Lesson 2

Notrump Opening
Bids and
Responses

1
 Lesson Two: Notrump Opening Bids and Responses

Preparation
On Each Table: A guide card (Teacher’s Guide Card); pencils; Contract
Cards or paper, Deal #5.
A Better Bridge Bookmark for each player, if available (see
Appendix).

On Separate Table: Deals #6-8 (Coded Cards, duplicate boards, or Teacher’s

Deal Records).
Cue Cards (see Appendix).
A few extra class copies of the textbook for those who
forgot to bring their copy. These should have a sticker
identifying them as “On Loan.”

Content
Part I

Exercise One The Bonus Levels, Hand Valuation, and Combined Points
Required for Game
Exercise Two Deal #5: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Playing the
High Card from the Short Side
Exercise Three Deal #6: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Drawing
Trumps
Exercise Four Deal #7: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Promotion
Exercise Five Deal #8: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Length
Exercise Six Defenders’ Tip: Attitude Signals

Break

Part II
Exercise Seven The 1NT Opening Bid
Exercise Eight Responding to 1NT With 0-7 Points
Exercise Nine Deal #5: Bidding to a 1NT Contract
Exercise Ten Responding to 1NT With 10 or More Points
Exercise Eleven Deal #6: Bidding to a 4♥ Contract
Exercise Twelve Deal #7: Bidding to a 2♠ Contract
Exercise Thirteen When Responder Doesn’t Know HOW HIGH or WHERE
Exercise Fourteen Opener’s Rebid and the Bidding Messages
Exercise Fifteen Deal #8: Bidding to a 3NT Contract

52
A note to the teacher
In the first hour of the lesson, the concept of contract bridge is introduced and the students
determine a suitable contract on each deal by looking at all four hands. The Contract Card (see
Appendix) can be used as a tool to help determine the contract if you think it makes it easier. If
not, simply have the players talk among themselves to decide which partnership has more
combined points. If you are giving the class over eight lessons instead of four, a brief discussion
of scoring could be included, mentioning only trick score and the partgame and non vulnerable
game bonus.

The focus for the first hour of the lesson is play of the hand. The students practice the mechanics
of making the opening lead, having the dummy face up on the table, and having declarer try to
take enough tricks to fulfill the contract. The play concepts introduced are:

• taking sure tricks by playing the high card from the short side first
• the priority of drawing trump
• developing tricks through promotion
• developing tricks through length

In the second hour of the lesson, the bidding theory for 1NT and responses is introduced. The
four deals from the first part of the lesson are reviewed again in the student text from the point of
bidding. The hands don’t need to be replayed because the students have already had the
opportunity to play them in the first part of the lesson. The Cue Cards (see Appendix) are
introduced as an aid to the bidding.

There may be time to discuss all the concepts covered in the text. If not, talk about bidding when
responder knows HOW HIGH and WHERE. The concepts introduced are:

• Requirements for an opening bid of 1NT

• Balanced and unbalanced hands
• When responder knows HOW HIGH and WHERE
• With 0-7 points
• With 10+ points
• When responder doesn’t know HOW HIGH
• With 8-9 points
• When responder doesn’t know WHERE
• With 10+ points and a five-card major
• Opener’s rebid after 1NT
• The Bidding Messages

53
Lesson Introduction

Welcome the participants back to the class. Start with an overview, something like this:

• In the first lesson, we had the chance to play whist and auction bridge. The game evolved
and auction bridge was replaced with a form of the game called contract bridge which is
the form played today.

• Contract bridge was popular! It swept North America and was often front page news.

• Ely Culbertson, one of the early promoters of the game, gave his opinion of why bridge
demanded such popularity and attention:

“This is quite natural and intensely human. Bridge, an intellectual game, has
suddenly become a powerful social factor for good, mainly because there is a
great need and a great desire on the part of millions to forget, to relax, to quiet
down the emotional waves aroused by everyday fears and worries. When we
hover on the brink of a precipice, in deadly fear lest we go down … or listen
breathless to hear from the lips of our opponents the word ‘pass,’ we substitute
the mild terrors of a pasteboard world for the real fears of life – and so we rest.”

