I agree. Watson's PLAY OF THE HAND is an excellent book for beginners and more seasoned players. His writing is very clear and logical. Root's book will confuse you after a few chapters.

Part 3

Question 1: In what strain (suit or notrump) should we attempt to play the hand?

(Note: There will be exceptions to everything I say from here on. I know this; I'm opining that you can ignore the exceptions for now.)

This question is wrapped up in the next, whether we should bid game, but let's start with the basics. As a first cut:

• Play in a a major suit (hearts or spades) if you know that you have a fit (guaranteed 8+ cards in the suit between the two of you).
• If you don't have a major suit fit, prefer notrump unless there is a very good reason to do otherwise. One very good reason would be that the opponents are bidding a suit, and you do not have a stopper in it. Another would be that you are sure you are not bidding game and you have a 9+ card minor suit fit (though this is debatable). A third is that you are bidding at the game level or above and have a very obvious weak spot -- shortness in one hand opposite xxx or less in the other, or thereabouts. The mere afct that you have a suit imperfectly stopped is not a reason to avoid notrump at the part score level, nor at the game level unless one hand is very short in the suit or the opponents are bidding it.
• If you don't have a major suit fit and can't play notrump for the reasons given above, play in a minor. You should be pretty sure of this before bidding a minor when the combined hands are strong enough for game, because it is pretty hard to take eleven tricks (required for a minor suit game).
• If you are in a competitive auction (i.e., you are trying to outbid the opponents), the prefernce for major suits should be discarded -- bid your best suit fit, unless that would require going a level higher. (E.g., if you think you have eight hearts and nine clubs, and the opponents have bid to 2S, tend to bid 3C; however, if the opponents have bid only to 2D, bid 2H because that's cheaper.)

When choosing between two known suit fits of the same type, i.e., two majors or two minors, the choice will rarely be obvious. However, a couple of principles will help:

• Unless you have a very good reason, bid the suit in which you have or think you have more total cards. One very good reason would be that doing so requires going a level higher (e.g., you are already at 2S, you have eight spades, you know you also have a heart fit that may be nine cards, and you have no desire to look for game).
• Prefer 4-4 fits to 5-3.
• Prefer to play in the suit in which the length is in the weaker hand.
• This one is a little tougher and more controversial, but when all other things are equal it is often better to choose the weaker suit (in terms of high cards, not length) as the trump suit.

What if you know of one fit and are contemplating looking for a better one -- should you do so?

• If you have a known 9+ card major suit fit, no.
• With a known 4-4 major suit fit, no.
• If you have only a minor fit, or a probable 5-3 major fit, then yes, if (1) you can do so without risking ending up at the three level if partner doesn't fit your other suit (with one exception that matters -- see below); or (2) you know the partnership has extra strength, and your search will not force you above the three level; or (3) you know the partnership has game strength, and you will not force the partnership above the most likely game (which is 3NT if your only known fit is in a minor).

Note 1: If partner opens 1H and you are 4=3 in the majors (four spades and three hearts) and you have a very weak hand, probably no more than six HCP, it is probably better to raise to 2H than to show your spades. You can still get to spades if partner has extras, and you prefer not to put yourself in a position where you may need to bid more than once, unless forced, with a very weak hand.

Note 2: If partner opens 1NT, you generally cannot use Stayman (an artificial 2C bid, searching for a 4-4 major suit fit) without at least invitational strength, because if partner has no 4-card major you will have to rebid over his 2D rebid, and he may accept this invitation by biddin 3NT.

I keep talking about known suit length. How are you supposed to know how many cards the partnership has in the suit? It is critical to learn to focus on what both you and your partner have promised in the auction, and then to focus on what you have in excess of what you have promised. Until partner has said otherwise, you assume he has the minimum number of cards he has promised. Also, it is very important (and hard) to think about what partner didn't bid, but could have.

