|
BIDING SYSTEM OBJECTIVES
Of course the main objective in a competitive bridge hand is to get the
best score possible. So, we need to understand how the scoring table
works. First all you must look for the board you will play to know if
your partnership or opponent are Vulnerable (Vul) or not Vulnerable (nVul),
because there are one table scoring for designation Vul and other for
naval and that makes significative difference in the bidding decision -
depending on Vulnerability.
The points scored by each trick isn’t not counted for the first 6 tricks
and subsequent tricks have the following values: 20 for minor contract;
30 for major contract; and for NT contract the 7th trick has
value of 40 and the additional have value of 30 points.
During the auction the final contract could be in:
- part score (contract that perform less than 100 points): and if the
contract is made in 1♣
1♦
1♥
1♠
1NT 2♣
2♦
2♥
2♠
2NT 3♣
3♦
3♥
3♠
4♣
4♦
then exist a bonus of 50 points in addition to tricks points –
overtricks are additional tricks made but not include to perform 100;
- game (need 100 points 40+2x30 or 4x30 or 5x20): and if the contract is
made in 3NT 4♥
4♠
4NT 5♣
5♦
5♥
5♠
exist a bonus for making the game: 300 nVul or 500 Vul in addition to
tricks points (100 or 120 plus overtricks points);
- small slam (12 tricks) have additional bonus of 500 points nVul and
750 points Vul in addition to tricks points and game bonus;
- grand slam (13 tricks) have additional bonus of 1000 points nVul and
1500 points Vul in addition to tricks points and game bonus.
contract in major after six tricks: each trick additional equal 30
points
contract in minor after six tricks: each trick additional equal 20
points
contract in NT after six tricks: the first trick equal 40 points and
subsequent 30 points
Example1: 3NT Vul made plus one = 40 + (3x30) + 500 = 630 points
Example2: 2♥
made 2 = (2x30) + 50 = 110 points
Example3: 4♠
nVul made 6 = (30x6) + 300 = 480 points
Example4: 5♣
nVul made 5 = (20x5) + 300 = 400 points
Example5: 6NT Vul made 6 = 40 + (5x30) + 500 + 750 = 1440 points
Example6: 7♦
nVul made 7 = (20x7) + 300 + 1000 = 1440 points
Link for ACBL scoring table
here
Another important point to decide what is better to do is understand the
bridge modality we are playing. There are 3 different main bridge
modalities:
1- Tournament that uses Match Point (MP) scoring where each board played
computes a score for each partnership and these scores at the final are
added in terms of relative percentage. Suppose a board where NS had the
following results: 480 450 420 200 170 140. Now the top score 5 will
have the score 100% and the worst result will have a score 0%.
Thus, we have the top score 5 to the partnership that makes 480 points;
4 to the partnership that makes 450 points; 3 to the partnership that
makes 420 points; 2 for the partnership that makes 200 points; 1 for the
partnership that makes 170 points and zero to the partnership that makes
140 points. To convert in % we divided the partnership score by the top
score possible or 5/5 = 1 => 100%; 4/5= 0,8 => 80%; 3/5= 0.6 => 60%;
2/5= 0,4 => 40%; 1/5= 0,2 => 20% and 0/5= 0 => 0%.
Of course, the tournament will have two winer partnerships, one in NS
and another in EW and the EW score, in terms of percentage, is the
complement to 100%. This means, for each hand played, if NS has 40% in a
specific hand, then EW will have 60% in this specific hand.
When there are some hands with same score like: 450, 420, 420, 420, 140,
-50 then NS with 450 will receive maximum or 5 that is 100%; NS with -50
(or 50 to EW) worst score will receive 0%; the NS scores 420-420-420
will receive same score (4+3+2)/3= 3 so each one will have 3/5 = 0,6 =>
60% and 110 will receive 1/5 = 0,2 => 20%.
2- Team events (match) uses scoring in International Matchpoints Scoring
(IMP’s), that is a secondary score (0–24) for the difference in points
in each board – see table below:
points IMPs points IMPs points IMPs
..20-40 1 370-420 9 1500-1740 17
..50-80 2 430-490 10 1750-1990 18
..90-120 3 500-490 11 2000-2240 19
130-160 4 600-740 12 2250-2490 20
170-210 5 750-890 13 2500-2990 21
220-260 6 900-1090 14 3000-3490 22
270-310 7 1100-1290 15 3500-3990 23
320-360 8 1300-1490 16 4000 or + 24
3- Rubber Bridge that occurs at home (or in a Bridge Club) with 4 or 5
players reversing partnership in the same table after 2 games done by
same partnership. Rubber Bridge it is not our focus here.