• In this lesson, we’re going to play contract bridge, the game popularized by Ely
Culbertson over a half century ago.

54
Exercise One – The Bonus Levels and Hand Valuation

Introduce the bonus levels and review hand valuation.

Student Textbook Reference: Pages 9-11 or use the Better Bridge Bookmark (see Appendix).

Instructions

• Auction bridge was popular but still the players looked for a more exciting form of the
game. To win the auction it was only necessary to outbid the other partnership. If the
other side was unwilling to compete, the auction could be won at the one level and
declarer was only committed to taking seven tricks.
• To increase the challenge, bonuses were awarded if the partnership was willing to
commit, or contract, to take a specified number of tricks. These were called bonus levels.

Look at the Bidding Ladder on page 12 (or the Better Bridge Bookmark).
The most popular bonuses are the game bonuses.

Game Bonuses

Q. What are the game bonus levels?

A. 3NT, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣, and 5♦.

Q. Which game contract requires the fewest tricks?

A. 3NT.
• Only nine tricks are required to make 3NT and receive a game bonus.

Q. How many tricks are required for game in a major suit, hearts or spades?
A. 10.
• Hearts and spades are the major suits.
• Ten tricks are required to make a game contract with a major suit as trumps.

Q. How many tricks are required for game in a minor suit, clubs or diamonds?
A. 11.
• Clubs and diamonds are the minor suits and eleven tricks are required for a game bonus.

Slam Bonuses

• Slam bonuses are not the focus of this course.

• You can see on the Bidding Ladder a small slam in clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, or
notrump requires taking twelve of the thirteen tricks.
• A grand slam requires taking all thirteen tricks.

55
Partscore

• Any contract that does not receive a game bonus or a slam bonus is a partscore.
• One way for the partnership to determine whether it belongs at the partscore, game, or
slam level is to consider the combined valuation points.
• Each partner values the hand using a combination of high-card and distributional points.
• Valuation points are assigned for high cards: Ace – 4; King – 3; Queen – 2; Jack – 1.
• Valuation points are assigned for length: a five-card suit is worth 1 length point; a six-
card suit is worth 2 length points; a seven-card suit is worth 3 length points … and so on.

Look at the Bidding Ladder on page 12 (or the Better Bridge Bookmark).

• The partnership makes two decisions: HOW HIGH and WHERE the contract should be
played.

HOW HIGH?

Q. Approximately how many combined valuation points does the partnership need for a
3NT contract?
A. 25 or more.

Q. Approximately how many combined valuation points does the partnership need for a
game contract in a major suit?
A. 26 or more.

Q. Approximately how many combined valuation points does the partnership need for a
game contract in a minor suit?
A. 29 or more.

Q. Approximately how many combined valuation points does the partnership need for a
small slam contract?
A. 33 or more.

Q. Approximately how many combined valuation points does the partnership need for a
grand slam contract?
A. 37 or more.

WHERE?

Q. How many combined cards in a suit would the partnership like to have to consider
making that suit the trump suit?
A. 8 or more.
• An eight-card or longer suit in the combined hands will usually make a good trump suit.

56
Review

Summarize the following points:

• During the auction, the partnership decides HOW HIGH to bid. It does this by trying to
assess the combined strength of the partnership in terms of valuation points.
• The partnership also decides WHERE to play the contract … in notrump or a trump suit.
An eight-card or longer combined suit will usually make a good trump suit, although
there are additional considerations … which we’ll get to shortly.

• Before going into the details of how the partnership exchanges information about the
combined strength and distribution during the auction, let’s practice picking the contract
looking at the 26 cards in the partnership hands.

57
58
Exercise Two – Deal #5: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Playing the
High Card from the Short Side

The students are shown how to use the Contract Card to determine a reasonable contract.
Play Point: Taking winners by playing the high card from the short side first. The deal is played
in the agreed contract.

