CHAPTER 3
One-level Opening Bids
At Wimbledon, when we got rained off, I spent my time playing bridge to keep me sharp and on my toes. An evening of bridge at home with family and friends is so much more enjoyable than sitting around watching TV, unless a good tennis match is on.
Martina Navratilova
You can start the auction if you are the dealer or if everyone in front of you has passed. Starting the auction is called opening the bidding. In order to consider opening the bidding, you need a hand of slightly more than average value. If you consider the value of all the high cards in the pack, there is a total of 40 high card points. An average hand, then, would be 10 points. Most players agree that 12 or 13 points is the minimum requirement to start the bidding at the one level. Your opening bid can be either in no trumps or in a suit.
Opening one no trump
When your hand belongs to the balanced family, a bid of no trumps should be on your mind. Whenever possible, a bridge player wants to give as much information about his hand as he can in a single bid. The opening bid of 1NT is very popular because it is so precise. Not only must it fall within one of the three balanced hand patterns but it must also be within a specific three-point range. You and your partner decide on the range you are going to use. Some players use a strong range of 15–17 points. In Britain, most players use the Acol system of bidding which is well-known for its weak no trump opening bid and so we suggest you use the following requirements for an opening bid of 1NT:
• A hand in the balanced family
• 12–14 points
Bids that describe the point count range within a few points are called limit bids and should be used at every opportunity. Look at each of the following hands and determine whether the dealer should start the bidding with 1NT:
The first hand is balanced, having no voids, no singletons and no more than one doubleton. However, there are 17 points, too many to open 1NT. To open 1NT you have to have 12, 13 or 14 points.
The second hand is balanced, having 4–4–3–2 distribution. It contains 14 points. Since it meets both requirements, you should open the bidding 1NT.
The third hand has 13 points but it is unbalanced, having two doubletons. It cannot be opened 1NT because it is not a member of the balanced family of hands.
As you can see, a hand has to be both balanced and contain 12, 13 or 14 points before it can be opened 1NT.
Opening one of a suit
Balanced hands containing more than 14 points and unbalanced hands of 12 or more points are opened at the one level with one of a suit (1
, 1
, 1
or 1
). When opening with one of a suit, you bid your longest suit. There will always be at least one suit in your hand containing four or more cards. When you have a choice of two suits of equal length, there are some simple rules to help you decide.
Balanced hands
Hands which are balanced, yet have more than 14 points – too strong to open 1NT – are opened one of a suit. Consider the following hands:
In the first example, with 17 HCPs, it seems straightforward to start with 1, the longest suit.
In the second example, with 15 HCPs, although the diamonds are the longest suit you may find it more difficult to open the bidding 1. You would like to have more diamonds, or at least a stronger looking four-card suit, but that is not what you were dealt. To feel more comfortable with such an opening bid, consider the alternatives. You do not want to pass since you have a much better than average hand and it is likely that your side can make a contract and score some points. To start with 1NT, however, would not be an accurate description of your hand. Your partner would think you had, at most, 14 points. Bid 1 and rest assured that it is the correct thing to do. The auction is not over yet. You are merely starting with the most descriptive bid within the limited language of bidding available to you.
In the third example, with 16 HCPs, you are again too strong to open 1NT. You want to start the bidding with one of a suit. In this case, you have a choice between two four-card suits. The general rule with two four-card suits is to bid the lower-ranking. Open the bidding 1. (The reason behind bidding the lower-ranking of two four-card suits is discussed in more detail in commonly asked questions.)
Unbalanced hands
Usually it is very easy to know which suit to open when your hand is unbalanced. Choose the longest suit. If you have a choice of two five-card or six-card suits, you bid the higher-ranking suit. It would be easier if the rule for two five-card suits were the same as the rule for two four-card suits but the rules are designed to make the subsequent auction as economical as possible. (This is discussed more fully in commonly asked questions.) Let’s look at some examples:
With the first hand, open your longest suit, 1. On the second hand, you have an unbalanced hand with two five-card suits. Bid the higher-ranking, 1. The third hand contains two six-card suits. Again, start with the higher-ranking, 1.