The lengths certain calls promise:

• 1H, 1S opening -- 5
• 1D opening -- 4 (but it's often 5)
• 1C opening -- 5 (4 is barely possible, but rare enough that you can pretty much ignore it)
• 1NT or 2NT opening -- 2-5 in each suit. Rarely nine total in the majors. Rarely a six-card minor. When you have a five card major, it is likely enough that your notrump-opening partner has 3+ card support that you can assume it at the part score level.
• 2D, 2H, 2S opening -- 6 (5 is possible with some partners at certain vulnerabilities, but you get to ignore that)
• 3 of a suit opening -- 7 (6 is possible, but you get to ignore it)
• any raise -- 8 or more total between the two of you; often 9 if it frces the partnership to the three level
• any simple (one-level) raise to the three level -- 9 total, or 8 and extra strength when looking for game
• any jump raise -- 4+
• any raise to the four level -- 10 total, or 8 and enough strength to expect to make game
• a takeout double -- 3+ in each unbid suit; if there is only one unbid major, 4 cards in it (though it is rarely 3, you get to ignore that); if there are two unbid majors, 4-3 in them is moderately common
• a forced advance of a takeout double -- 3
• a jump or free advance to a takeout double -- 4, though often five if the bid is at the trhee level in a minor
• negative double and advances -- as with takeout doubles
• a one-level response -- four (exception: if the auction goes 1m (1H), your 1S bid promises five, because you would redouble with exactly four spades)
• any simple overcall -- 5
• a jump rebid (e.g., 1D - 1H; 3D) -- 6
• a jump shift -- 5 (but usually more) by responder, 4 by opener
• a reverse -- 4, with extra strength

This looks intimidating, but most of it will be pretty intuitive after a bit.

Other minor tidbits:

• 1NT is very often the right contract.
• 2NT is not often the right contract; if the opponents are bidding, it almost never is.
• At the part score level, prefer a 5-3 major suit fit to notrump. At the game level the decision is more complex (I discussed it at some length a few posts above this one), and at this point you can simply assume you should play four of the major unless it is very clear not to.
• When in doubt, if you have arrived at a major suit fit, stop.
• For now you can pretty much ignore attempting to play in 4-3 fits. When you are more comfortable with card play, a 4-3 major suit fit becomes a reasonable option under various conditions.

Yeah, I'll unsecond Root for Chim's purposes. You don't need to be familiar with elopement plays and morton's fork coup to bid a hand. I would find something more basic and read Root when you want to get more into intermediate play.

huh? explain please

1D opening -- 4 (but it's often 5)
1C opening -- 5 (4 is barely possible, but rare enough that you can pretty much ignore it)

Part 4

Question 2: Should we bid game?

Answering this question depends, more than any of the others, on an understanding of how the play of the hand tends to go, so learning how to approach it depends on your attacking that part of the game. Still:

Sometimes, the answer is clearly no: both hands are limited, and neither has much extra. Sometimes it's clearly yes: your strength, plus the minimum partner can have, makes game likely. Finally, sometimes you may think the answer is no, but partner has forced you to bid again (see a later part for more on this), in which case you simply do your best to answer the question he is asking.

When you're genuinely unsure, though, you generally want to think about shape and fit. Raw strength is rarely the issue, and are simple enough as to be uninteresting -- 1NT - 2NT; 3NT simply doesn't come around that often and is trivial when it does. For this reason, whether to bid game in notrump is a question that you shouldn't focus on: if you know you have 25 of more HCP between you, the answer is yes; if not, the answer is no. next case.

Regarding shape, three things really matter: shortness in side suits, good long side suits, and extra (more than 8 total) trump length.

Shortness: Side singletons are nice. Side voids are very nice. Side doubletons are not so great, and 4-3-3-3 totally blows. I you have a useful singleton and don't know whether to bid, you should. (The only time a singleton tends not to be useful is when it is in partner's other suit, and even then it may be.) If you have a void and you have even the slightest doubt as to whether you should bid, do. If you are 4-3-3-3, shut up unless forced to speak, or unless you know the partnership has game values.

It is great if you have methods to show the shortness, but if you don't, just find a natural bid. Often, that bid will simply be a raise to game.

Long side suits: Because you will usually have shortness when you have support for partner's suit and a long suit of your own, there is some overlap here. Still, a good side suit is golden. It doesn't have to be solid, but if you have a suit that can probably be set up in one round, assuming partner has average support for it, you should tend to bid. Similarly, if you have decent support for your partners known long side suit -- but you haven't shown it yet -- you should tend to bid.