Deal #5: Pages 64-65.

Instructions

Using the Contract Card

Experience has shown that many students need a procedure for recording valuation points and
totaling them for each side until they are more comfortable doing the calculations in their head.
Tell the students how to complete the Contract Cards during this part of the exercise. (If
Contract Cards are not available, have the students record the information on paper.)

Contract Card
Hand # Declarer (Circle)

Valuation Points N S E W

N S W E Contract

Total N-S Total E-W Score

N-S E-W
Declaring Side (Circle)
N-S E-W

• We’re going to look at all four hands on this next deal and use the Contract Card to
determine a reasonable contract. Once you are familiar with this approach, you can use it
to decide on a contract for any deal, even if you are uncertain how the bidding should go
to reach that contract.

• Looking at each hand in turn, enter the valuation points on the Contract Card. The
valuation points are a combination of the high-card points – Ace = 4; King = 3;
Queen = 2; Jack = 1 – and length points – 1 point for a five-card suit; 2 points for a
six-card suit; and so forth.

59
 • Enter the total of the North-South points on the Contract Card; do the same for the
combined East-West points.

• Determine which side would likely win the auction and circle it on the Contract Card.
The declaring side will usually be the side with the most combined valuation points.

• Decide whether the declaring side should play in notrump or a suit contract and
approximately how many tricks the partnership can take. Do this by counting the sure
tricks in the combined hands and seeing if there are any opportunities to develop
additional tricks. This will determine a reasonable contract, 2♠ for example. Enter the
contract on the Contract Card.

• Decide which player should be declarer. This will usually be the player who would
first suggest the trump suit, or the player with the most points. Circle the declarer on
the Contract Card.

• Then you can play the deal in the suggested contract. After the deal is complete, you
can enter the score for making, or defeating, the contract. A discussion of scoring is
included in the Appendix of the textbook.

• Let’s see how this works.

60
 Let’s look at Deal #5.

N-S COMBINED POINTS: 15 + 7 = 22

E-W COMBINED POINTS: 11 + 7 = 18
DEAL: 5 NORTH DECLARING SIDE: North-South
DEALER: NORTH ♠ A J 5 CONTRACT: 1NT
♥ A K 7 3 DECLARER: North
♦ K 6 OPENING LEAD: ♣A by East
♣ 9 8 7 3
WEST EAST
♠ K Q 10 9 ♠ 8 7 4
♥ Q 8 4 2 ♥ J 10 9
♦ 10 8 4 2 ♦ 9 7 5
♣ 5 ♣ A K Q J
SOUTH
♠ 6 3 2
♥ 6 5
♦ A Q J 3
♣ 10 6 4 2

Pick up your hand and sort it into suits. Then place it face up on the
table in front of you, dummy style, in columns with the highest card
in each suit closest to the edge of the table.

All 52 cards are face up on the table.

Talk among yourselves and use the Contract Card to decide which
partnership has more combined points.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the combined strength and determine a suitable
contract. Then confirm their results.

61
The Contract

Q. How many combined points does North-South have?

A. 22.
• North has 15 high-card points and South has 7 for a total of 22.

Q. How many combined points does East-West have?

A. 18.
• East has 11 high-card points and West has 7 for a total of 18.

Q. Which partnership has more combined points?

A. North-South.

East and West, turn your cards face NORTH (Declarer)

down. ♠ A J 5
♥ A K 7 3
North and South, keep your cards ♦ K 6
face up. ♣ 9 8 7 3
WEST EAST
Only 26 cards are face up on the
table … the North and South hands. SOUTH (Dummy)
Focus on the North-South hands. ♠ 6 3 2
♥ 6 5
♦ A Q J 3
♣ 10 6 4 2

• Let’s count the sure tricks in the combined North-South hands. Sure tricks are those that
can be taken without giving up the lead.

