Summary:

• 5 card Majors
• Light Openings:   3rd/4th hand
• 1NT Opener:   strong NT
• 2NT, 3NT Opener:   stronger NT openers
• Strong Forcing Opener:   2C

One NoTrump Opening Bid

• 1NT:   15-17 HCPs
  
  
  • No singleton or void
  • 5 card Minor:   OK
  • 5 card Major:   no
  • 5422 distribution:   no
  
  
• Responses after 1NT:
  
  
  • 2C:   non-forcing Stayman (8+ HCPs)
    • Repond 2D:   no 4+ card Major
    • Repond 2H:   4 card heart suit (or both Majors)
    • Repond 2S:   4 card spade suit
  • 2D/H:   Jacoby Transfer to 2H/S
    • Repond 2H:   after 2D transer bid
    • Repond 2S:   after 2H transer bid
    • super acceptance with 17 HCPs & 4+ card support
      • Respond 3H/3S rather than 2H/2S
  • 2S:   Transfer to 3C/D (to play)
    • Opener:   respond 3C
    • Responder:   may correct to 3D (to play)
  • 2NT:   game invitational (8-9 HCPs)
  • 3C/D:   6+ cards, game invitational (3NT or 5C/D)
  • 3H/S:   6+ cards, slam invitational
  • 3NT:   to play
  • 4C:   Gerber (Ace asking bid)
  • 4H/S:   to play
  • 5C/D:   to play
  • 4NT:   invitation to 6NT
  • 5NT:   forcing to 6NT, invitation to 7NT
  • 6NT:   to play
  • 7NT:   to play
  
  
• Subsequent Bids: after responses to Stayman & Jacoby
  
  
  • 3C/D:   natural, slam interest
  • 4C:   Gerber
  
  
• After Interference over 1NT:
  
  
  • after double:   normal NT resposes
  • after other bids:
    • cue bid:   Stayman
    • other responses:   natural

Major Suit Opening Bid

• Minimum Length:
  • 5 cards - all seats
• 2 suited hands:
  • open longer suit
  • open higher suit:   5-5 or 6-6
  
  
• Natural raise:
  
  
  • single raise:
    • 6-9 pts, 3+ card support
  • double raise:
    • 9-11 pts, 4+ card support (sometime 3)
  • double raise (after overcall):
    • preemptive
    • 6-9 pts, 4+ card support
  • game raise:
    • preemptive
    • 8-9 pts, 5+ card support
    • singleton or void
  
  
• New suit response:
  
  
  • 1S (after 1H):
    • 1 round force
    • 6+ pts, 4+ spades
    • if weak (6-9 pts) bid 2H with 3+ hearts & 4 spades
  • 2C/D:
    • 1 round force
    • 10+ pts, 4+ cards
    • a new suit by opener is forcing for 1 round
  • 2H (after 1S):
    • 1 round force
    • 10+ pts, 5+ cards
    • a new suit by opener is forcing for 1 round
  • 2S,3C/D/H (jump shift):
    • game force
    • 19+ pts, 4+ cards (sometime 3)
  
  
• NT response:
  
  
  • 1NT (all seats):
    • non-forcing
    • 6-9 HCPs
  • 2NT (3rd/4th):
    • non-forcing
    • 10-12 HCPs, balanced
  • 3NT (all seats):
    • 2 card support
    • 13-15 HCPs, balanced
  
  
• Conventional raise:
  
  
  • Jacoby 2NT:
    • game force
    • 13+ pts, 4+ card support
    • by unpassed hand
    • Responses:
      • Rebid new suit, 3C/D/H/S:   singleton or void
      • Rebid opening suit, 4H/S:   13-14 pts
      • Rebid 3NT:   15-16 pts
      • Rebid opening suit, 3H/S:   17+ pts
      • Rebid new suit, 4C/D/H:   2nd 5-card suit
  
  
• Rebids by opener:
  
  
  • Minimum (12-15 HCPs):
    • minimum raise of responder's suit:   4 card support
    • rebid 1st suit bid at lowest level:   6+ card suit
    • rebid new suit at 1 level:   4+ card suit
    • rebid new (lower ranking) suit at 2 level:   4+ card suit
    • rebid lowest NT:   balanced or semi-balanced hand
  • Medium (16-18 HCPs):
    • jump raise of responder's suit:   (3)4 card support
    • jump rebid 1st suit bid at lowest level:   6+ card suit
    • rebid new (higher ranking) suit at 2 level:   4+ card suit
      • referred to as a reverse bid
    • rebid new (lower ranking) suit at 2 level:   4+ card suit
      • Note:   could also show minimum hand
    • jump to 2NT:   balanced or semi-balanced hand
      • Note:   after a 1H or 1S opening
      • Note:   only with very good 17+ HCP hand
      • Note:  : *** some only bid with 19+ HCP hand
  • Maximum (19-22 HCPs):
    • double jump raise of responder's suit: (3)4 card support
    • double jump rebid 1st suit bid at lowest level: 6+ card suit
    • jump rebid new (higher ranking) suit at 2 level: 4+ card suit
      • referred to as a jump shift
    • jump to 2NT:   balanced or semi-balanced hand

Minor Suit Opening Bid

• Minimum Length:
  • 3 cards
• 2 suited hands:
  • open longer suit
  • open higher suit:   5-5 or 6-6
  • open 1D:   4-4 in Minors
  • open 1C:   3-3 in Minors
  
