The Rainbow series will focus on three aspects of
bridge learning:
1. systemic Study - of the SAYC-OK method
(e.g. meanings of opening bids, responses, etc.)
2. Orthodox Study - of common/integral practices not
explicitly covered in the SAYC-OK notes
(e.g. 4th Suit force, 16+ for Jacoby 2NT, etc.)
3. Stylistic Study - of recommended approaches
without regard to orthodoxy
(e.g. LOTUS, Maxi-Flex, etc.)
------------------ Opening Bids --------------------------
Hands are categorized as either BALANCED or
UNBALANCED. BALANCED or "flat" hands come in one of
THREE distribution types:
1. 5-3-3-2 (with a 5-card MINOR?)
2. 4-4-3-2
3. 4-3-3-3
BALANCED hands, then, cannot have a void, a singleton,
or a second doubleton. In other words, balanced hands cannot
have 2 or more "short suit points" (void = 3, singleton = 2,
doubleton = 1 "short suit point").
--------------- Opening BALANCED Hands ----------------
When evaluating a flat hand, we count LONG SUIT
POINTS: 1 extra point for every card longer than four.
Hence, a truly flat hand can have, at most, 1 Long Suit
Point (in the case of the 5-3-3-2 type). Remember: voids,
singletons and doubletons will NOT help you take tricks
in No Trump! Remember, also, that we do NOT generally
open 1H or 1S without 5 cards in the bid major.
Flat hands define themselves in terms of points
with either their FIRST or their SECOND bid. These point
ranges involve one of these approaches:
3NT - 25-27 points
2C followed by 2NT - 22-24 points
2NT - 20-21 points
1-of-a-suit, jump rebid 2NT - 18-19 points
1NT - 15-17 points
1-of-a-suit, then 1NT - 13-14 points
Flat hands weaker than 13 points PASS.
------- Opening BALANCED Hands with 1-of-a-Suit -------
Having decided to open in 1-of-a-suit, which suit
do we open? With...
5-3-3-2 type open the 5-card suit.
4-3-3-3 or 3-4-3-3 open 1C (even with stronger Ds).
3-2-4-4 or 2-3-4-4 open 1D (even with stronger Cs).
4-4-3-2 open 1D (the ONLY time you open 1D with 3).
4-4-2-3 open 1C. Hence, 1C shows 4+Clubs OR 3 Clubs
with 4-4 or 4-3 in the majors.
------- Opening 5-3-3-2 Hands with a 5-card MAJOR -------
5-3-3-2 hands with a 5-card MAJOR *are* technically
BALANCED, but MANY pairs will agree to NEVER open such a
hand in No Trump. Others form partnership-specific
agreements about flat hands with a 5-card major. I suggest
the following style:
| 25 - 27 points |
Open 2C, rebid the major, then 3NT. |
| 22 - 24 points |
Open 2C, rebid the major, PASS 3NT. |
| 18 - 21 points |
Open the major, jump in NT. |
| 17 points |
Open 1NT. |
| 16 points |
Open 1NT if the doubleton is Kx or AQ; else open the major. |
| 13-15 points |
Open the major. |
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------------------ Questions -------------------------
Question #1: If 1-of-a-suit followed by a 1NT rebid
shows 13-14 and one of the three flat types,
can a 1NT rebid also show an unbalanced type?
Can I have a singleton? A void? 2 doubletons?
Question #2: I've seen experts open in NT with 6-3-2-2
and 5-4-2-2 type hands. Isn't that wrong?
Question #3a: What if I hold a 4-3-3-3 type, open 1C,
and hear partner respond in my 4-card major?
Should I rebid 1NT or raise?
Question #3b: What if I hold a 4-4-3-2 type, open in
a minor and hear my partner respond in my
4-card major? Should I rebid 1NT or raise?
Question #3c: What if I hold a 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 type
hand and hear my partner respond in my 3-card
suit? Should I rebid 1NT or raise?
Question #4: How many CLUBS does 1C:1D:1NT show?
Question #5: How many DIAMONDS does 1D:1H:1NT show?
Question #6: 4-3-3-3 is the WORST distribution for
SUIT play, since it allows no ruffing. What
is the worst distribution for NO TRUMP play?
---------- Opening UNBALANCED Hands ----------------
An UNBALANCED hand is defined as any hand
with has MORE than one Short Suit Point. When considering
opening an UNBALANCED hand, we count SHORT SUIT points:
3 for a void, 2 for a singleton, 1 for a doubleton. An
UNBALANCED hand, then, is defined as any holding which
has MORE than one such Short Suit Point. Another
definition would be any hand which is NOT flat (i.e. NOT
4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 type).
We categorize these hands as 1-suited (with a
6-card suit, since 5-3-3-2 hands are considered BALANCED),
2-suited (5-4 or better in the two suits) or 3-suited
(4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 types).
