Ward's Rules of Bridge


Rules Of Bridge



First Rule of Bridge


Never play bridge with anyone more sober than you are.


First Rule Of Bidding


Never psyche a Heart when a Spade will do.


Ward Rule #2

Behave politely. Bid obnoxiously.

Comment: Sadly, many bridge players confuse these two.



Ward Rule #9


IMPs is for bad card players.
MatchPoints is for bad bidders.


Ward Rule #13


No good bid ever went unpunished.


Ward Rule #17


The only defence against a pre-empt is an overbid.


Ward Rule #18


If you think there is only one "correct" bid take up chess!


Ward Rule #23


Always double any auction you've never heard before.


Ward Rule #111

One psyche per hand.



Ward Rule #911

If you are going to go for a telephone number, at least keep it local!



MatchPoint Madness

No one plays 1NT at our table except us!


The Lunar Rule

1. They hold the balance of power;
2. They are vulnerable (you are not);
3. You have a good fit;

When these three conditions are in effect
(i.e. when these 3 moons are in alignment):

BID LIKE A LUNATIC!


Comment: After 1H-3S-Negative Dble you hold four spades and no HCPs. With only the opponents vulnerable, 4S is an option. But why not sew some confusion into the auction with, say, 4C or 4D? Who knows? This may convince the opponents to not bid a slam.

And on a slightly more serious note...

The Leader Rule

Always play opening leader for the Queen of trumps.

Comment: Assuming you have nothing else to go on, this should increase your guessing odds to above 50%. Opponents may lead a trump from xx, but rarely from Qx or Qxx.



The Hurdles Rule

Always play Opener's Right Hand Opponent for any outstanding honour other than the Queen of trump.

Comment: This rule applies whenever the enemy passes throughout as Opener and Responder bid to the final contract. Opener's LHO had a much easier task entering the auction than Opener's RHO (who heard both opponents bidding), due to the higher level of the bidding. Ask yourself this: if one group of 1000 people fails to clear a 1-foot hurdle, and another group of 1000 fails to negotiate a 3-foot hurdle, which group probably has the better high jumpers?



First Rule Of Play


Play small towards BIG.


The HIGH FIVE Rule

With 2 FIVE card suits, bid the HIGHer one first.

Exception: With a minimum (13-15 points) and 5-5 in the black suits, open 1C, not 1S.



The BROUGH Rule

3S is often more pre-emptive than 4S.

Comment: Also known as the "Zen Rule", this paradox builds upon the difficulty in doubling 3S for penalty, as opposed to the ease of penalizing 4S. In 3rd seat, a 1H or 1S opening bid can often be more pre-emptive than a weak 2-bid, in that it does not alert the opponents to our weakness.



The Einstein-Idiot Principle

On the subject of what you have in your hand, you are a genius. The opponents and partner, however, are not nearly so prescient.

Comment: Sometimes expressed as "The cards have backs on 'em", this simple guideline encourages you to give the opponents as many guesses as possible, to hide your holding from the opponents as much as possible, and to make things as clear as possible to partner when defending.



General Rules of SAYC Bidding
Fit Inspired Bids - "FIBs"
Doubles
Cuebids
IMPs Versus MatchPoints
Lebensohl
Hand Evaluation
Defensive Signals
Jacoby Transfers
Pre-Empts
Jacoby 2NT Response to 1H or 1S
Michaels Cuebids
3 Types of Responding Hands
Percentages in Bridge
Roman Key Card Blackwood
BROZEL over their 1NT
4th Suit Force
Maximum Flexibility
Glossary of Terms
Colin's Rules of Bridge




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