There are different approaches between MP and IMPs:
- Playing MP if you can make a part score in 3♣
or 3♦
where you have a fit with partner to score 110 points but also may try
2NT to score 120 points with a little more risk many expert players will
prefer the 2NT contract; or if you have a fit in a minor that will score
110 but also good 5 cards major like AKJ10x where you can also score 110
points with some risk or even 140 points if cards divide normally then
you may prefer the risk contract to try a better score.
- Playing IMPs, you should always prefer the part score contract more
safely to play. But if the decision is between to stop in a part score
of
3♥/3♠
or bid a game Vul in 4♥/4♠
were you estimate your chances in 50%, then probability shows that you
should try the game because after many boards played you will have more
profit due to the high bonus that you may gain versus the loss you may
have if go down.
In fact, you will have an advantage of 2 IMPs per board if you declare a
game Vul with chances to make around 50%. At the limit you will have
advantage in declarer a game Vul if your chances are above 37,5% and a
game nVul if your chances are above 45,5%.
The declaration of a small slam needs more than 50% of chances but the
declaration of grand slam, due to large losses if down 1, you should try
only with odds above 70% (Terence Reese opinion) or better only if you
can count 13 tricks (Edward Kaplan opinion).
Of course, a good Bidding System provide conventions to search the hand
and this allow you understand what are your chances.
Another interesting topic found in
Culbertson’s Blue Book is the information that in average the 13 tricks
played make 8 tricks using honors (A, K, Q …) and the others 5 tricks
with length or ruffs. Thus, this means that a Bidding System must inform
about honors (hcp), about long suits and about shortness in specific
suits. In fact, during the bidding we should have rules to inform our
strength showing our weak range (12-15 hcp) or our strong range (16+ hcp);
after we open in a 5-card-major the rebid of this suit shows 6 cards but
after we open in a minor suit that may have 3+ cards the rebid of this
minor in modern bidding system shows 6+ cards, not only 5. After partner
open in a major suit if we have 10+ hcp with good 4-cards support and a
singleton suit we jump in this suit (called splinter bid) at level 4 to
show our shortness (singleton or void).
Searching for a fit is a primary bidding objective. When a player find
that his partner has 4 cards in the same suit, he also has 4-cards or
find that partner has 5 cards in the same suit he also has 3 cards, then
he should support partner suit to establish the agreement in that suit -
maybe the future trump suit. In these cases, we say they found a fit 4-4
or 5-3 and the remainder 5 cards (residue) in that suit are
statistically divided 3-2 or 2-3 in 67,8% between the opponent’s hands.
So, when we have a 4-4 fit and we play the top cards A K Q if the
residues are divided 3-2 our remainder 2 cards may be used for ruff and
then we make 5 tricks in this suit. If our fit is 5-3 and opponents
5-cards are divided 3-2 in a similar way we can make a total of 5 tricks
in this suit.
That is the reason why players during the bidding use rules, like syntax
in language, to find a fit (at least of 8 cards) and explain the
strength of their hand in hcp as information for partner be able to
decide the final contract.
How is the strength needed for an opening at
level 1 at first or second position?
In fact, 70y ago an opening in suit at level 1 was 13+ hcp or 3 “Quick
Tricks”. Quick Tricks is the number of tricks you expect to make in a
suit on the first two rounds of that suit (AK=2 AQ=1˝ A=1 KQ=1 Kx=˝). In
other words, the defensive tricks that an opening should have.
Now good 5431 with 11-12 hcp is common be opened to take initiative if
it shows an indication to lead. Of course, if you have a long suit like
♠AKJ97543
♥7x
♦10x
♣x
the best opening is 4♠
trying to disturb opponents in finding their best fit, but if they bid
at level 5 you probably have just one defensive trick with A♠.
The hand distribution is an important parameter to decide between to
open or to pass. If you have a 4-card suit like AKQ2 and the
distribution of this suit is 4333 (36%) you will make 4 tricks because
after you play A K Q your last card, the “2”, will make a trick. But if
your hand distribution is 4333 you have only one suit to promote the 4th
card. When your hand distribution is 4432 then you have two suits that
might promote the 4th card. When your hand distribution 5332
then your 5-card suit may promote the 4th and the 5th
card.