Q. How many sure tricks in the spade suit?

A. One: the ♠A.

Q. How many sure tricks in the heart suit?

A. Two: the ♥A and ♥K.

Q. How many sure tricks in the diamond suit?

A. Four: the ♦A, ♦K, ♦Q, and ♦J.

Q. How many sure tricks in the club suit?

A. None.

Q. How many sure tricks in total?

A. Seven: one spade, two hearts, and four diamonds.

62
 Q. HOW HIGH would the partnership want to be on the Bidding Ladder with seven sure
tricks between the two hands?
A. One level.
• There aren’t enough tricks available to go for one of the bonus levels, so North-South
should settle for a partscore contract.
 • Notice that North-South does not have the 25 combined points or more required to
choose a game bonus level.

Q. WHERE would the partnership want to be at the one level … in a suit or in notrump?
A. Notrump (or clubs).

Don’t spend a lot of time on whether the contract should be in notrump or clubs. Either contract
will make seven tricks and the general idea is to have them choose a one level contract and focus
on taking seven tricks.

Q. What are the possible contracts for the North-South partnership?

A. 1NT (or 1♣).
• In a contract of 1NT, declarer would have to take seven tricks.
• Let’s have North as declarer in 1NT.

63
 Play Point

North and South, turn the

NORTH (Declarer)
spades, hearts, and clubs face
♦ K 6
down, leaving the diamonds face
WEST EAST
up.
SOUTH (Dummy)
♦ A Q J 3
There should be six cards face
up on the table.

• There is a challenge in taking four sure tricks in diamonds.

• Declarer might be in the wrong hand to take the diamond winners.

Watch what happens. Play the ♦A from the South hand on the first
trick and the ♦6 from dummy. Take a second trick with the ♦K,
playing the ♦3 from declarer’s hand.

• Now there is no way to get back to the diamond winners in the South hand.
• Unevenly divided suits require special care when taking sure tricks; otherwise we might
find ourselves in the wrong hand at the wrong time … with our winners stranded on the
other side of the table.
• The order in which we take our winners can be important when a suit is unevenly divided
between the two hands.
 • A useful guideline when taking sure tricks is: play the high card from the short side
first.
• North’s hand, with only two diamonds, is the short side. So, declarer should start by
winning the first trick with the ♦K, high card from the short side, and play the ♦3 from
the dummy. Then the ♦6 can be played over to a high diamond winner in dummy and
declarer takes the four sure diamond tricks to which declarer is entitled.

64
The Opening Lead

Q. If North is declarer, which player will make the opening lead?

A. East.

North and South, turn the diamonds EAST

face down. Now all the cards are ♠8 7 4
face down. ♥ J 10 9
♦9 7 5
East, turn your hand face up. ♣A K Q J

There should be thirteen cards face

up on the table.

Q. What would you like to lead from the East hand?

A. A club. The guideline is the ♣A, top of the solid sequence.

65
The Play

Everyone pick up your hand. NORTH (Declarer)

East, place the ♣A face up on the WEST EAST

table as the opening lead. ♣A

South, put your hand face up on the SOUTH (Dummy)

table as the dummy. ♠ 6 3 2
♥ 6 5
Only 14 cards are face up … the ♦ A Q J 3
opening lead and the dummy. ♣ 10 6 4 2

The contract is 1NT. North is the

declarer. North, try to take seven
tricks.

You have about five minutes to play

the deal … or as many tricks as you
can.

Review

Summarize the following points:

• Declarer has seven tricks.

• Declarer may have to take care if a suit is unevenly divided between the two hands. A
useful guideline is to start by playing the high card(s) from the short side first. This is
how declarer has to play the diamonds.

***

At this point, you could introduce the students to scoring if you feel the class is ready for it and
you have enough time. They could then complete the Contract Card. There is an exercise in
Appendix that can be used to introduce scoring. Otherwise, leave the exercise to a later point
and refer the students to Appendix 2 in the textbook if they want information on scoring.

