Past Tips and Quizzes

January 2012 Quiz

In an auction where you and your partner have never bid the opponents are in 3nt. 

The auction was:

1nt/2h(T)/2sp/3nt.

You are on lead holding:

xxx/OJ10x/xx/QJ10x

Your lead should be obvious to you.  What is it?  Why?

The answer is in this month's Bridge Tip.

December 2011 Tip

"Review of the Auction"

Any player may request a review of the bidding either when it's their turn to bid or just prior to tabling their card at trick one.  After that no review should be granted.

"Explanation of Bids"

Any player may ask for an interpretation of a bid when it is their turn to bid or play.  This right remains in effect until the entire hand has been played out.

November 2011 Tip

After a two-level response, a new suit by opener is forcing
(you) 1 sp
(partner) 2c
(you) 2d = forcing!
Your 2d bid is forcing.  There is no need to crowd the auction with a 3d call holding:
AK10xx/x/AKxx/Axx

You know your side will be in game (perhaps slam) in either spades, nt, or even clubs..
So give partner room to further describe their hand...

October 2011 Tip

After you have transferred partner to your 5 card major, when you then bid a minor, it should show some slam interest. 
Bid 3nt if you have no slam in mind.  There is no reason to reveal you second suit to the opponents.  
Once in a great while 5 of the minor will be the only makable game, but we do not care about 'once in awhile'.....

September 2011 Tip

Your RHO has just opened 2H. 

You hold: 

Ax/KQ987/Ax/Jxxx.....

You may well be tempted to D or bid 1nt but both are very bad choices.  D sends the wrong message to partner and asks him to bid, while 1nt may fail if partner is weak. 

Be patient and pass, hoping partner can make a takeout or reopening D.  The D you of course will leave in.

August 2011 Tip

Pre-empt as often as you can as it makes life difficult for the opponents. But be sure to use the Rule of 2-3-4! 
It states that with: 

Unfavorable Vulnerability - you should be within 2 tricks of your bid; 
Equal Vulnerability - be no more than 3 away; 
Favorable Vulnerability - 4 away is acceptable. 

Follow this 'Rule' and partner will always know what he needs to have to either further the pre-empt or go to game.

July 2011 Tip

When on defense, giving partner 'count' is very important.  This is especially true in NT contracts.  In a 3NT contract, your partner leads the 5sp, and dummy comes down holding 863 in that suit. Declarer plays the 3.  Holding 742, you should play the 2 to show an odd number of spades.  Playing 3rd hand high here will get you nothing; better to give count if you cannot force an honor.

June 2011 Tip

Anticipate what declarer will lead in a suit where you hold significant honors and play smoothly and in tempo (not too fast nor too slow).  Make declarer work for his tricks as a hesitation will tend to locate the missing honors or worse yet, lead to a 'director' call.

May 2011 Quiz

Question:
You sit at Declarer's left defending any contract (suit or NT).  You see Axx of clubs in dummy.  Declarer proceeds to lead the JC.  The question is: in the examples below do you cover the J with your Queen?  Your club suit holding:

A. Qx
B. Qxxx
C. Qxxxx

Answer:  
In all three cases (A, B,C) it is NEVER correct to cover the J with your Q when you see the A in the dummy. Declarer may hold:  KJ109 and intend to play to the A on the board and come back to his hand finessing the Q. 

April 2011 Tip

A raise or jump to the 5 level of the agreed upon suit asks you to bid slam with first or second round control in the unbid suit:

You hold: 
a.) QJx/Jxxx/AKJx/Qx
b.) KQx/Jxxx/AKxx?Qx

The auction proceeds with no interference: (you) 1D/3H/4D/?
(p) 1H/4c/5H

In (a) pass as you have neither 1st nor 2nd round control of the unbid suit (spades).
In (b) bid 6H as you have 2nd round control of the spade suit.

BTW: the bids of 4C & 4D above are control bids which often serve as an excellent slam tool.

March 2011 Tip

DO NOT open a preempt below game level holding either:

1) 2 Aces, or
2) 1 Ace and 2 Kings...

You are too strong DEFENSIVELY to preempt an auction.  With either numbers 1 or 2 above simply open at the one-level.

February 2011 Tip

When your right-hand opponent (RHO) makes a strong bid, your jump bid is weak; but when RHO makes a weak bid your jump is strong!  So 1H by RHO, your jump to 2sp is weak...If RHO opens 2H, your jump to 3sp is strong (16+ pts and six spades)...

January 2011 Tip

When partner bids Blackwood and you have a void, show one or three aces by bidding your void at the 6 level.  If your void is higher ranking than the agreed upon trump suit, bid 6 of the trump suit (partner should figure that out).  If you have two or four aces and a void, bid 5nt.  With any luck, partner will figure out where the void is!