When your hand distribution is 5422 or 5431 you have the chance to make
the 4th card in the 4-cards suit and the chance to make the 5th
and 4th card in the 5th card suit. If you have a
55xx then you upgrade the chances to promote more tricks. Thus, these
distributions help you to decide for the opening with 11 or 12 hcp. In
the other hand, avoid opening hands with distribution like:
♠9xx
♥Axx
♦AKx
♣9xxx
or
♠9xx
♥Qxx
♦AKQ
♣Jxxx
despite you have 3 sure tricks. Thus, let’s consider a 4333 distribution
with minus 1 point.
The initiative in the bidding is a parameter of success that justified a
weak opening even in level one if it is also orienting partner for a
good lead in case opponents win the auction. So. the opening could be
done more light (10-11 hcp) having good distribution (5-4 or 6-4 or 5-5)
with two and half defense tricks like:
♠AQ109x
♥A109x
♦xxx
♣x
or
♠AQ10x
♥A1098xx
♦x
♣xx
or
♠AJ10xx
♥AJ109x
♦x
♣xx
or yet in third position, as an indication for lead with something like:
♠xx
♥xx
♦AK109x
♣K108x
with favorable vulnerability and a reasonable second bid available. But
the partnership needs to know how to stop the bidding after a weak
opening - to avoid overbids (when contract is too high to be made due to
poor high cards).
There is a important convention called “Drury” that allows an opening in
major 5-card suit at third or fourth position with only 10-11 hcp and
then a passed hand with 10-11 hcp might inform opener his strength
with 3-cards support bidding
2♣
or
4-cards support bidding
2♦.
Then, if Opener rebids his major suit, Responder must pass without
danger in overbid. Therefore,
for major suits weak opening, this problem is already solved to stop the
bidding after a weak opening.
Of course, sometimes you can evaluate the strength of a hand counting
its losers. Suppose you have a hand like:
♠10987
♥AK
♦A
♣AKQJ10x
where you have 4 losers in Spades. This hand has 9 winers and if you are
in third or fourth position a 3NT opening may have success unless an
opponent has 5-top-cards in Spades. But this opening is not recommended,
if your partner has
♠Ax
♥Qxx
♦xxxx
♣98xx
because you missed a slam in Clubs with an opening in 3NT that may have
another meaning depending on partnership agreement.
But in general, to evaluate the strength of a hand it is standard the
use of high cards points (hcp) A=4 K=3 Q=2 J=1 published around 1920 by
Milton Work that is still our inaccurate guideline. For balanced hands
the statistics shows:
- a game in 3NT 4♥
4♠
needs 25-26 hcp;
- a game in 5♣
5♦
needs 27-28 hcp;
- a small slam needs 32-33 hcp;
- a grand slam needs 37 hcp (or 13 tricks counted).
Thus, the Bidding System must have rules for in cooperative way both
partners may show the range of their points to allow the choice between
part score / game / slam and if a slam is possible. Of course, to bid
slam we need first assured that there are no missing 2 Aces or an Ace
and King in same suit. If we bid a slam and opponents make initially 2
tricks before we can make our 12 tricks this is really a big blunder in
our bidding procedure.
High Cards Points is a very easy way to evaluate hands, but it has
inaccuracies. If we assume the value for K=3 then the more correct value
for A is 4.25 and for Q<2 (almost 2). Furthermore, Milton Work points do
not include a value for the 10 or a value when there are union of middle
cards like J109x or QJ8 or KJ10, because their value for making tricks
is very different from the value of Jxxx or Qxx or Kxx. So, each player
should look carefully at his middle cards observing the consistency of
the cards to make tricks and the hopeless losers. Of course, if A=4.25
then 4 Aces in the same hand means 17 hcp.
In the other hand, long suits with 7+ cards or 2 suits 5-5+ with good
top honors should not be evaluated using hcp but for its losers and,
evidently, we can’t compare suits like KJ543 x KJ1098 or KQ543 x KQ1098
or AQxxxx x AQ10987 only using hcp.