***

66
Exercise Three – Deal #6: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Drawing
Trumps

Play Point: Drawing trumps early when declarer has the required number of tricks for the
contract. The deal is played in the agreed contract.

Deal #6: Pages 66-67.

Instructions

Let’s look at Deal #6.

N-S COMBINED POINTS: 7 + 10 = 17

E-W COMBINED POINTS: 16 + 11 = 27
DECLARING SIDE: East-West
DEAL: 6 NORTH
CONTRACT: 4♥
DEALER: EAST ♠ Q 10 6 4
DECLARER: West
♥ 3
OPENING LEAD: ♦J by North
♦ J 10 9 7 2
♣ K 10 5
WEST EAST
♠ 5 2 ♠ A 8 7 3
♥ K J 10 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 2
♦ K Q 4 ♦ A 8 3
♣ 7 4 ♣ Q 8 6
SOUTH
♠ K J 9
♥ 9 6 4
♦ 6 5
♣ A J 9 3 2

Pick up your hand and sort it into suits. Then place it face up on the
table in front of you, dummy style, in columns with the highest card
in each suit closest to the edge of the table.

All 52 cards are face up on the table.

Talk among yourselves and use the Contract Card to decide which
partnership has more combined points.

67
The Contract

Check to make sure the students arrived at the correct hand valuations.

Q. How many combined points does North-South have?

A. 17.
• North has 6 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card diamond suit, and South
has 9 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit for a total of 17.

Q. How many combined points does East-West have?

A. 27.
• East has 16 high-card points and West has 9 high-card points plus 2 length points for a
total of 27.

Which partnership has more combined points?

A. East-West.

North and South, turn your NORTH

cards face down.
WEST EAST
Only 26 cards are face up ♠ 5 2 ♠ A 8 7 3
on the table … the East ♥ K J 10 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 2
and West hands. Focus on ♦ K Q 4 ♦ A 8 3
the East-West hands. ♣ 7 4 ♣ Q 8 6

Count the sure tricks in SOUTH

each suit in the combined
East-West hands. Sure
tricks are those that can
be taken without giving up
the lead.

Check to make sure the students have arrived at the correct result.

Q. How many sure tricks in the spade suit?

A. One: the ♠A.

Q. How many sure tricks in the heart suit?

A. Six: the ♥A, ♥K, ♥Q, ♥J, ♥10, and ♥8.

Q. How many sure tricks in the diamond suit?

A. Three: the ♦A, ♦K, and ♦Q.

68
 Q. How many sure tricks in the club suit?
A. None.

Q. How many sure tricks in total?

A. Ten: one spade, six hearts, and three diamonds.

Q. HOW HIGH would East-West want to bid? Partscore or game?

A. Game.
• With 10 tricks, East-West can afford to bid to a game contract.
 • Notice that East-West has 27 combined points.
Q. WHERE would East-West want to play the hand? In notrump or hearts?
A. Hearts.
 • With nine combined hearts in the two hands, East-West can make that suit trumps.
• It is better for East-West to play in a trump contract than notrump. In notrump, the
defenders might take the first five club tricks.

Q. What contract would East-West bid?

A. 4♥.
• East-West can take enough tricks to go for the game bonus. With hearts as trumps, the
bonus level is 4♥.
• In a contract of 4♥, declarer would have to take ten tricks.

• West has the long trump suit and would likely be declarer in a 4♥ contract.

Avoid any reference to transfers. This is Lesson Two.

69
 Play Point

East and West, turn the spades,

NORTH
hearts, and clubs face down …
♦ J 10 9 7 2
leaving the diamonds face up.
WEST (Declarer) EAST (Dummy)
♦ K Q 4 ♦ A 8 3
North and South, turn the
SOUTH
diamonds face up so you can see
♦ 6 5
the entire suit.

There are only 13 cards face up on

the table … all the diamonds.

