Responding to 1 of a Suit Opening Flashcards
What the difference in your goal between responding to 1 of a Minor vs one of a Major?
You’d like to get to a game bid in a Major (26 points required and 10 tricks)
For a Minor, you’d like to get to a 3 NT game (25 points). You don’t want to go to game in a Minor because that requires 28 points and taking 11 of 13 tricks.
What two questions are the partners trying to answer during the bidding process?
- What suit (or NT) and
2. How high should the bid be?
What’s the first question R should ask in deciding on his response to O’s opening bid?
Can I raise O’s 1 Major bid? Requires 3 of the Major and 6 points (including dummy points)
How do you calculate Dummy Points for the purposes of ranking R’s hand once O has identified a suit?
HCP plus:
Void = 5 additional points
Singleton = 3 additional points
Doubleton = 1 additional point
O’s opening bid is 1 of a Major. R can support it (3 cards and more than 6 points - using Dummy points). How high should R bid based on is points?
0 - 5 Dummy points -> Pass
6 - 10 Dummy Points -> Raise to 2 Level
11 - 12 Dummy Points -> Raise to 3 Level
13 - 16 Dummy Points -> Raise to 4 Level (Game in Major)
16+ Points -> Jump Shift to show interest in slam
What the second question R should ask in deciding on his response to O’s opening bid?
Do I have a weak hand (0-6 points - not including Dummy Points)? If so pass.
{The first question was supporting O’s bid. This question is evaluating your overall hand)
In response to O’s opening bid, R has more than 6 points (but less than 11) and can’t support O’s 1 Major opening (if there was one) - what’s question does R ask himself?
Can I bid another suit at the 1 level?
If
1) from first 2 questions:
a) you can’t support O’s opening suit
b) you have 6 or more points
2) you have 4 or more of a suit then
You can bid that suit at the one level. Never above the one level unless you have 11 or more points. If you bid at the 2 level, you are promising 11 points and your partner will start to bid more aggressively.
The opener may have 20 points and 4 of your suit - you have to give it a try… but only if you can do it at the one level.
In response to O’s opening bid, R has more than 6 points (but less than 11) and can’t support O’s 1 Major opening (if there was one) and can’t try another suit at the 1 level.
What are R’s remaining options?
1) Support O’s Minor opening (with 4 card support) or
2) Bid 1 NT
What are the criteria for R to go above a 1 level response to O’s opening bid? {Exclusive of support O’s 1 Major opening}
R must have 11 or more points. With O’s 13 and R’s 11 there are enough combined points to get to the 3 of a suit level (24 points). With lower than 11 points, pick between raising O’s Minor or bidding 1 NT
O opens with 1 of a Major. R has 3 card support for it. How many total points (HCP +Dummy Points) does R need to raise the major to:
a) 2 of the Major
b) 3 of the Major
c) 4 of the Major?
Raise to 2 of the Major: 6 to 10 Total Points
Raise to 3 of the Major: 11 or 12 Total Points
{ If O had 13 points, 11 in Dummy adds to 24 total}
Raise to 4 of a Major: 13 to 16 Total Points
{ If O had 13 pts, 13 in Dummy adds to 26! Game!!}
What is the difference between Long Suit points and Dummy Points?
Long Suit Points are counted before a partnership settles on a suit for a contract. Dummy Points are used once the partnership has agreed on a suit for a contract.
Why don’t you count Dummy points if Opener opened with a Minor Suit?
You’d like to get to NT (or a Major) rather than play in a Minor. If you get to NT, Dummy points don’t apply.
Why don’t you count Dummy Points when responding to a NT Opening?
Dummy Points are used to value short suits. In NT, short suits are not a good thing.
In response to a 1 of a Suit opening, how many points does R need to jump to three of O’s suit (this assumes R has a ‘magic’ 8 card fit with O’s suit)?
To jump to 3 of O’s opening suit, R must have:
- 11 or 12 HCP’s
- and 8 card fit with O’s opening suit
Why 11 or 12? O has promised a minimum of 13 points. If R has 12, the partnership has (13+12) 25 points: not enough for Game. R is making an Invitational bid which O can raise to game.
What conditions must R meet in order to raise O’s 1 of a Major Opening to Game level?
For R to raise O’s opening 1 of a Major bid directly to Game level, R must have
- an 8 card fit
- 13 to 16 points (including Dummy Points)
Why 13 to 16 points? O has promised a minimum of 13 points. If R has 12, the partnership has (13+13) 26 points: enough for Game. R can move directly to Game level.
