Bridge - An Endlessly Challenging Game

A FREE introduction to the game of Bridge for beginners. How to deal, how to score, how to bid, how to play. This is a course of 10 free Lessons with each lesson subdivided into 7 posts. Start with the Course Outline - at the bottom of the Home page. You can opt to move slowly, one post at a time, or jump to a companion site where the same material is presented at a faster pace. Typically, someone with little or no familiarity with Bridge will progress at a rate of about one lesson per week.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Lesson 9(f) - Progress Check

How's my Progress after Lesson Nine?

Have you tried the problems in Lessons 9(a) to 9(c)?

Here are the solutions:

Partner Opens with a Pre-empt

Pre-emptive Openings

Opening pre-empts are bids at the three level or higher. They describe a 'bad' hand (not strong enough in HCP to open at the one level) with a good long suit, usually 7+.

2¨/ 2©/ 2ª Weak Two Openings

These openings show an essentially single-suited hand not strong enough to open at the one level, but containing a decent 6-card suit precisely - and 6-10 HCP.

2§ Openings

A 2§ opening most commonly has 22+ HCP. However, you may open 2§ with less if you have great playing strength instead.

Lesson 8(g) - You are in slam missing the Ace of trumps

Get rid of an additional loser before drawing trumps

When you need an extra trick by ruffing in dummy

Conserve entries in hand with long suit

Finessing at trick one - it's now or never

Draw trumps ASAP

Ruff in dummy

Now you are in a Suit contract

You should be feeling some confidence now about the following aspects of suit bidding:

Lesson 7(g) - Progress Check

How's my progress after bridge lesson seven?

Answers to bridge quiz

Hands Illustrating Responder taking charge

How responder takes charge when opener shows a maxi

When opener shows a maxi - game is certain and slam likely with better than minimum

Responder will now know if opener has a mini, midi or maxi

- based on the rebid.

Opener's priority of rebids with a midi

Opener's rebid after a shift

- now responder is master of the auction

Responder's simple shift to a new suit says, 'I have 6-15 points (10-15 at the 2-level). I’m searching for the right strain for us to play in, and I’m forcing you to bid again.'

Lesson 6(g) - Progress Check

How's my progress after Lesson Six?

ANSWERS TO QUIZ

1. a. (1) 4© with 20 TP maxi

(2) 4© - slam very unlikely with 30-32

Hands illustrating Opener's rebid

Lesson 6(d) - taking charge

How one-of-a-minor opener takes charge

When rebidding after responder raises a minor, opener considers notrumps first when game is the objective, but stays in the minor when partscores or slams are involved.

How opener takes charge after responder bids notrumps over the major

Lesson 6(b) - responder raises the major

How opener takes charge after responder raises the major

When responder raises a major, opener always stays with the major suit as trumps and simply decides the final level - partscore, game or slam.

Opener's rebid when responder has made a limit bid

How opener takes charge and is 'the master of the auction'

We next look at what happens after an opening and a response - at opener's rebid.

Lesson 5(g) - Progress Check

HOW’S MY PROGRESS AFTER LESSON FIVE?

What is the minimum number of points for a response to one of a suit?
What is the point range for a shift at the one level?

Lesson 5(f) - Quiz Answers

ANSWERS TO STANDARD QUIZ

What if, after 1NT opening, responder has weak hand with long suit?

Lesson 5(d) - Responding to one of a minor

After 1♣ or 1♦ opening

After 1♣ or 1♦ openings you cannot raise without at least 5-card support.

Responding to opener's one of a suit opening with no fit

With 6 or more HCP responder must reply to an opening one of a suit bid by partner. Why? Because opener may have up to 21HCP and thus game is still a possibility.

What are opener’s replies to 1NT-2♣?

2♣ by responder asks opener to give information about her major suit holdings. There are only three possible replies:

How does responder search for the best place to play?

What if there is no immediate fit?

Now we examine how the search for a suit fit continues when responder is not immediately sure where one exists, or whether the contract would be better played in notrumps.

Lesson 4(g) - Quiz answers and a Progress check

Did you try the quiz in Lesson 4(d)?

You can compare your solutions to the ones below, and then assess your overall progress

Both HCP and distribution points should be considered

There are various ways to uncover the optimum contract.

You can first make a bid that you know won't be passed

Lesson 4(d) - Playing suit contracts

Do you aim for a suit or a NT contract?

You generally elect to play in a suit contract because you have an unbalanced hand and more trumps than the opponents.