1-Suiters will open:
13-21 pts - Open the long suit.
22+ pts - Open 2C and rebid the suit.
5-4-4-0 3-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - The 5-card suit.
22+ points - Open 2C and rebid the 5-carder.
4-4-4-1 3-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - 1D unless 4-4-1-4 (open that 1C).
22+ points - Open 2C & rebid cheapest suit.
6-5 2-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - The 6-card suit.
22+ points - 2C & rebid the 6-card suit.
5-6 2-suiters will open:
13-15 pts - The HIGHER ranked 5-card suit.
16-21 pts - The LOWER ranked 6-card suit.
22+ points - 2C & rebid the 6-card suit.
5-6 BLACK 2-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - 1C.
22+ points - 2C & rebid 3C.
5-5 BLACK 2-suiters will open:
13-15 pts - 1C.
16-21 pts - 1S.
22+ points - 2C, then 2S.
ALL OTHER 5-5 2-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - The HIGHER ranked suit.
22+ points - 2C, then the HIGHER ranked suit.
5-4 and 6-4 2-suiters will open:
13-21 pts - The longer suit.
22+ points - 2C, then the longer suit.
----------------- Minor Canape --------------------
The one exception to opening your longer suit with
a 4-5 2-suiter is a hand with 13-16 points (not strong enough
for a reverse), 4 decent Diamonds and 5 Clubs. In order to
have a convenient rebid (i.e. 2C) we prefer to open 1D.
SOME partnerships will even open 1H with 4-5 in the reds so
as to have a convenient rebid (i.e. 2D) over an anticipated
1S or 1NT response. This, however, is NOT as orthodox as
the 1D opening on 4-5 in the minors since it violates the
5-card major assumption for 1H opening bids.
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MOST would open this 1D.
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MOST would open this 1D, the systemic bid,
but SOME would start with 1H, "fudging" on
the 5-card major tendency of SAYC.
The RULE OF ANTICIPATION states that we should always
expect partner to respond in our shortest suit. In the above
two examples, always assume partner will reply 1S. Bearing
in mind that we CANNOT rebid 1NT with a singleton, if we open
1C with the 1st hand we are committed to a 2C rebid. Partner
may PASS 2C with:
S- Kxxxx H- Jxx D- Q10xx C- x
...simply because a 2D rebid would be FORCING (new
suit bids by Responder tend to be FORCING). This
explains the need for a 1D opening bid with 4-5 in
the minors.
------------------ Questions -------------------------
Question #1: Why are BLACK 5-5 and 5-6 2-suiters treated
differently from all other such 2-suiters?
Question #2: How much length will I promise if I open a
minor and rebid it over a 1-level response? How
many Diamonds does 1D:1S:2D promise? 1D:1H:2D?
------------------ Opening 2C ------------------------
An opening bid of 2C is unique in that OPENER retains
"captaincy" until he or she relinquishes it by rebidding
in No Trump or a suit that he or she has previously bid.
The requirements for an opening bid of 2C are:
1. A FLAT hand in the 22-24 or 28+ point range; OR
2. An unbalanced game strong enough to force game--at
least if a fit is found.
Balanced 2C Openers will rebid 2NT (22-24), 4NT
(28-30), or higher. Unbalanced 2C openers will rebid
in their longest suit. REBIDDING that long suit without
hearing support or strength-showing bids from Responder
(e.g. 2C:2D:2H:2NT:3H) will cancel any game-forcing
implications that 2C may have had. 2C:2D:2H:3H and
2C:2D:2H:2S:3S, then, are BOTH forcing, since a fit
HAS been found.
------------------ Quiz ------------------------
1. What do you open with the following hands?
| a) |
 J10xxx |
 AKQxx |
 Kx |
 x |
| b) |
AQ |
Kxx |
AJ109x |
10xx |
| c) |
AKQJxxx |
AKx |
xx |
x |
| d) |
Qxx |
Kx |
Qxxx |
AQ10x |
| e) |
AKJxx |
x |
Qx |
QJxxx |
| f) |
KQ10xx |
AQxxxx |
A |
x |
| g) |
Kxx |
AJ10xx |
Qxx |
AQ |
| h) |
AQxx |
Axx |
AKQ |
xxx |
| i) |
xx |
Ax |
K10xx |
AQxxx |
| j) |
AJ10x |
AKxx |
A10xxx |
void |
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2. When opening a non-pre-emptive bid (i.e. not 2D or
higher suit bids) in 1st or 2nd seat, does vulnerability
play a factor?
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RAINBOW Series
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The Rainbow Series, from 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 PST every weekday, is a lecture program on the SAYC system, from
Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of SAYC.
Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the
Rainbow Series is a semi-private lesson program for our students.
Nevertheless, you are invited to stop by and "eavesdrop"
on the discussion from the Spectator's Loft.
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| If your computer
has MIDI capacity, you have been listening to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". |