Fit: Honors in partner's side suit are good. Honors in the trup suit are good. Honors in partner's short suit are not so good. Honors in your own suit are not so good either.

Length in partner's second suit is good. Length opposite partner's shortness is usually bad, unless the partnership has 9+ trumps. Length plus strength opposite partner's shortness, or vice versa, is almost always bad -- you'd much rather have it elsewhere.

Very poor trumps are bad.

Aces take tricks no matter what suit they're in; also, they're undervalued in the standard point count method, at least in trump contracts. Kings and queens take tricks when they're supported by other honors -- your or partner's, and more so when they are in long suits than short suits. Jacks are overvalued by the standard point count methods, as they take tricks only in suits that are fairly long and fairly strong.

Assessing fit is the main point of constructive bidding. Accordingly, you make bids that show where your stuff is, and assume partner will be doing the same. Assuming no conventional methods are available, you simply bid in suits where you have length and strength. For example, if you hold x AJxxx AKx KTxx and the auction has started 1H - 2H, you would be pleased if partner has xxxx Kxx xx QJxx but in serious trouble if he has QJxx Kxx xx xxxx. How do find out which it is? Bid where your stuff is: 3C. Partner will (or should) bid game with the first hand and sign off with the second, and you will be in the right spot in either case.

Beyond these three things, stuff like raw strength matters a fair amount, but it goes far beyond simply counting high card points, or counting points while including additions for distributional features. I recommend Ron Klinger's Modern Losing Trick Count for an alternative, and very useful, approach to game bidding.

Finally: inexperienced players bid too much with flat hands, and too little with very shapely hands, so err in the other direction. Also, remember always to ask yourself not whether you have a good or a bad hand, but whether you have anything more than you have already promised. If no, shut up.

The difference between the two: With 1=4=4=4 or 4=1=4=4, the normal opening is 1D. With 2=3=4=4 or 3=2=4=4 (particularly the former) where the doubleton is worthless and the strength falls outside the opening notrump range, it is also fairly normal to open 1D and plan on rebidding 2C over a response in the three card suit, though some would bid it differently. (In particular, some would open their stronger minor and plan on rebidding 1NT regardless.) Also, some players will sometimes open 1D even when they are 1=3=4=5 or 3=1=4=5. These cases combine to be sufficiently common that the 1D opening shows only four more often than does the 1C opening.

Yes, it is possible partner is 4=4=3=2 or 4=4=2=3, but we kind of pretend this won't happen, particularly as it matters only when the partnership has a lot of strength or when responder is unbalanced but lacks a four-card major. Because the question of opener's promised length tends to be important only when he has an unbalanced hand, the balanced cases with short minors just don't matter much in practice. I probably should have said that above, but I was (believe it or not) trying to simplify things a bit.

Part 5

Question 3: Should we bid slam?

Don't worry nearly as much about this until you have come a long way in your bridge education. Slams are much less common than part-score and game decisions, and a surprising number of them are straightforward to bid.

To the extent you want to worry about it: You need two things for a slam to be good: enough tricks, and little or danger the opponents can take two fast tricks.

Tricks:

In notrump, tricks pretty much equates to points. A good 32 is usually enough; less is not, unless you have extra length in a very strong suit.

In a trump contract, the source of tricks can be high cards, ruffing, or a long suit. If you have enough high card points that you're reasonably sure the total is 32 or more, you're probably fine. If you're short on points, you'll need good shape and a good fit. Shortness opposite only small cards or A plus small cards is good, which is why shortness-showing (splinter) bids are an important part of a slam-bidding arsenal. Solid side suits are good. And good trumps, usually nine or more, are very important to have.

Quick losers:

Inexperienced players rely far too heavily on Blackwood, bidding slam if they have a lot of strength and they're not missing two aces (or, once they are using Roman Keycard Blackwood, an ace plus the king of trumps). This has value, but it isn't sufficient as a slam-finding tool: (1) the more important issue is usually whether there are enough tricks, so natural bidding plus shape-showing tools are more important; (2) ace asking cannot diagnose when the partnership is missing a cashing ace-king.