Suit responses to a 1NT opening (15-17)

With an unbalanced hand, responder may elect to play in a suit instead of notrumps. Whenever responder has a 6 card or longer suit there must be a suit fit because opener's hand is balanced and must contain at least a doubleton in any suit.

Responder is ready to raise opener
- in accordance with the following agreements:

How responder announces a trump fit

With a good 12 to 21 points (= HCP + length points), you open one of a suit unless your hand qualifies for an opening of 1NT or 2NT.

Lesson 3 (g) - Last 3 hands in this group

Play these NT hands - then explain some bridge expressions

Lesson 3(f) - 3 more practice hands

Counting the combined Points

Play these two hands in game - 3NT

Lesson 3(d) - Establishing a suit for extra tricks

Sometimes you need to lose a trick to make more tricks

"Knocking out" the opponents Ace

What if you're not sure whether you can make game?

You must make a bid which asks partner to further describe their hand

Getting the maximum number of tricks

To get the maximum number of tricks, you must be careful about entries

Bidding and Playing Notrump Hands

Lesson 3 consists of a dozen hands that will provide practice in card play. In each deal, imagine you are the declarer. Count your sure tricks. Decide where you might look for extras. Plan your order of play before following to the first trick.

Lesson 2(g) - Test yourself on what you've learnt so far

HOW’S MY PROGRESS AFTER LESSON TWO?

ANSWERS TO QUIZ in Lesson 2(c)

The following three hands are played in Notrumps.

The contracts are either game or slam

Playing notrump hands

As declarer you should first count your sure tricks when dummy goes down - the aces, kings and other honours that are immediate winners.

Lesson 2(c) - Test yourself on the bidding

BIDDING QUIZ - Answers in Lesson 2(f)

What opening bid do you make with each of the following hands?
a. ♠A   ♥AQT2 ♦K43 ♣K9752
b. ♠A74   ♥632 ♦A6 ♣AKJ72
c. ♠J7532  ♥A5   ♦AKQ72 ♣3
d. ♠K95 ♥AQ3 ♦J752 ♣AKQ
e. ♠AKQ   ♥85   ♦KQJT ♣AK73
f. ♠K53   ♥Q7542  ♦AJ6 ♣A4

Responding to notrump openings with balanced hands

A reply to partner's opening is called a response. At this stage you need only know that opener's partner, who is called the responder, must reply to an opening of one of a suit with 6+ points. Then the partnership can explore for a trump suit and decide on the final level.
This lesson concentrates on notrump bidding and responding with balanced hands.

Opening the bidding

Starting with the dealer, each player in turn has the opportunity to be the first to open the bidding. With fewer than a good 12 points you normally pass (exceptions in Lesson 9 when we look at weak hands with good(ish) long suits) and let someone else open.

Lesson 1(g). How's Your Progress so Far?

A QUIZ

You should very soon be able to answer all the following questions without referring to the earlier posts. (Okay, okay, most of them) You will find progress much easier if you start early to commit things to memory. Osmosis will work in the long run, but weekly revision is far more effective!

You Get Extra Points for Extra Tricks

Board 4 Dlr: W All Vul

The contract is 3NT by East, a game contract in which 9 tricks are required.

Try Playing these Slam Hands

Board 2 Dlr: E NS Vul

The contract is 6♠ by West, small slam - 12 tricks required.

How the cards are played

The auction sets the stage for the play. The player who gets to play the hand, the declarer, is the one who first mentioned the strain in which the contract is to be played. Declarer's partner is called dummy. The opposing pair are the defenders.

How to Score the Results of a Hand

You make a plus score in two ways - for making your contract, or for defeating theirs. And, at duplicate bridge, you receive a corresponding minus score when they succeed in their contract or defeat yours.

Getting Started

The basic materials needed at home are four players and two packs of cards. At a bridge club you will have instead a series of containers called boards with cards pre-dealt into four slots.

Bridge - a game for the technically minded

Millions of people play bridge worldwide - in clubs, tournaments, online and with friends at home - making it one of the world's most popular card games. It is particularly suited to those with an analytical mind, such as scientists working in Mathematics, Physics, Computing etc. These professionals are known for their logical thinking, attention to detail, working collaboratively (it's a partnership game) and with the ability to focus. All these attributes come into play in this endlessly fascinating game.

Course Outline

For a summary of all the topics covered in this course

Go To Course Outline

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