denomination the bidder’s hand features.

Question 23

After a 1NT opening and a J Transfer to a suit, how does responder show he has a 8 or 9 point hand and a 5 card suit?

Answer 23

Rebid 2NT

Transferring to a Major shows a 5+ card suit. With a 5 card suit and 8 or 9 points, R isn’t sure

• partnership has enough points for Game (15 + 8 = 23) or
• there is an 8 card fit (with a balanced hand O may have had 2 of the suit.

R bid after the Transfer should be 2NT. This is an Invitational bid.

Question 24

After a 1NT opening and a J Transfer to a suit, how does responder show he has a 8 or 9 point hand and a 6 card suit?

Answer 24

Transferring to a Major shows a 5+ card suit. With a 6+ card suit and 8 or 9 points,

• R does know there is an 8 card fit (a balanced hand has at least 2 of each suit).
• but R isn’t sure that the partnership has enough points for Game (15 + 8 = 23)

R bid after the Transfer should be 3 of the suit. This is an Invitational bid.

Question 25

After a 1NT opening and a J Transfer to a suit, how does responder show he has 10 or more points in his hand?

Answer 25

Holding 10+ points guarantees the partnership has enough points for Game (15 + 10 = 25).

• With a 5 card suit, R jumps to 3NT. This invites Opener to play in NT or bid up to Game in the suit.
• With a 6 card suit, there is definitely an 8 card fit. R bids game in the suit.

Question 26

What does a 3C or 3D response to a 1NT opening indicate?

Answer 26

A 3C or 3D response to a 1NT opening is an Invitational bid showing Responder has 6C or 6D and 8 or 9 points.

Clubs means Clubs and Diamonds mean Diamonds. These are not transfer bids.

Question 27

What does a 3H or 3S response to a 1NT opening indicate?

Answer 27

A 3H or 3S response to 1 NT opening is:
- Invitational to a slam bid

It shows:

• A slam strength hand of 18+ points ( 33 - 15 = 18 pts)
• A 6+ card suit

This is not a J Transfer: H means H and S means S

Question 28

What does a 4C response to a 1NT opening bid mean?

Answer 28

A 4C response to a 1NT opening is:

A Gerber Convention bid asking for A’s (and perhaps K’s)

Question 29

What does a 4NT response to a 1NT opening mean?

Answer 29

A 4NT response to a 1NT opening is:

An invitation to a slam bid

It asks the O to decide if the partnership should go to slam.

Question 30

What is the difference between a 4C and a 4NT response to a 1NT opening bid?

Answer 30

4C means the R is confident that a slam bid is possible and is asking for A’s (and perhaps K’s).

A 4NT response is Invitational. Responder is telling opener he has good the points to support a slam bid but has some problem with his hand. R is asking O to make the decision to go to slam.