To fix this problem, in slam-going auctions (roughly speaking: when the partnership has already found a fit and has bid above three of the agreed major, or three notrump when you have only a major suit fit), try control bidding, which is bidding your aces and kings in side suits. (This is mistakenly called cuebidding by many players; technically, a cue bid is any bid in the opponents' suit, for whatever reason.) Approaches to control bidding vary, but for now, just tend to bid your cheapest ace or king in such auctions, unless you have a dead minimum for your previous bidding.

But most importantly, remember always that the search for the best game is much more important than any slam investigation. Unless the partnership has established (or you know, and can easily tell your partner) what suit, if any, is trump and whether game is going to be reached, those conversations take precedence.

Part 6

Question 4: If the opponents are bidding, should we outbid them? (when we think we might make what we bid)

Very hard question, to which I will proffer a pretty simplistic answer that will be good enough for now.

If you don't have a known fit, then no, except in specific cases that you'll learn individually (such as takeout doubles, suit and notrump overcalls, weak jump overcalls, and conventional overcalls).

If you have a fit, what matters most is how many trumps the combined hands have. If it's only eight (assuming partner has the minimum of what he's promised), then you tend not to; with nine or more, you err on the side of bidding.

Also, extra shape and fit matter a lot. If you have a singleton in any suit except one that partner is known to hold, that's good. (Exception -- if you have already said or implied this to partner, as with a takeout double, then shut up and let him decide.) If you have a void, that's very good. A doubleton in the opponent's suit is not good. If you have shortness in your partner's side suit, that's bad.

If you know that the partnership has eight or more cards in each of two suits, strongly prefer to keep bidding. With a big (9+ cards) double fit, bid, then bid some more.

If your high cards are mostly in your long suits, tend to bid. If they're in the bad guys' suit, tend not to.

Specifics (all on the assumption that you have a fit):

• At the one level (by which I mean you can make your bid at this level), bid.
• At the two level, bid.
• When opps have bid two and you would have to bid to the three level to outbid them, usually bid; if you have nine trumps, definitely bid.
• When opps have bid to the three level, do not outbid them at the three level unless you're almost sure you have nine trumps, and not even every time then -- it depends on fit, also.
• Almost never compete at the four level unless you know you have ten trumps, or you think it was reasonably likely you'd have bid game if there hadn't been interference. If you have decent stuff in the opponents' suit, don't bid.
• Almost all bids at the five level should be considered sacrifices (see next part) unless you have ten-plus trumps and a really good fit. Don't do it unless you're sure. If the opponents' do it, don't out bid them unless you're really sure, and then, still don't do it.

As a general rule, the hand with extra (more than promised or suggested) shape is the one that makes the decision. If you have the shape you've promised, general do not bid -- even if you have extra high-card strength.

It is rarely right to compete in notrump -- if you're thinking of doing that, you should probably double them instead, unless you're seriously thinking of bidding game (and maybe even then).

Part 7

Question 5: If the opponents bid a game (or slam), should we sacrifice? (when we are pretty sure we will not make what we bid)

If you're unsure, then probably not.

At matchpoint scoring, sacrificing is rarely right unless it's clear. You need a known fit, the opponent's should have bid their game or slam confidently, you don't want to be vulnerable, you strongly prefer to have extra shape, you don't want you -- or your partner -- to have any surprises for the opponents like a bad trump break or a side suit void -- and even then, probably not.

At IMPs, sacrifices pay more often, particularly when you're not vulnerable and more so when the opponents are vulnerable -- but still, they're less often right than inexperienced players think, except when you have a whole lot of trumps.

Other things:

• Do not sacrifice over 3NT. Yes, it could be right, but you're fine ignoring that possibility.
• If you think you might actually make what you bid, even if the odds are against it, then go for it.
• If you know you're going to sacrifice (you know the bad guys have the balance of points and you have a really big fit), bid it right away, before the opponents have a chance to describe their hands.

Part 8

Question 6: If the opponents have bid and we are not going to outbid them, should we double?

Very hard question to answer; books are written about this (and each of the other questions I've addressed). In brief:

You should not double a freely-bid contract (i.e., one the opponents probably expect to make) unless you have an unpleasant surprise for them. Three aces is not a surprise -- the opponents probably know how many high card points they have. On the other hand, KQJ72 of their trump suit is a surprise, even though it's theoretically only two tricks. Against notrump, QJT83 of a suit you have bid is not a surprise; KJ952 of the major suit dummy showed (and declarer didn't like) is a surprise.