Q. Suppose North leads the ♦J against West’s contract of 4♥. Is there anything that would
prevent declarer from taking the three sure tricks in diamonds right away?
A. Yes … South might trump a diamond.
• If declarer tries to take the ♦A, ♦K, and ♦Q, South can’t follow suit on the third round.
• South can play a heart on this trick, winning the trick for North-South. One of East-
West’s sure tricks is lost.
• When playing in a trump suit, the order in which we play our suits can be important.
 • A useful guideline when we have the tricks we need is: draw trumps first.
• Drawing the defenders’ trumps means playing the trump suit until the defenders have
none left. Once this has been done, it will be safe to take the diamond winners.

The Opening Lead

Q. If West is declarer, which player will make the opening lead?

A. North.

East, West, and South, turn your NORTH

diamonds face down. ♠ Q 10 6 4
♥3
North, turn your hand face up. ♦ J 10 9 7 2
♣ K 10 5
There should be thirteen cards face
up on the table.

Q. What is North’s opening lead?

A. ♦J, top of the solid sequence.

70
The Play

Everyone pick up your hand. NORTH

♦J
North, place the ♦J face up on
the table as the opening lead. WEST (Declarer) EAST (Dummy)
♠ A 8 7 3
East, put your hand face up on ♥ A Q 2
the table as the dummy. ♦ A 8 3
♣ Q 8 6
Only 14 cards are face up … the
opening lead and the dummy. SOUTH

The contract is 4♥. West is the

declarer. West, try to take ten
tricks with hearts as trumps.

You have about five minutes to

play the deal, or as many cards
as you can.

If you have discussed the scoring, you can have the students enter the score on the Contract
Card.

Review

Summarize the following points:

• Declarer has ten tricks.

• Declarer must be careful in a trump contract to avoid having the defenders trump one of
the winners in the other suits. With enough tricks to make the contract, declarer usually
starts by drawing the defenders’ trumps … playing the trump suit until the defenders have
none left. It is then safe to take the winners in the other suits.

71
Exercise Four – Deal #7: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Promotion

Play Point: Promotion as a way of developing extra tricks. The deal is played in the agreed
contract.

Deal #7: Pages 68-69.

Instructions

Let’s look at Deal #7.

N-S COMBINED POINTS: 10 + 11 = 21

E-W COMBINED POINTS: 5 + 17 = 22
DECLARING SIDE: East-West
DEAL: 7 NORTH
CONTRACT: 2♠
DEALER: SOUTH ♠ A 5 2
DECLARER: East
♥ 8 4 3 2
OPENING LEAD: ♥Q by South
♦ Q 10
♣ K J 6 2
WEST EAST
♠ 6 3 ♠ Q J 10 9 8 7
♥ A K 7 ♥ 9 5
♦ A K 6 3 2 ♦ 7 4
♣ Q 9 4 ♣ 8 5 3
SOUTH
♠ K 4
♥ Q J 10 6
♦ J 9 8 5
♣ A 10 7

Pick up your hand and sort it into suits. Then place it face up on the
table in front of you, dummy style, in columns with the highest card
in each suit closest to the edge of the table.

All 52 cards are face up on the table.

Talk among yourselves and use the Contract Card to decide which
partnership has more combined points.

72
The Contract – Part A

Check to make sure the students arrived at the correct hand valuations.

Q. How many combined points does North-South have?

A. 21.
• North has 10 high-card points. South has 11 high-card points for a combined total of 21.

Q. How many combined points does East-West have?

A. 22.
• East has 3 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit and West has 16
high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card diamond suit for a partnership total
of 22.

Q. Which partnership has more combined points?

A. East-West.

North and South, turn your hands NORTH

face down. Focus on the East-
West hands. WEST EAST
♠ 6 3 ♠ Q J 10 9 8 7
Only 26 cards are face up on the ♥ A K 7 ♥ 9 5
table … the East and West ♦ A K 6 3 2 ♦ 7 4
hands. ♣ Q 9 4 ♣ 8 5 3

Count the sure tricks in the SOUTH

combined East-West hands.