There is one unbalanced pattern which we have not mentioned. You won’t come across this pattern as often as the others we have mentioned but you may want to be aware of what to do when you have three four-card suits. The hand pattern is 4–4–4–1, such as the following:
If you do get a hand like this, open the bidding in the middle-ranking four-card suit, 10.
Over Zia’s shoulder
Let’s look over Zia’s shoulder to see how he handles making an opening bid. These hands come from real tournaments where Zia was the dealer.
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Audrey: |
Zia, on this hand you opened 1NT, even though you have only two small spades. Weren’t you worried that the opponents would take a lot of tricks in spades? |
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Zia: |
Although that was a chance I was taking, I did have a partner who might be able to provide some help in spades. Also the opponents do not always do what you fear most. They might lead another suit. You should not be too cautious or put so many conditions on your bidding that it restricts you. There are pluses and minuses in everything you do, in every bid you make. The main idea is to describe the shape and strength of your hand. Open 1NT as often as you can, even with this weak doubleton. |
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Audrey: |
You opened 1 |
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The spades were so attractive. Did they tempt you, even a little? |
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Zia: |
Generally it is the length that you should focus on when considering your opening bid. Starting 1 |
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Audrey: |
You made another 1NT opening bid on this hand: |
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Did you consider 1 |
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Zia: |
The problem on hands like this, if you avoid a no trump opening, is that you have chosen to give your partner a general picture of your hand rather than a specific picture. I want to tell my partner as much as I possibly can with one bid. If I open 1 |
Summary
When you have an opportunity to open the bidding, you can use the following guidelines to decide what to do:
1 With fewer than 12 points, pass
2 Requirements for an opening bid of 1NT:
• A balanced hand
• 12, 13 or 14 points
3 Requirements for an opening bid of one in a suit:
• With two four-card suits, open the lower-ranking
• With two five-card suits, open the higher-ranking
• With three four-card suits, open the middle-ranking
• Otherwise, open the longest suit
Commonly asked questions
Q Why do you open the bidding with the lower-ranking of two four-card suits?
A To answer this, you have to consider how the auction is likely to proceed after your opening bid – a subject which we will be looking at in later chapters. For now, consider the following hand:
If you open the bidding 1 and your partner likes hearts, you will have immediately found your trump fit. If your partner does not like hearts, there is still room at the one level for him to bid 1 and you will find your spade fit. If you were to open the bidding 1, your partner would not be able to bid hearts at the one level since they are a lower-ranking suit. If your partner does not like spades and wants to bid hearts, he would have to bid 2, going one level higher on the bidding steps. As we will discuss later, your partner may not have enough strength to move to the two level, and it is possible that you will never find your best trump suit.
A It would be nice to have only one rule but you must consider the difference in the shape of the two types of hands. When you have two four-card suits, your hand is balanced. You don’t mind playing the contract in no trumps. On the other hand with two five-card suits, your hand is unbalanced and you want to mention both of your suits as inexpensively as possible. Look at this hand:
You want to tell your partner as economically as possible about both the hearts and the diamonds. If you were to start with 1, the lower-ranking suit and your partner replied 1 you would have to bid 2 in order to show both of your suits. You have given your partner two choices, either diamonds or hearts. If your partner likes diamonds better, he has to bid 3 and you are at the three level, committed to taking nine tricks. Now, consider what would happen if you start the bidding with 1, the higher-ranking suit. Your partner bids 1 and you rebid 2. This time, the bidding can stay at a lower level. If your partner likes diamonds, he can pass; if he prefers hearts, he bids 2 and you are still at the two level.
Q Do you suggest we open the suit below a singleton or doubleton?
A Again, it isn’t necessary to think about the suit below the short suit. Open the lower of two four-card suits, the higher of two five-card suits and the middle of three four-card suits. You don’t need to be concerned about exceptions yet.
