OPENING

CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 BIDDING BALANCED HANDS
2.1 What is “Balanced”?
2.2 The Opening 1NT Bid
2.3 Responding to 1NT
2.4 Stayman
2.5 Which Suit to Open
2.6 Opener's Second Bid
3.0 BIDDING UNBALANCED HANDS
3.1 What is “Unbalanced”?
3.2 Minimum Value To Open
3.3 Which Suit to Open
3.4 Opener's Second Bid
3.5 Reverse Bidding and the “Barrier”
3.6 Bidding 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 Hands
3.7 Opener's Jump Shift Rebid

1.0 INTRODUCTION

When you make an opening bid, you describe your hand to your partner in the bidding auction in a very different way depending whether you have a balanced or unbalanced opening hand.
With a balanced hand, you are anxious to show that by bidding no trumps early.
With an unbalanced hand, you want to show partner your distribution as soon as possible.

The notes in this tuition define 'balanced' and 'unbalanced' hands and indicate the different ways these hands should be opened and bid after partner responds at the lowest possible level.
 
In the case of balanced hands, the tuition explains if two suits are held, which of  these suits should be opened. It explains 'Reverse' bidding and what shape and strength is required to reverse. It also explains which suit should be opened with a 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 distribution.
 
In the case of balanced opening hands, guidelines on the use of Stayman by responder are provided. 
 
This tuition does not cover: - These topics will be covered in other Tuition Modules.

2.0 BIDDING BALANCED HANDS

☀ 2.1 What is “Balanced”?

“Balanced / Even Distribution” is 4 - 3 - 3 - 3, 4 - 4 - 3 - 2, 5(minor) - 3 - 3 - 2, or 5 - 3 - 3 - 2 with a poor major, say Jxxxx or worse. It may be that you are willing to bid and rebid a major on Jxxxx or less, if so agree this with your partner.   

☀ 2.2 The Opening 1NT Bid

With even distribution and 12 - 14 points, open (“weak”) 1NT. EBU Standard Acol recommends a 12 - 14 1NT opening with a 'balanced' hand, irrespective of vulnerability.  

☀ 2.3 Responding to 1NT

Responses to an opening 1NT are as follows: -

☀ 2.4 Stayman

EBU Standard Bridge suggests you should look for a 4 - 4 major fit except where your hand is flat and the major is weak - 3NT might make but four of the major could fail if trumps break badly or the opponents get a ruff.  

Think ahead - only use Stayman if you have a safe rebid, whatever partner responds. Don't use Stayman on a hand like  ♠ Qxxx   ♥ QJxx   ♦ x   ♣ Qxxx, you have both 4-card majors but if partner responds 2♦ (meaning he has no 4-card majors) you have no further bid!  

If you bid Stayman, you MUST have a 4-card major.  

Stayman doesn't guarantee any strength, since it may be used to escape e.g.  ♠ xxxxx  ♥ xxxx  ♦ xxx  ♣ x.  If partner responds 2♦ to your 2♣ Stayman enquiry, bid 2♠ .  

With both majors, respond 2♥ . The Two Spades response denies a 4-card heart suit.  

Other Stayman sequences: -
Stayman can be used after an opponent's 1NT overcall - either after 1♣ / 1♦ - 1NT or after 1♣ / 1♦ / 1♥ / 1♠ - 1NT.  You need to agree with your partner, decide whether or which of these you intend to play.  

Stayman is used over 2NT as well as over 1NT.   

☀ 2.5 Which Suit to Open

For balanced hands with 15+ points, open your suit as follows: -

2.6 Opener's Second Bid

There will be separate tuition later for the scenario where partner immediately raises your first-bid suit.  
☀ If partner responds with a suit where you have 3 cards or less, rebid No Trumps at the appropriate level as follows: -
☀ If partner bids your second suit, raise it to the appropriate level:-
With a more distributional hand, the honour points requirement can be reduced.
 
Also, the sequence 1♠ - 2♥ PROMISES a 5-card heart suit, so you can raise the heart suit to the appropriate level with only three hearts.  