December 2010 Tip

Partnership Agreement

When partner opens at the one-level and RHO overcalls 1NT you need to make a penalty "Double" with 10+ hcp's.  Partner may pull the 'Double' if he opened a weak distributional hand (ex 'A'), but with a full-opener he leaves it in (ex'B')...

A)  J/x/AJxxxx/KQxxxx 
Open 1D and then bid 2c over partner's penalty Double.  You are weak and distributional...

B)  KJx/xxx/AQxx/KJx 
Open 1D and then 'pass' partner's penalty Double.  You have a full opener!

November 2010 Tip

A new suit by an unpassed responder is forcing, unless the opener has limited his hand.  
The opponents pass throughout the auction: 

1d/1nt! (opener) 

1sp/2h! (responder)

Opener's rebid of 1nt has limited his hand (minimum), thus responder's rebid of 2h is NOT forcing.  
He may hold: Jxxxx/KQxx/xx/xx......

October 2010 Tip

There are two ingredients necessary to bid a major suit at the two-level: 1) 10+ pts and; 2) a 5 card suit. If you are missing one of these two elements you need to 'double.'

        1D 
                  1SP
         ?

You hold: 
(a) xx/AKJxx/Qxx/xxx
(b) xxx/AQxxx/Qx/xxx
(c) xxx/AKJx/Qxx/xxx

In (a) above bid 2H as you have both ingredients (5 card suit + 10pts)..
In (b) above you must D as you lack the 10+ pts...
In (c) above you must double as you lack the 5 card suit

September 2010 Tip

When you have a Stayman response to partner's 1NT opening and your RHO interferes with a natural bid of:

     a. 2c
     b. 2d
     c. 3h

In (a) = Double / Stole my bid (DSMB)=Stayman

In (b) = 3d/ Cue bid = Stayman (the cue bid allows you to leave 3c as a natural bid)...

In (c) = Double/ a double at the 3 level is Stayman and opener can bid his major, or 3nt, or pass and convert to penalty as you should have the strength to set the opponents 3 level overcall. 

August 2010 Tip

When leading a suit partner has bid and you have supported, lead your highest card when you hold three or four small cards (as in 'A' below).

But with honor third or fourth you may lead low (as in 'B' below).

Partner has bid spades and you hold:

A)  8532=lead the 8 as it denies an honor

B)  K932=lead the 2 as it promises an honor

As declarer in a suit contract holding Axx facing xxx in dummy, when defenders lead that suit it's usually correct to duck the first one and win the second round of that suit.

Playing a 15-17 NT range, do NOT raise 1NT to 2NT with 8 HCP's and 4-3-3-3 distribution.  Lacking a 5 card or longer suit your chances of making 3NT are slight.

Your partner opens 1NT and you hold the following hand:
Qxxxx/Kxx/QJx/Jxx........

With 4-3-3-3 distribution and scattered honors do NOT use the "Stayman" Convention; rather bid 2nt w/8-9 pts, and 3nt w/10-15, w/ more you could bid a quantitative 4nt (asking partner if they have 17pts) or check for aces using Gerber (4c).
There is little reason to use Stayman when your hand is so square as you are unable to trump anything; therefore, partner may well be able to take nine tricks but not ten.

The player who makes the pre-emptive bid is NEVER the player who takes the sacrifice.

March 2010 Tip

Be aggressive in the bidding when you and partner have a fit. 

Be very aggressive when there is a known double-fit. 

Be conservative with non-fitting hands.

When You Put Down The Wrong Bid
If you look down and are surprised to see what you've just bid.  Stop!  Do not say anything.  Call the "Director" immediately.  Ask to be taken away from the table and explain what happened, i.e., "I pulled out the wrong bid," I failed to see a previous bid."  You often won't incur a severe penalty as you might have if you tried to explain your miscue to the table (you are then giving partner unauthorized information).  It is always best to call the director if you are unclear as to your rights.

When leading from dummy, to take a finesse with a number of equal honors in your hand, finesse with the highest equal.
Dummy = XX
Play low from dummy and insert the Q. Doing this, the defense now has no info as to the whereabouts of the J10.... 
You (DEC) = AQJ10 

"Blackwood"
In most slam auction the stronger hand bids Blackwood. The big hand asks, the weaker hand answers. DO NOT use Blackwood when you have a void or two or more losers in an unbid suit. 

You hold: KQxxx/Qxx/AKJx/x. 
In the auction partner opens 1c/you bid 1sp/partner raises to 3sp/your hand should NOT bid 4nt, rather cue bid 4d to show a first-round control.
You need to hear a heart control from partner to consider slam as you may have lots of tricks, but they could well take the first two hearts. 