If your partner opens 1♠
and you have a special distributional hand like:
♠xx
♥KQ1098
♦QJ10987
♣-
you should ignore Milton Work points evaluation and despites you have
only 8 hcp your response should be positive based in your hand strength
with only 4 losers, that means you should try a game independently how
points your partner have. Your question should be if you bid first 2♦
and after reverse in Hearts or if you bid first 2♥
and after bid Diamonds, because if hand fits you may also have slam!
In modern evaluation
for points counted for an opening hand we do not use any more points for
doubleton or singleton or void. But we use +1 for each 5-cards suit, +2
for each 6-cards suit, +3 for a 7-cards suit if the long suit has top
honors. But when we find a fit 4-4 or 5-4 then we increase the value of
our shorter side suit adding distributional points: singleton=3 void=5.
So, in moderns bridge system splinter (shorter suit) is bid in jump by
Responder (simple jump or double jump in the second bid of Opener or
Responder) establishing game-force showing support of 4+ cards in
partner’s suit with a focus in asking to partner if the hand fits or no
– is like ask: - should we try slam or stop in game?
During the auction partnership change information using Bidding System
rules about the strength of each hand to decide if they should stop in a
part score (1NT 2♣
2♦
2♥
2♠
2NT 3♣
3♦
3♥
3♠
4♣
4♦)
due to less than 25-26 hcp when both hands are balanced, or if they may
try game or even slam considering the astonishing distributional hand
showed by splinter (void or singleton) during the auction:
Opener:
♠-
♥AK10983
♦AQ7
♣8532
Responder:
♠Q7652
♥QJ432
♦K109
♣-
Opener Responder
1♥
4♣
<= by convention 4♣
means shorter clubs suit (called splinter convention) with implicit
support of 4♥+
cards. Thus, in this example Opener
may try a slam in 6♥
because his immediate losers are in Clubs – this means hand fits. In
fact, if the bidding follows with 4♠
by Opener showing control in Spades suit (called cuebid) and Responder
rebid their splinter showing now void in Clubs, Opener may cuebid in 5♦
that will be followed by a support cuebid in 6♦
allowing an invitation to grand slam.
However, although finding a fit (4-4 or 5-3) be an important task for a
partnership the information about specific high cards like A K Q of
trump and A K at side suits is very relevant for the decision in stop in
part score, bid game or try slam. In these notes of 2/1, we emphasize
that Opener’s second bid and Responder’s second bid must give reliable
information of the strength of their hands and put the information of
the distribution in secondary plane. Like if the hand is 5332 or 6322.
Our approach is to know if the hand has a range 12-15 hcp or 16-20 hcp
for Opener and Responder.
Considering that an opening in suit at level 1 normally has a range
between 12-20 hcp, the main objective of the Opener is to inform his
partner if his strength is minimum (12-15 hcp) or better (16+ hcp). So,
the Bidding System must have rules for that.
In similar objective Responder can show his strength bidding depending
on his range, per example:
0 – 5 hcp <= pass
6 – 9 hcp <= bidding other suit at level 1
………….. <= bidding 1NT
………….. <= support partner major at level 2
10-11 hcp <= bidding other suit at level 1
………….. <= bidding 1NT and if possible 2NT
………….. <= support partner at level 3
12+ hcp <= making a game forcing bid at level 2.
In general these rules of the Bidding System determine partnership
procedures.
Opener in his second bid informs Responder of his limited strength, per
example:
12-14 hcp <= bid 1NT
………….. <= support Responder at level 2
18-19 hcp <= Opener jump to 2NT
18-20 hcp <= Opener jump in other suit
16-17 hcp <= support Responder suit at level 3
18-19 hcp <= support Responder suit at level 4
All these considerations are rules of the Bidding System that we must
study. So, add points (hcp) during the action it is a usual function of
any player to evaluate if it is possible to have 25+ points together or
with less than 25 points to abort game try.
But the opponents (N-S x E-W) also interfere in auction making Overcall
to compete and so to find also their fit to try a part-score or game in
the opposite position. This is the beauty of competitive bidding when
both partnerships want to obtain the best score for the present hand
playing in their own fits. A good Bidding System should give tools or
rules to make possible a safety level to compete for a good score.
