The Rule of 20 by Marti Ronemus

"No! No! Not another RULE to remember!"

Stop whining. You're going to love this one, as it gives you the most up-to-date tool for opening the bidding.

You already learned to open all 12 pt plus hands. That's easy. Now you're ready for a little judgment and nuance.

Most players are also using "The Rule of 20" which rewards shapely hands. You've noticed how much better hands with long suits play, haven't you? The "Rule of 20" says that if you DON'T have 12 pts, you're going to take a hard look at the distribution of the hand, and reward shape.

Here's how it works. You take your High Card Points (HCP) and add them to the number of cards in your two longest suits. If it adds up to 20, open. Thusly an 11 HCP hand with 5-4 distribution would add up to 20 and should be opened. This is a GOOD thing, as it rewards shape.

BUT! It gets trickier. (What. You thought it was that simple? Please!) Today we're going to look at some hands that meet the Rule of 20 and see if indeed they should be opened. We're going to be thinking about Quick Tricks and "texture." Ready? Deep breath and let's get going.