3.0 BIDDING UNBALANCED HANDS

3.1 What is “Unbalanced”?

“Unbalanced distribution” is 4 - 4 - 4 - 1, 5 - 3 - 3 - 2 where the 5-card suit is a rebidable major, i.e. Qxxxx or better, 5 - 4 - 2 - 2, 5 - 4 - 3 - 1, or more unbalanced.  

3.2 Minimum Value to Open

☀ Where the hand is unbalanced, distribution is taken into account in assessing the minimum opening requirement. With 12 points and an unbalanced hand, you should always open but sometimes less honour points are required and a ”Rule of 20” is applied.  If the sum of honour points together with the length of the two longest suits is equal to or greater than 20, the hand is sufficiently strong to open, e.g.

☀ 3.3 Which Suit to Open

With 5 - 3 - 3 - 2 and a biddable major i.e. Qxxxx or better, always open the major.
  
With a 5 - 4 - * - * distribution, always open the 5-card suit.  

With a 5 - 5 - * - * distribution, always open the higher of the two 5-card suits.              

With a 6 - * - * - * distribution, always open the 6-card suit.  

With a 6 - 6 - * - * distribution, always open the higher suit.  

For a 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 distribution, see section 3.6.  

☀ 3.4 Opener's Second Bid

With 5 - 3 - 3 - 2 and a biddable major (Qxxxx or better): -
With 5-5 distribution, open the higher suit and rebid the lower suit twice (if you get the chance!), a rebid of the second suit guarantees at least 5 - 5.  

☀ With 6 card suit  
If you are 6 - 4, bid the first suit twice before bidding the second suit. However, if the 6-card suit is a minor and the 4-card suit a good major, it is better to bid the major on the second round as you may not get chance to bid the major suit later.  

With 5-4, once you have opened with the longer suit and partner has responded, you have to decide which suit to bid next: -

  ☀ 3.5 Reverse Bidding and the “Barrier”

If, after partner's response, you are 5 - 4 and a bid of your second suit will raise the bidding so that partner has to give preference at the 3-level (“reverse bidding”), you will need to rebid your original 5-card suit unless your hand is strong.
A reverse bid is when you bid above “the barrier” (a single raise of your suit - e.g. 2♥ is the “barrier” over 1♥ ) and your bid forces partner to give preference at the 3-level. To “reverse”, you should have at least 16 honour points. This bid is forcing for one round.  

If you open 1♦ , then the barrier is 2♦ :-
Examples of hands where you can reverse are:-
1.       ♠ KQxx                 ♥ AJxxx           ♦ Ax                 ♣ Kx
2.       ♠ x                         ♥ AQJx            ♦ KQx              ♣ KJxxx  
  1. With the first hand, if partner responds 2♣ or 2♦ to your 1♥ opening, you can afford to reverse into 2♠ level because of your strength, forcing partner up to the 3-level. If the K♠ were replaced by a small spade, you would have to rebid 2♥ after a 2♣ / 2♦ response.
  2. With the second hand, if partner responds 1♠ to your 1♣ opening, you can bid 2♥ because of your strength. However, with the K of diamonds replaced by a small diamond, you would need to rebid 2♣ after a 1♠ response.
 
Reverse bidding is NOT just a means of showing strength, as is sometimes thought, it shows distribution AND strength: -

☀ 3.6 Bidding 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 Hands

With a 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 hand, open the bidding as follows:- Opener's second bid with 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 and 12 - 14 points is:-
Opener's second bid with 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 distribution and 15+ points is:-
Most of the time (99%+), an opening of one suit followed by a bid of a second suit will show at least 5 - 4 distribution. The exceptions are: -

☀ 3.7 Opener's Jump Shift

The above bidding has assumed that you have a weak through to fairly strong opening hand. If you have a very strong hand, i.e. 19+ points or a little less but with very strong distribution, then jump in a new suit e.g. 1♦ - 1♠ - 3♣ . This bid is game forcing. NB with 19 points and even distribution, you would jump rebid 3NT unless partner's response finds a fit.  

FINALLY - AN IMPORTANT POINT TO REMEMBER!

An opening bid of a suit followed by Opener's bid of a new suit promises at least 5 - 4 distribution in about 99% of all cases. The only exception is with a 12 - 14 point 4 - 4 - 4 - 1 hand where the first suit bid is 1♣ , 1♦ or 1♥ - even then the only possible sequences are:-