Consider whether the opponents struggled to get where they are, or one of them is still unlimited or nearly so. Against 1NT - 2H (transfer); 2S - 3NT; all pass, dummy may have a fourteen count, and you can't double unless you have the contract nearly set in your own hand. On the other hand, if dummy had rebid 2NT, raised by opener to game, then a bad heart break for the bad guys (off side) plus a four leaf clover may be enough to double. Similarly, when one hand invites game and the other declines, you know both hands are limited, so any surprisingly bad layout for them may make a double worthwhile.

At the partscore level, you should not be doubling very often at IMP scoring, but can take greater risks at matchpoints.

At the slam level, do not double unless (1) you are sure you have two tricks in your own hand (keeping in mind that aces don't always take tricks, unless they're in the opponents' suits); (2) the slam was clearly bid as a sacrifice; or (3) you are using the double to tell partner what to lead, and you think that may set the contract. (Don't worry about that for now.)

A couple other nuggets:

• Do not double a freely-bid notrump contract on the basis of high cards alone. The opponents know how many points thy're missing; this is not a surprise.
• Be very cautious about doubling a notrump contract if the opponents seem to have a long suit (unless you have that suit under control). With a long, strong suit, it takes far less than 25 HCP to make game.
• If you expected to make what you last bid, and the opponents barely outbid you, you must either outbid them or double. This is particularly important at the game level. The only exception is below game, when you are vulnerable, it is barely possible that letting the opponents play undoubled is better than risking -200 -- but allowing for that possibility is not something you need to worry much about right now.

Part 9

Is it forcing?

One problem that plagues inexperienced players is whether bids after the first couple are forcing. The most important things to keep in mind are (1) whether you and/or your partner have limited your hands yet; and (2) whether playing in the strain in question makes sense, considering what we have already learned about our fit.

Strength: You will memorize the values for various bids' strengths -- there's no way around that. The most valuable bids are those with upper bounds, because they allow the partnership to stop bidding. Basically, if (1) one member of the partnership has not limited his hand, or (2) if his maximum plus the minimum his partner has promised is enough for game (unless you're at game already), then the bid is forcing. If both partners are limited and the limit is not enough for game, then the bid is not forcing, at least as far as strength is concerned.

Strain (suit or notrump): If a major suit fit is known, any bid outside that suit is forcing, with the exception of 3NT and four of the other major. (Game in the other major can be passed only if the suit was bid naturally below the game level -- in other words, a double fit has already been established.)

If a minor suit fit has been established, any bid in another suit is forcing (except in the rare case of a double minor suit fit) below the game level. Notrump bids are not forcing.

Other stuff:

• Unless you have an agreement to the contrary, no bid in competition except a cuebid (a bid in the bad guys' suit) is forcing (and in rare cases even a cuebid can be nonforcing, though these are specific circumstances that you'll learn). Often the only forcing all you can make when the opponents are bidding is a cuebid.
• No direct raise, nor any bid of an agreed suit, is ever forcing (unless the partnership has already established a game force, or the bid is in a minor and a major fit is also known).
• If no fit has been found, a new suit by an unlimited hand should be considered forcing (though there are some exceptions).
• No notrump bid is ever forcing, except (1) 4NT, when a major suit has been agreed (and arguably for minors too; don't worry about this for now); (2) 5NT, which is forcing except in a rare case you don't need to worry about yet; (3) it is reasonable to agree that, in competition, 2NT is forcing; in any case it should rarely be passed; (4) after major suit agreement, 2NT is usually considered forcing; (5) an overcall of 2NT, as a jump, is conventional and therefore forcing.
• If the opponents have made what is obviously a sacrifice bid (because we bid game or slam of our own accord, and they outbid us), a pass is forcing. No other pass is forcing.
• If you're not sure whether partner's bid is forcing, assume it is. If you're not sure whether your bid would be forcing, assume it's not.