Suppose the following bidding with both sides nVul:
Joan (dummy) Joan Maria Paul John
♠
A42 1♦
2♣
2♥
pass
♥
QJ8 4♥
all pass
♦
AQJ3 Contract: 4♥
♣
852 Declarer: Paul
John Maria Lead from Jean:
♣7
♠ 109876
N ♠
QJ5
♥ 765
O E ♥
2
♦ 10876
S
♦
954
♣ 73
♣
AK1094
Paul (Declarer)
♠
K3
♥
AK10943
♦
K2
♣
QJ6
Paul loses
♣AK
and a ruff in Clubs and makes the contract, but if Maria don’t bid 2♣
(overcall) that makes an indication to the lead, then John may lead
♠10
and Declarer will make 6 tricks in Hearts + 4 in Diamonds + 2 in Spades.
Thus, 12 tricks and 2 overtricks (additional tricks).
Now let’s change the hand considering N-S Vul and E-W nVul but now West
having 4 cards support and a singleton:
Joan Joan Maria Paul John
♠
A42 1♦
2♣
2♥
3♣
♥
QJ8 4♥
5♣
double all pass
♦
AQJ3 Contract: 5♣
=> 11 tricks
♣
85 Lead from Paul
♥A
John Maria (Declarer)
♠ 9876
N
♠
KJ105
♥ 5
W E
♥
762
♦ 10876
S
♦
9
♣ QJ73 ♣
AK1094
Paul
♠
Q3
♥
AK10943
♦
K542
♣
62
Analysis: N-S makes 4♥
whose score Vul is 620 points and E-W in defense bids 5♣
that may be down doubled only 2 whose score nVul is 300 or down 3 whose
score is 500 also good advantage. Thus, a great defense made for E-W.
This is bridge in competition where both partnerships compete for the
best score in a board.
In fact, there are distributional hands that may fit in high positive
combination that hcp Aces might be ruffed, and the importance of long
fit makes game or slam possible with few hcp in both hands:
If you have a hand distribution
♠7♥6♦0♣0
and your partner
♠6♥0♦4♣3
distribution. That means that your partnership has together 13 cards in
a suit and sides suits may be ruffed. Thus, your partnership can make 13
tricks with only 10 hcp. Of course this is a dreamer hand with
probability zero, but sometimes there are, per example, deals with
eleven cards fit, that ruff a side suit from one side e ruff another
side suit in the other side, like the follow hand.
North South West North East
♠
A8742 1♣
X 1♠
X*
♥
8643 2♣
3♥
6♣
X**
♦
- all pass Contract: 6♣X
♣
8543 Lead by West K♥
West East *double shows 4♥
cards
♠ QJ106
N
♠
K95 **punitive double
♥
KQJ10 W E
♥
A976
♦ AJ76
S
♦
K10983
♣ 7
♣
J
South
♠
2
♥
9
♦
Q542
♣
AKQ10876
Explanation: South opens 1♣,
West double to show another opening hand. North bids 1♠
after West double to show by convention 5♠+
cards. Then East double promises 4♥+
cards. South rebids 2♣+
that shows 6/7♣
cards and denies by convention 3♠
cards support. West bidding in jump 3♥
shows invitation to game with 15-16 hcp and this
allows North (with 4♥
cards) to see South with singleton
♥.
Thus, North considering his
4 cards support in Clubs and being void in Diamonds noticed that
partnership has a game in Clubs or even a slam if South has singleton
Spades. So, he jumps preemptively to 6♣
against a possible opponent 5♥
(in case one opponent has void in Clubs). In the other hand, East having
one Ace and two Kings bids double not believing in a possible slam.
The card playing:
trick01: East leads K♥
and after see 4 cards
♥
in dummy and void in Diamonds makes the best defense playing trump in
the second trick.
trick02: South makes A♣.
trick03: South have 4 losers in Diamonds and now only 3 trumps in dummy,
so South must stablish a winer tricks in Spades to discard his 4th
Diamond loser. Spades must be 5431 that is a chance near 62%, so South
play A♠.
trick04: South plays low Spades and ruff.
trick05: South plays Diamond and ruff.
trick06: South plays Spades and ruff.
trick07: South plays
♠
and ruff - 5th
♠
is good now.
trick08: South plays Diamonds and ruff.
trick09: South plays last
♠
and discard last loser
♦.
trick10: South ruffs a Heart.
trick11-12-13: South claims 12 tricks – done 6♣.
Bottom Line: Sometimes a good fit
with appropriated shortness in a side suit has more value than High Card
Points and then made possible a slam with very few hcp.
/
/ /
|