November 2009 Tip

When partner opens a club and you hold five diamonds and a four card major, respond in the minor with 11+ HCP.  With less, respond in the major.  In the former you plan to reverse and show you major next indicating an invitational + hand.

You hold: 

a) AKxx/xx/jxxxx/xx     With (a) respond 1SP
b) AKxx/xx/A10xxx/xx   With (b) respond 1D

A takeout double by a passed hand shows 9-11HCP with shortness in the opener's suit. 
If the opponents have bid two suits, the double promise at least four card support for both unbids i.e.,

You hold: AJxx///xx///KJ10xx///xx

South (you) P  West 1C  North P  East 1H
      DBL

When the bid to your right is strong, a jump by you is weak; when the bid to your right is weak, a jump by you is strong. 
If partner opens 1C and RHO bids 1H, a jump by you to 2SP is weak. 
If RHO opens 2H, a jump to 3SP is strong (probably a six card sp suit).

You hold: 
(a) 76/AKJ9843/K4/43
(b) AQ43/AQ765/65/65
(c) 654/Ak104/832/AQJ4
(Note that from left to right = S/H/D/C)

Answer:

(a), bid 4H; 3H is not forcing.
(b), bid 4SP; 3SP is not forcing.
(c), bid 3NT, 2NT is not forcing.

The Rule of 7

When declaring a hand in NT, a good way of determining how long to hold up is to use the "Rule of 7"- simply stated, count the number of cards you and dummy hold between you in their attack suit and subtract that total from seven. 
That is how many times you hold up. 

May 2009 Tip:

SAFETY PLAY

When playing in NT and you have a long suit with no side entries opposite a doubleton consider the "safety play". 
Give up your known loser immediately while you have one more card to run the suit. i.e.,

Play a low club from both hands. As long as the suit does not break 4-0 you are fine. Notice that if you gamble on the clubs and they are not 2-2 (which they do not figure to be) you cannot make the hand!

March 2009 Tip:

LOSER-ON-LOSER PLAY

As declarer playing in a suit contract you may find that you do not want to shorten the trumps in your hand.  A great technique is to discard a known loser from your hand rather than using one of your trumps.  This keeps you off the lead and it maintains your trump length.  The idea being that you were always losing the card you pitched, but now the defense has to lead again, which might be to your benefit.  This treatment is called "loser on loser".

February 2009 Tip:

LEADS

November 2008 Tip: 

When your RHO shows weakness, a jump by you shows strength, with a 6-card suit. 

Example: 2H / 3SP (you) =
This overcall of 3 spades by you shows 15 to 17 points and 6 spades.

We "never" preempt a preempt.  So this bid allows partner to go to game with 10 points and 2 spades.

October 2008 Tip: 

The time to review partnership agreements is before you and your partner sit down to play.  Once the game has begun it is too late and too frustrating!

September 2008 Quiz:

Tell me how these hands should be bid and then how do you play to make your contract?

 north       xxx
               Axxxx
               x
               xxxx


 south      AKQxx
               Kx
               AQx
               xxx

Answer:
You have three certain club losers so you cannot afford to lose a diamond. Don't even think about taking a diamond finesse; rather, ruff the fourth club in your hand and pull one round of trump (you can afford it). Ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond. Back to your hand w/the KH and ruff another diamond. Now pull trumps and cross your fingers for a 3-2 split...

August 2008 Tip: 

When you hold Kxx, whether defending nt or a suit contract and dummy has the singleton Q, when declarer goes to dummy and plays the Q, DO NOT cover with your K.  If partner has the ace you don't need to cover, and if declarer has the ace he can never get your K later, as he has no card in dummy with which to finesse you.

July 2008 Bidding Quiz:

Here is your hand: 

      Axxx/x/Axxxx/Qxx

Three questions:

1) How many points do you have sitting in first seat?

2) You pass and partner opens 1sp.  How many points do you have?

3) What is your response to partner's 1sp opener?

Answer:

1) 11pts/10hcp + 1 length

2) 13pts/10pts + 3 singleton w/hand re-evauation

3) bid 4sp as you now own a full opener in support of
partner.

June 2008 Tip

As a general rule, whenever declarer is playing in his
second bid suit:

1sp/p/1nt/p/2d/P-O....so declarer is playing in 2d and
dummy is obviously short in spades (otherwise he would
have corrected to spades) 

YOU SHOULD lead a trump to cut down the ruffing of spades in dummy.

April 2008 Quiz

You hold:
AKx/x/AKJxx/Axxx

You open:
1D, and P responds 1H.

What is your bid?

Answer: 

Jump to 3c to show this
powerhouse. DO NOT bid 2nt, as that would promise two
hearts and partner might well go to 4h w/8pts and 6
hearts.  This takes you beyond 3nt which is probably
your best spot.