Finally, the time will come when you really want to pass partner's bid, even though you know it is forcing. My advice is not to. Even if you are sure it's right this time (and you probably shouldn't be), the damage to partnership harmony will be considerable, and probably not worth it. When you are an expert you can do it and say you were "taking a position"; for now, it is just a mistake.

Part 10

Summary or why'd I write all that stuff?

I can't possibly expect you to read and digest everything I just wrote, right? Well, not immediately, but over time, yes. My intention was to put down everything (that I could think of) that I think a beginning bridge player has to know about bidding, once he's memorized the basic openings and responses. Learn this stuff, and in my opinion you can safely ignore all the books about bidding for a while, focusing on playing and on reading a book or two about the play of the hand. This will save you money, and more importantly will keep you focused on the heart of the game.

Unless someone (particularly Siegmund, who knows the field) suggests something else, get Watson's book. Read it (slowly). Play a lot of hands. Then maybe get Klinger's book on losing trick count, but you really don't need it yet. (You will want it eventually.) Play some more. Reread Watson, and maybe get a book or two of hands to play. Keep playing. Only then should you worry about books on bidding, and by then, if you've played enough, learned a lot of the stuff in those two books, and kept in mind everything I've written (plus the stuff I've forgotten but others will add, and the errors I've made but others have subsequently corrected), you should be a solid intermediate player. In bridge, that's a big deal.

Wow, great posts

Are there any decent programs out there? Trainers or anything?

I guess a book is a good idea.

btw Atak, I'm going into reading that all right now. I didn't see this whole new page of posts!

Wow, Atak.. awesome.

I haven't put any hands in this month so need to get about 4500 more VPP.. then I am gonna look at that book and play some more hands.

I dunno if I understood half of it but I'll definitely be rereading it.

Thanks.

you play on bbo chim? send us a pm w/ your username and when you may be on, may be awkward to find times as we're on different timescales (iirc you're on vegas time) but playing with someone who's also learning the game may be beneficial

I think #606 is wrong, at least unless you are playing a weak notrump. All of the 4-3-3-3 and 3-4-3-3 hands open 1C. (And I can't, in all honesty, remember the last time I saw someone with 3-2-4-4 or 2-3-4-4 open 1D and rebid 2C. They might open either minor but it's rare to find someone who won't rebid 1NT.)

That said, it is true that the average length of opener's minor, despite the hazard of opener having only three, is something like 4.5 for clubs and 4.7 for diamonds.

As for books, yes, Watson is more readable (and starts with more basic material) than Root's cardplay book. Root's bidding books are a little oldfashioned but are still 90+% correct and very well written. Much easier to follow than his declarer play book was. And a hand evaluation book like Klinger's MLTC is a fine idea, improves your game whoever your partner is, rather than studying one particular system in detail.

chim17 is name.. I'm on most hours of the day off and on.

I can def play euro time.

I think the examples in the root book (the work it out on your own ones) are pretty excellent. Then again, I read it before watson, so I could be biased there.

I don't consider the balanced hands to be an issue with minor suit openings -- it really arises only when opener turns out to be unbalanced (which fact I did not state originally). If you accept that premise, then the difference is the four-by-ones and the hands that are 4=5 in the minors with opener electing to start with a diamond.

If you're considering an immediate raise of a minor suit opening, then yes, you have to be aware of the possibility of a short minor, particularly with clubs -- but that matters only when there's no four card major and no notrump bid available, in which case there will rarely be a trump length issue.

That said: yeah, it was sloppy.

Here's one from last night. Don't remember vulnerability. IMPS, partner is IY, no special agreements. I have QT98xx x KJxxx A. I open in second position, opps say nothing:

1S-3S
4C-4D

Does anyone do anything more adventurous than 4S?

Re bobman's hand:

r/w imps, partner opens a weak 2d, rho overcalls 3c, what do we do with:

s: J932
h: AQ32
d: KQ5
c: A9

If your partner is IY, you are probably way behind in the match, so shoot out 6S to catch up.

FWIW, I would have cued 4D, not 4C. I've read somewhere (although I don't know how standard this is) that the first cue should show some length in the suit so as to help partner know the degree of fit.

After 4C-4D, I would bid 4S with your hand, but I would have continued with 5H with my hand, so, unless you sign off again, we end up in 6S anyways.