Check to make sure the students have arrived at the correct result.

Q. How many sure tricks in the spade suit?

A. None.

Q. How many sure tricks in the heart suit?

A. Two: the ♥A and ♥K.

Q. How many sure tricks in the diamond suit?

A. Two: the ♦A and ♦K.

Q. How many sure tricks in the club suit?

A. None.

Q. How many sure tricks in total?

A. Four: two hearts and two diamonds.

73
 Play Point - Promotion

Q. Is there any possibility of developing extra tricks?

A. Yes … in spades.

East and West, turn the hearts, NORTH

diamonds, and clubs face down … ♠ A 5 2
leaving the spades face up. WEST EAST
♠ 6 3 ♠ Q J 10 9 8 7
North and South, turn the spades SOUTH
face up. ♠ K 4

Thirteen cards are face up on the

table … all the spades.

Discuss how many tricks can be

developed in the spade suit.

Q. How many tricks did you decide can be developed from the spade suit?
A. Four.
• One way to develop extra tricks is through promotion, turning cards into winners by
driving out all the higher-ranking cards.
• The ♠Q … or any of East’s spades for that matter … can be used to drive out the ♠K, or
♠A. The ♠J can be used to drive out the defenders’ remaining high spade.
• East’s remaining four spades are now promoted into winners.
• The defenders also use promotion to develop winners. That’s one reason for leading from
a sequence such as Q-J-10-9. If partner doesn’t have the ace or king, you may still be able
to promote a winner for the defence by driving out declarer’s high cards in the suit.

Q. What is one difference between promotion and taking sure tricks?

A. You have to give up the lead.
• Every time we drive out an opponent’s high card, we must give up the lead.
• We’ll have to regain the lead before we can take any established winners.
 • A useful guideline when promoting winners is: develop the extra tricks early.
• We want to give up the lead in spades while we still have winners in the other suits to
regain the lead.

74
The Contract – Part B

North and South, turn your NORTH

spades face down.
WEST EAST
East and West, turn all your ♠ 6 3 ♠ Q J 10 9 8 7
cards face up. ♥ A K 7 ♥ 9 5
♦ A K 6 3 2 ♦ 7 4
26 cards are face up on the ♣ Q 9 4 ♣ 8 5 3
table … the East and West
hands. SOUTH

Q. How many potential tricks do East-West have?

A. Eight.
• Four sure tricks plus four tricks through promotion.

Q. HOW HIGH does East-West want to be on the Bidding Ladder? In a game or a

partscore?
A. Partscore.

Q. WHERE does East-West want to play? In notrump or a trump suit?

A. Trump suit … spades.
• With eight combined spades in the two hands, East-West want to make that suit trumps.
• It is better for East-West to play with spades as trumps than in notrump. In notrump,
East’s spades might not be as valuable.

Q. With eight possible tricks, what would be a good choice of contract for East-West?
A. 1♠/2♠.
• East-West can’t take enough tricks to go for the game bonus. They should stop in
partscore.
• A partscore contract of 2♠ would be reasonable. Declarer would have to take eight tricks.
• Notice that East-West do not have 25 or more combined points.

If the students want to play in 1♠, that’s also fine at this point. Remember, the focus is on play
not on bidding.

Q. Which player would suggest spades as the trump suit?

A. East.
• East would be declarer in a spade contract.

75
The Opening Lead

Q. If East is declarer, which player will make the opening lead?

A. South.

East and West, turn your hands SOUTH

face down. ♠K 4
♥ Q J 10 6
South, turn your hand face up. ♦J 9 8 5
♣ A 10 7
There should be thirteen cards face
up on the table.

Q. What would South lead?

A. ♥Q, top of the solid sequence.

The Play

Everyone pick up your hand. NORTH

South, place the ♥Q face up on WEST (Dummy) EAST (Declarer)

the table as the opening lead. ♠ 6 3
♥ A K 7
West, put your hand face up on ♦ A K 6 3 2
the table as the dummy. ♣ Q 9 4
SOUTH
Only 14 cards are face up … the ♥Q
opening lead and the dummy.