February 2008 Quiz

With no bid preceding you, what is your call in:

   1st seat:          x
   2nd seat:     AKJxxx
   3rd seat:       Jxxx
   4th seat:        Qx

Answer:

1st seat = 1H  -You have a rebid = 2H
2nd seat = 1H  - Partner has not passed and game is possible
3rd seat = 2H  - Partner has passed/pre-empt as game is
unlikely
4th seat = Pass  - Use the rule of "15" (spades + HCP's) = 12

Note: re: 3rd seat/1H is a possible response if
playing Drury.

You hold:  Ax/AKJxx/Jx/AQxx
You open: 1H and P bids 1SP
What is your rebid? 

You have two choices with this powerhouse: a jump-shift
to 3c or 2nt.  It appears that the final contract will be 3nt and a 3c call is almost certain to garner a diamond lead, but a jump to 2nt just might see a club lead.  Bid 2nt and hope for the club out -it just might
happen.

It's very important to bid and play in a consistent tempo. If you are a deliberate bidder, then be deliberate at all times. It's not "ethical" to bid slowly when you have a problem and rapidly when you have nothing. You are conveying "unauthorized" information to your partner. As for playing, when dummy comes down and you are defending, you need to decide ahead of time what you will play when declarer leads through your honor, because if you hesitate you locate that honor and take the guesswork out of the equation. 

In summation, try to think ahead and make a concerted effort to bid and play in a consistent manner.

Pearson's Rule of 15

When you find yourself in fourth seat with three passes to you, and you are unsure as to whether or not you should open, consider using Pearson's "Rule of 15".
Simply stated: count your HCP's + the number of spades you hold and if this adds to 15=OPEN/if it falls short of 15=PASS.

KJxx/AQx/Jxxx/xx=OPEN/11HCP + 4 spades=15

Ax/KJx/Axxx/xxxx=PASS/12HCP's +2 spades=14

You have a minimum opening hand:  AJx/xx/AQxxx/Qxx.   

You open 1D and partner responds:  1SP

With this hand you should raise to 2SPs.  Hearts look
like a potential problem in NT and if partner is minimum he can pass and you'll play at worst in a 4-3
fit at the two-level, which is fine.  As the one-spade
responder, be aware that partner may have only 3-card support for his raise.  So if you have a good hand with game interest but you have only 4 spades, you must first bid NT (2 or 3 depending on your strength) and opener will correct to spades if, in fact, he had four.  Raising with 3 card major support is a valuable bidding technique as long as you and your partner are on the same page.

PS: Most experts suggest you have at least one of the top three honors when you raise with three - and two of the top three would be even nicer!

September 2007 Tip

When your opponents are bidding and they alert several of their bids, unless you are planning to enter the auction DO NOT ask them what their bids mean until the auction is completed. This way you will not allow them to fix a misunderstanding that might be happening. When the auction is over you can then ask what every single bid meant.

August 2007 Tip

As declarer, when the opening lead is faced and dummy comes down, try to take at least 30 seconds to plan your line of play.  If the experts do it, we probably should too.  If the hand just seems too easy, then plan for the "worst case scenario" (bad trump split) before it is too late.

July 2007 Tip

The Rule of 2 & 3

I strongly suggest you adopt this rule as it is both useful and easy to follow.  
Simply stated, when pre-empting at any level, count your winners, and if you are VUL, bid to within two tricks of your pre-empt. If NON-VUL, bid to within three tricks of your pre-empt, i.e., you have six tricks in your hand/VUL=two level pre-empt (two tricks shy-need eight tricks/have six...if NON-VUL w/six tricks pre-empt at the three level=three shy...need nine/have six...

This application is not only a good barometer of how high to pre-empt, but it also tells your partner the number of tricks they can expect from you.

June 2007 Tip

Hand Re-evaluation

It is crucial in bridge that you take a second look at your hand in light of the auction.  You hold:

          x
          QJ10x
          xxx
          AKxxx

This hand should only be opened in third seat, but after the bidding goes: (you) pass-1sp-D-pass.
Now your partner has doubled the spade opening and you must re-evaluate your hand which now becomes a full 13pt opener (owing to the heart fit).
BID=4h...

May 2007 Quiz

It's your lead!

The auction has proceeded: 
1nt by your RHO/3nt from LHO. It's your lead and you hold:

          x
          xxxx
          Jxxx
          Jxxx

What did you lead?  


Answer:
It is best to lead your singleton spade.  The NT opener will not have five spades, the responder has denied four spades (no stayman bid), so with any luck your partner may have a decent six card spade suit.  Just imagine his surprise when his darling partner plops down a spade!