Lesh18

Cthuldu D: thanks for clarification on the terms If there is a convention that a 1C opening bid promises hand 13-21 points with the longest suit in clubs (majors relevant only 5+) or 3-3 in minors, is it not breaking law when I only have 11 points and make a bid 1C? Or the convention is rather a pledge that my partner sees that bid 1C with a predefined meaning and acts respectively, even though I "lied" and do not have 13 points? Is it legal to say that 2C opening bid describes a strong hand 22+ points, and then my hand contains 6 clubs and 15 points and I feel like doing a "natural" bid, not the settled convention. What happens? Can I make a natural bid and say: this bid is natural? And when I do not say that, and my partner thus thinks it is a convention and acts respectively, is it illegal? I will definitely upset my partner, but will not violate the rules. Or? Thanks :D

Hey folks As a beginner I have finally decided to study Standard American bidding system, much to the fact that the nice teaching program I'm using "ACBL How to play Bridge" focuses just on this one. I am just in the "opening bidding", and I understand all 1-level opening bids and 2-level also. But I do not really know, what should I bid when my hand is below 13 points, and I have 6 club cards. Apparently I cannot bid 2C, since 2C is a strong hand 22+ points. :D So what should I bid? Or is this case just negligible and should I pass? (I am not interested how you would play such a hand based on your precious experience. I want to know what the Modern Standard American suggests) And also, if my opponent starts bidding, and he passes straight away, and it is my turn, am I considered to be opening the bidding, so can I use all those conventions that apply to the person who opens the bidding? What if my partner starts, he passes, then my opponent passes and then I am to bid: am I again considered to be an opening bidder? Or when there are 3 consecutive passes before my on the first round of bidding: am I considered an open bidder as well? Thank you!! Lesh

5) When playing rubber, is it necessary to count Honor Points? I do not think it is very fair, much to the fact it is completely based on luck, and could be thus freely omitted. Does duplicate bridge include counting Honor Points?

Thank you. It is almost clear to me now. 2) You mentioned clearing points after the game. If I win 60 points in the first deal (2S), then my opponents win 3NT (100), the line is drawn and a new game is started. The first game was won by my opponents, so they are more likely to get overall rubber bonus for 2 won games. It is just a tremendous difference scoring 80 and 100 points in a game. I understand this. But you mentiioned clearing the points after game - but after the rubber, all points are vertically summed up, including those in lost games, right? By clearing points you did not mean erasing them, but just having no effect towards the next game. Am I right? 3) If I win the first deal (1NT) I get 40 points. Then my opponents win the next deal (2D) scoring 40 points. And then I win the next deal (2S) scoring 60 more points. Now the score is 100-40. Does this mean I have won the game (and thus am more likely to win 2 games in a rubber and taking bonus points) even though I did not win any "game contracts"? 4) A rubber contains 3 games. I win the first game, I am vulnerable, my opponents are not. Then, my opponents win a game: Are we both vulnerable for the last game, or is it just the very recent one who won the game (my opponents)? Are both partnerships vulnerable on the third game? Thanks

Hi guys 1) I have been having a lot of troubles with scoring recently. I finally found out that rubber is suitable for a casual play, but the downside is that there are no bonus points for a game contract. And all ACBL teaching and Standard American bidding system coincide with making game contracts due to the bonus points. The thing that worries me even more is that ACBL How to play Bridge program teaches me to a rubber with using bonus points for a game contract. I do not understand this at all. So should I use a rubber with bonus points for game contracts (3NT, 4S, 4H, 5D, 5C ...) or not? Also, a rubber is said to be won after winning two games. On one website I found that a "game" in this sense is a 100 points limit, so you can win a game after two won deals (2S, 2D). On the other website I found that a "game" is a game contract won by one deal (3NT, 4S, 4H ...) So how is it? And also, if bonus points for a game contract are taken into account, then going for a game contract is extremely convenient and this explicitly handicaps going for any lower bids (2NT, 4D, 3H ...). Does not the game lack variety then? This looks like professional darts players only trying to hit that very small 60 point space (triple 20). So Bridge players are trying to hit 3NT, 4S and 4H because other bids are either too small and valueless or not convenient enough for the effort needed. Please, clarify for me on this.

14) What does a "control" mean? Is it the same as a "stopper" - a high card, usually an ace that prevents opponents from taking successive tricks in that suit?

