Partner cannot guess your high card point strength – so never be shy about showing your stuff!
This week’s tip is this: Make an effort to step over the bidding barrier when you have considerably more high card points than your opening bid shows.
Use ’em or lose. Honour cards – aces, kings, queens and jacks take tricks, and the more you have the more tricks you can win.
General principles: When you break the barrier your bid is forcing, so partner must make another bid.
Let’s talk through the jargon so that you can bid better with good hands.
Reverse bids
Ever heard people talk of the bidding barrier? Think of it like a ladder. In order to take the next step up the ladder, your side MUST have a combined 4 extra values. An opening bid and response shows 12+ 6 = 18high card points. Step up the ladder with 16+6=22. To take the next step you’ll need 25. The next two steps take you to slam – 33 more points, and with another 4 points combined for your side will bring you very close to grand slam.
Do you know your reverses?
In each of the quiz scenarios below, assume partner responds with a suit you do not have, so make the rebid that best describes your hand.
OTHER STRONG HIGH CARD SHAPE SHOWING BIDS
Jumpshifts
16-20 HCP hands with shape where the first suit is longer than the second
REBID: Jump in the lower suit
NT Rebids
16-20 HCP hands with shape where the first suit is longer than the second
REBID: 1NT = 15-17, 2NT=18-19
Strong suits
16- 18 HCP hands with only one very good suit.
REBID: Repeat suit but jump 1 or 2 levels
ALSO WORTH KNOWING
ADOPT the same principles as a responder. Only jump with 16+, only bid again beyond the level of two of opener’s first bid suit if you have the values to guarantee your side as 22+ high card points.
And most importantly, only ever bid a new suit at the three level if you know your side has 25 high card points between you and you are intending to bid for a game level contract.