  
• Natural raise:
  
  
  • single raise:
    • 6-9 pts, 4+ cards
  • double raise:
    • 10-11 pts, 4+ cards
  • double raise (after overcall):
    • preemptive
    • 6-9 pts, 4+ card support
  
  
• New suit response:
  
  
  • 1 level response
    • 6+ pts, 4+ cards
  • 1D-2C:
    • 6+ pts, 10+ cards
  • 1C-2D - not defined
  
  
• NoTrump response:
  
  
  • 1NT - 6-10 HCPs
  • 2NT - 13-15 HCPs
  • 3NT - 16-18 HCPs

2C Opening Bid

• 22+ HCPs
  
  
  • Alternate:
  • 9 or more tricks - unbalanced
  • 22+ HCPs - balanced
  
  
• Responses:
  
  
  • Waiting
    • 2D: cannot make following bids
    • 2H-3D:  good 5 card suit, (8)9+ pts, 2 of top 3 cards
    • 2NT:  10+ HCPs
  
  
• Rebids:
  
  
  • 2 or 3 suit:   5+ card suit
  • 2NT:  22-24 HCPs
  • 3NT:  28-30 HCPs
    • Alternate:  25-27 HCPs

Weak 2 Opening Bid

• Bid:  2D or 2H or 2S
  
  
  • 5-11 HCPs
  • 6 card suit
  • 3rd seat - also 5 card suit, 10-11 HCPs
  
  
• Responses:
  
  
  • 2NT: ask for hand description
    • 3 suit rebid - weak hand & suit
    • new suit - good hand & feature
    • 3NT - AKQxxx, no outside feature
  • new suit: forcing (2NT responses)
    • 3 suit rebid - weak hand & suit
    • raise - weak hand, 3 card support
    • new suit - good hand & feature
    • 3NT - AKQxxx, no outside feature

3/4 Preemptive Opening Bid

• Non-vulnerable:
  • light
  • within 3 tricks of bid
• Vulnerable:
  • sound
  • within 2 tricks of bid

Miscellaneous Responses

Defensive Bidding

Suit Overcalls

• 1-level: 8-16 HCPs, 4 cards occasionally
• Responses:
  • cue bid - one round force
    • ask about quality of overcall
    • overcaller: &nsp;rebid of suit - minimum overcall
    • overcaller: &nsp;other bid - natural, 11+ pts
  • jump raise - preemptive
  • new suit - non-forcing

Takeout Double

• advancer:   minimum bid - 0-8 pts
• advancer:   jump bid - 10-11 pts
• advancer:   cue bid - 12+ pts

Strong Overcalls

• double, then bid new suit or jump raise response to double
• shows 17+ pts

Jump Overcalls

• preemptive
• 2 level overcall - equivalent to weak 2 opener
• 3 level overcall - equivalent to 3 level preemptive opener

NT Overcalls

• 15-18 HCPs
• Responses: 2C -> Stayman, other bids -> natural

2 Suited Overcall

• 5-5 or longer
• 8+ pts
• jump to 2NT: 2 lower unbid suits
• cue over Minor: 2 Major suits
• cue over Major: other Major & 1 Minor suit, 10+ pts
  • advancer:  2NT - asks which Minor

Overcall:  after 2 suits bid

• cub bid:   natural

• overcall:  8-15 pts
• double:  10-15 pts
• double, then new suit:  15+ pts
• NT:  10-15 HCPs
• 2NT:  2 lower suits
• cue:  2 suited (ala Michaels)
• jump suit:  6+ cards, 13-15 pts

Defense vs Opening NoTrump

• natural

• double:  takeout (optional) - thru 4D
• 4NT:  forcing takeout (also after preemptive overcalls)
• cue:   2 suited (ala Michaels)

Inteference Bidding

After Overcall

• double:  Negative (thru 2S)
  • generally shows 4 cards in unbid suits
  • promises 4 cards in unbid Majors
  • at 2 level, may show less than 10 pts

After Takeout Double

• 1-level: new suit forcing
• jump new suit: weak
• redouble:
  • 10+ HPCs
  • implies no fit
• 2NT:   limit raise or better

Defense vs Michaels or Unusual NoTrump

• double:   desire to double & defend final contract
• cue bid:   game force

Modified Bidding - Opener

• opener:   raise may show 3 card support

Slam Conventions

• Gerber:
  
  
  • Responses:
    
    
    • 4D: 0 or 4 aces
    • 4H: 1 ace
    • 4S: 2 aces
    • 4NT: 3 aces
  
  
• Blackwood:
  
  
  • Responses:
    • 5C: 0 or 4 aces
    • 5D: 1 ace
    • 5H: 2 aces
    • 5S: 3 aces
  
  
• After Inteference:
  
  
  • DOPI
    • double to show zero
    • pass to show one
    • next suit to show two
  • ROPI
    • Same as DOPI:   use redouble in place of double

Leads vs NT

• from honor:   4th best
• top of touching honors:   exception, K from AK
• from 3+ small:   top down (Xxx)

Leads vs Suit

• from honor:   4th best
• top of touching honors: including A from AK
• from 3 small:   middle up down (xXx)
• from 4+ small: middle up down (xXxx)

Signals

• attitude - high-low encourages
• suit led by declarer - count, high-low shows even number