Bidding judgement (upgrades and downgrades) by Paul Bowyer

Bidding is not an exact science and no bidding system will always lead you into the right contract all the time.

No doubt by now you will have seen some of the snake-oil sellers with their promises of great advancement at the game if you play such-and-such a method or adopt so-and-so's bidding conventions. The shops are full of bridge books on bidding with alluring titles and covers.

Claptrap. Baloney.

Some books are worth reading. Most should be ripped up and used for bonfires. What is more important than system is JUDGEMENT. Essentially - how much is my hand worth now, in the light of the bidding? Sometimes you want to upgrade your hand and sometimes you ought to downgrade it. Let's see what you think here...

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A 10
♥ K 10 7
♦ Q 10 8
♣ A J 10 8 6

Q: 1 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 1♣ (and rebid 1NT to show 15-16 points). Only 14 points? Yes, but you are much better than that with an excellent five-card suit and four Tens.

The great British international player M. Harrison-Gray always added half a point for a Ten and he knew a thing or two about the game...

This hand is worth 15-16 points any day of the week - and don't let any busybody tell you that such reassessments are against the rules. Emphatically they are not.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A K Q
♥ 9 7 5
♦ K Q J
♣ 7 5 4 2

Q: 2 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 1NT. Yes, you have 15 points and no one could blame you if you opened 1♣ and rebid 1NT. However, the trick-taking potential of this hand is low, significantly worse than that of Hand 1 with its 14 points.

We suggest that you should downgrade this hand and call it 14 points, opening 1NT.

Honor holdings such as A K Q bare and K Q J bare are often disappointing - imagine if partner held ♠J x x and ♦A x x. Ugh!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K 9
♥ Q 10 8
♦ A J 10
♣ A K Q 10 9

Q: 3 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 2NT. Only 19 points? True, but an excellent five-card suit and lots of lovely intermediate cards argue that this hand should be upgraded to a 20-count.

Opening 1♣ would not be a mistake but we think 2NT is a better (and more descriptive) bid.

Man does not live by point-count alone. [Neither does woman].

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ A K J
♥ Q J
♦ 9 8 7 6 4
♣ A K Q

Q: 4 - You are South, dealer.
What is your opening bid?

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: 1♦. Yes, you have 20 points but it's hard to construct a hand where 1♦ will be Passed out and game will be missed. You main suit is rubbish, your points are tied up in your short suits and the holding of ♥Q J doubleton may be worth absolutely nothing.

One thing's for sure - if you open 2NT and it gets Passed out you can expect a big minus score...

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠
♥ J 10 8 7 6 3
♦ A 6 5 3
♣ J 10 7

Q: 5 - What is your (South's) response to partner's opening bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	pass
?

A: 1NT. Ghastly but there is simply no alternative (unless you want to risk a Pass).

You lack the values to bid at the two-level (so 2♥ is out) and the cheapest bid you can make is an uneasy 1NT. At least you've given partner room to bid 2♣, 2♦ or 2♥...

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 6

Your Hand
♠
♥ J 10 8 7 6 3
♦ A 6 5 3
♣ J 10 7

Q: 6 - What is your (South's) response to partner's opening bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	pass
?

A: 4♥. What a difference a fit makes! On Hand 5 it was all doom and gloom when partner opened 1♠ - now all is sweetness and light. Here, with a known ten-card Heart fit, you are delighted to bid game. It might not make but you are still well worth it, 6 points or not.

This reassessment in the light of the bidding is known as plastic valuation. (The worth of your hand - like your stocks and shares - may go up and down as the auction progresses).

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 7

Your Hand
♠ 5 4 3 2
♥ K Q J 9
♦ Q J
♣ J 7 3

Q: 7 - What is your (South's) response to partner's opening bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	pass
?

A: 2♥. Yes, you have 10 points but you have a lot of losers and that repulsive feature of ♦Q J doubleton.

True, 2♥ is on the conservative side but if you bid 3♥ there are so many hands partner will bid 4♥ and struggle to make game.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 8

Your Hand
♠ 5
♥ K 10 5 2
♦ 10 7 6
♣ A J 10 4 2

Q: 8 - What is your (South's) response to partner's opening bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	pass
?

A: 3♥. Second choice - 4♥. True, you have only 8 points but you have four nice trumps, a singleton, a good source of tricks in that excellent side-suit.... 2♥ doesn't do this hand justice at all.

In Hand 7 we bid 2♥ on 10 points and here we are bidding 3♥ on 8 points. Look to other features than just the point-count when you are making these decisions.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 9

Your Hand
♠ Q 8 3
♥ J 7 6 3
♦ K Q J
♣ A 9 4

Q: 9 - You are South, opener. What is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1 No-trump	pass	2 No-trumps	pass
?

A: Pass. You have 13 points so are betwixt and between. What should influence your decision whether (or not) to bid game?

Well, the bad news is that you are 4.3.3.3 (these hands offer few alternatives in the play), 6 of your points are tied up in the ♦K Q J bare and you have no intermediates. Passing 2NT is the percentage shot.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 10

Your Hand
♠ Q 10 9
♥ J 10 8 4
♦ K Q J 3
♣ A 9

Q: 10 - You are South, opener. What is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1 No-trump	pass	2 No-trumps	pass
?

A: 3NT. You have 13 points so, as in the previous question, are betwixt and between. What should influence your decision whether (or not) to bid game?

Well, the good news is that you are 4.4.3.2 (these hands usually offer good alternatives in the play), your Diamonds are a useful source of tricks and you have good intermediates. Bidding 3NT is the percentage shot.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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