Bidding in bridge
In brief
- HCP: ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1; the deck has 40, an average hand 10.
- You usually open with 12 or more HCP. With 15 to 17 points and a balanced hand, the 1NT opening is the most common.
- Both partners look together for a trump suit of at least eight cards, then for the right level: about 25 points between the two hands for a game.
- The exact meaning of bids depends on the system the partnership has chosen and its conventions: they are not rules of the game.
Counting HCP
High card points, or HCP, measure the strength of a hand: ace = 4, king = 3, queen = 2, jack = 1. The 40 points in the deck are shared among the four players; a hand gets 10 points on average.
Spades: king, queen, seven. Hearts: ace, jack, six, four. Diamonds: queen, eight, two. Clubs: king, nine, five. 15 HCP.
This hand has 15 HCP: king-queen of spades (5), ace-jack of hearts (5), queen of diamonds (2), king of clubs (3).
Evaluating your hand
HCP don’t tell the whole story. Three common guidelines complete them:
- Length points: one point for each card beyond the fourth in a suit. A six-card suit adds two points.
- Rule of 20: HCP + number of cards in the two longest suits; with 20 or more, the hand can be opened at the one level.
- Isolated honors: a singleton king or a doubleton queen are worth less than their scale value, because they risk falling under a higher honor.
Spades: ace, queen, nine, seven, six. Hearts: king, jack, eight, five, three. Diamonds: four. Clubs: seven, two. 10 HCP.
10 HCP, five spades and five hearts: 10 + 5 + 5 = 20. The rule of 20 allows opening 1♠.
Guidelines for the combined total (both hands together):
| Goal | Points between the two hands, about |
|---|---|
| Game in 3NT, 4♥ or 4♠ | 25 |
| Game in 5♣ or 5♦ | 28 to 29 |
| Small slam | 33 |
| Grand slam | 37 |
Choosing your opening
In five-card majors, with about 12 to 21 points, the order of thought is as follows:
- Balanced hand of 15 to 17 points: 1NT.
- Five or more cards in hearts or spades: one of that major (the longer one; with two five-card suits, the higher).
- Otherwise: one of the longer minor. With three cards in each minor, you generally open 1♣; with four-four, partnerships differ.
Spades: ace, king, jack, six, five. Hearts: king, three. Diamonds: ace, eight, four. Clubs: jack, six, two. 16 HCP.
16 points and five spades: you open 1♠ in most systems, even though the hand is balanced. Some partnerships open 1NT with a five-card major; this is an agreement to make in advance.
Beyond about 21 points, or with a very strong hand, you use a strong opening, for example 2♣, artificial and forcing, in SAYC Convention: strong 2♣. Openings at the three level, with a seven-card suit and few points, are preempts: they hamper the opponents. The meaning of 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ openings (strong or weak) varies from one system to another.
When to open 1NT?
In five-card major systems, 1NT promises 15 to 17 HCP and a balanced hand: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, or 5-3-3-2 with a five-card minor. It is the most precise opening: partner immediately knows the strength and shape of the hand.
| System | 1NT opening |
|---|---|
| SEF, SAYC, 2/1 | 15 to 17 points |
| Acol (Great Britain) | 12 to 14 points ("weak no-trump") |
| Precision | 13 to 15 points, most often |
Responding to a one-level suit opening
- Fewer than 6 points: pass, most often.
- Simple raise (for example 1♥ - 2♥): 6 to 10 points and at least three cards in partner's major, which promised five. The partnership then has eight trumps.
- A new suit at the one level (1♦ - 1♠): four or more cards, 6 points or more; partner must bid again.
- 1NT: 6 to 10 points, with no support and no suit to show at the one level.
- A new suit at the two level (1♠ - 2♣): usually 11 points or more; in the 2/1 system, this response promises game.
Responding to 1NT
Opposite 15 to 17 points, you just need to count: with 8 to 9 points, game is possible; with 10 points or more, game is in sight.
- Fewer than 8 points and a balanced hand: pass.
- 8 to 9 points, balanced: 2NT, which invites partner to bid 3NT with the top of their range.
- 10 to 15 points, balanced: 3NT directly.
- A four-card major and 8 points or more: 2♣, the Stayman Convention: Stayman, which asks partner whether they also have four cards in a major.
- Five or more cards in a major: 2♦ for hearts, 2♥ for spades, the transfers (called "Texas" in France) Convention: Texas; the opener then bids the major, and they will play the contract.
The main systems
- SEF (Système d'Enseignement Français): the system taught by the French Bridge Federation, with five-card majors.
- SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card): the standard American system, with five-card majors and weak twos as openings.
- 2/1: a variant of five-card majors where a two-level response, without a jump, promises game.
- Acol: British system, four-card majors and a weak no-trump.
- Precision: a strong club system, where 1♣ shows 16 points or more and the other openings are limited.
The app offers SAYC, Acol, Precision, 2/1 and Natural, adjustable separately for each side. These versions are simplified compared with competition systems (see the app).