12) Have you guys completed ACBL How to play Bridge teaching program? Would you recommend going through it a couple of times to gain some basic insight? 13) I have already asked about total points between two hands and possible level of the contract. You told me it is just misleading to count it this way and there are other factors to consider. But let`s say we play No Trump, so no ruffing is possible, there must be some guidelines like 21-22 total points should do 7 tricks and so on. You know, I have checked out some mini bridge lessons and there are those rules about combined points and tricks you need to score. This guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R5Hpm_BYiE&feature=related is talking about: 21-22p = 7 tricks 23-25p = 8 tricks 26-28p = 9 tricks 29-31p = 10 tricks 32-34p = 11 tricks 35-37p = 12 tricks 38-40p = 13 tricks ("p" stands for points, those points are points of both opposite hands combined) Do you think it ROUGHLY can be used as guidelines for a beginner to quickly learn how to assess the power of the hand? Like, if I have 13 points, I will know that my partner should have 8 points at least for us to make a 1-level contract. 8 points might be ace, king and long suit. Thanks

Thank you Rik for a comprehensive answer. 11) But is natural bidding really just using a common sense? Beginning from low levels, trying to match a suit with an opponent and then, for the beginning, keep the level of the contract as low as possible. Are there any useful guidelines how natural bidding should really work? I have come across numerous sources on conventions, not so much on natural bidding.

That is actually very interesting blackshoe. Good point. 10) I have been taught to count my cards in a classical fashion 4-3-2-1 for A-K-Q-J and 5 cards of one suit provide one extra point, 6 cards of one suit provide two extra points and so on. The quick bridge computer program does an automatic counting for me, but obviously ignores 5+ cards in one suit. Also some youtubers discussing bridge deals ignore 5+ cards in one suit when counting cards. What are you recommendations? Is not it better (and right) to include those long-suits in counting? Thanks

Thank you very much indeed. 9) You have mentioned a couple of times that sometimes you need to know whether stick to rules and when to break them. Does it mean using convention and using natural bidding? If so, how can an opponent know then, whether my 2Clubs means a fairly strong hand 22+ HCP or it rather means a natural bidding of clubs: preferred trump and some confidence in power of the hand? Or did you rather mean, that sometimes you cannot follow guidelines like counting cards and assessing opponents' bids, but rather use a common sense? (The latter seems more rational to me). Thanks

Thank you so much for the answers. It helped a lot. I have a couple of more though. 5) Are there any bonus points for a partial game in duplicate? I have been really confused because http://www.acbl.org/learn/scoreDuplicate.html says there are, but the ACBL Program "Learn to play Bridge" says the exact opposite. This is quite ridiculous. 6) I have found that there is a simple rule of total tricks combined (between two hands) which should be enough for a particular contract. At least 21 combines points for a 1-level bid, or at least 37 points for grand slam. I have been, however, unable to find the table with all suggested points-contracts combinations. Any ideas? 7) When I am playing bridge on a computer against some programmed robots, do they use conventions? If so, which? Or are they just sticking to natural bidding? 8) To me as a beginner it rather seems there is little scope for free action in bridge. Every piece of the game (to be played well) is pre-determined by rules (convention, bidding, playing tricks). So what bridge really is about as far as I am concerned - just to master bidding system and conventions a get a partner who also mastered the system - so you have the best chances regardless of the hand dealt. Am I wrong? Thank you

Hi guys I am new to bridge, have completed the ACBL course for beginners, but I am still stuck with the bidding bit. It is obvious that it is bidding what makes bridge such a complex game. 1) Do I understand it correctly, that Acol or Standard American are both convention systems, and Blackwood or Stayment are conventions on its own? So those systems contain numerous conventions, and it is also possible to add or remove or even make up my own conventions? 2) Is there any convention system suitable for very beginners? 3) Which kind of Contract bridge do you recommend for a casual play? ACBL course teaches me to bid depending on whether I am to score a game, partial or slams. But in Rubber bridge there are no bonus points for scoring a game one one deal, so the bidding system ACBL teaches (Standard American) might be quite pointless with rubber bridge. What do you think? Is Chicago just a duplicate for 4 players? 4) Is it possible (and legal?) to play bridge without conventions? Just using commong sense? I bid 1Club when I feel strong with clubs (however strong) and if my opponent is also strong with clubs, he might respond with 2Club My questions probably seem basic to you, but I really need to know the answers to get better in the game Thank you Lesh