The contract is 2♠. East is the

declarer. East, try to take eight
tricks with spades as trumps.

You have five minutes to play as

much of the deal as you can.

If you have discussed the scoring, you can have the students enter the score on the Contract
Card.

76
Review

Summarize the following points:

• Declarer has four sure tricks.

• Four more can be developed through promotion in spades.
• When promoting winners, declarer has to give up the lead to the defenders. It is often a
good idea to take the losses early. Declarer wants to give up tricks while still holding
winners in other suits with which to regain the lead and take the promoted winner(s).

77
78
Exercise Five – Deal #8: Deciding HOW HIGH and WHERE; Length

Play Point: The technique of developing extra tricks through length. The deal is then played out
in the agreed contract.

Deal #8: Pages 70-71.

Instructions

Let’s look at Deal #8.

N-S COMBINED POINTS: 10 + 17 = 27

E-W COMBINED POINTS: 6 + 7 = 13
DECLARING SIDE: North-South
DEAL: 8 NORTH CONTRACT: 3NT
DEALER: WEST ♠ A Q 9 DECLARER: South
♥ A 6 3 OPENING LEAD: ♥Q by West
♦ 7 6 4 3
♣ 9 6 2
WEST EAST
♠ 8 6 3 ♠ J 7 5 2
♥ Q J 10 9 ♥ 8 5 4
♦ Q 10 8 ♦ J 9
♣ Q 7 4 ♣ K J 10 3
SOUTH
♠ K 10 4
♥ K 7 2
♦ A K 5 2
♣ A 8 5

Pick up your hand and sort it into suits. Then place it face up on the
table in front of you, dummy style, in columns with the highest card
in each suit closest to the edge of the table.

All 52 cards are face up on the table.

Talk among yourselves and use the Contract Card to decide which
partnership has more combined points.

79
The Contract – Part A

Check to make sure the students arrived at the correct hand valuations.

Q. How many combined points does North-South have?

A. 27.
• North has 10 high-card points. South has 17 high-card points, for a combined total of 27.

Q. How many combined points does East-West have?

A. 13.
• East has 6 high-card points and West has 7 high-card points for a partnership total of 13.

Q. Which partnership has more combined points?

A. North-South.

Q. Which partnership is more likely to win the auction?

A. North-South.
• Let’s assume North-South win the auction.

East and West, turn your hands NORTH

face down. ♠ A Q 9
♥ A 6 3
Only 26 cards are face up … the ♦ 7 6 4 3
North and South hands. ♣ 9 6 2
WEST EAST
Count the sure tricks in the
combined North-South hands. SOUTH
♠ K 10 4
♥ K 7 2
♦ A K 5 2
♣ A 8 5

Check to make sure the students have arrived at the correct result.

Q. How many sure tricks in the spade suit?

A. Three: the ♠A, ♠K, and ♠Q.

Q. How many sure tricks in the heart suit?

A. Two: the ♥A and ♥K.

Q. How many sure tricks in the diamond suit?

A. Two: the ♦A and ♦K.

80
Q. How many sure tricks in the club suit?
A. One: the ♣K.

Q. How many sure tricks in total?

A. Eight: three spades, two hearts, two diamonds, and one club.

Play Point - Length

Q. Is there any possibility of developing extra tricks in spades?

A. No.

Turn the spades face down.

Q. Is there any possibility of developing extra tricks in hearts?

A. No.

Turn the hearts face down.

Q. Is there any possibility of developing extra tricks in clubs?

A. No.

Turn the clubs face down.

Q. Is there any possibility of developing extra tricks in diamonds?

A. Yes.
• A second technique that can be used to develop extra tricks is length.
• By playing a suit until the defenders have none left, any remaining cards declarer holds
are winners.

Turn East-West diamonds face up so

that the entire diamond suit is face up. NORTH
♦ 7 6 4 3
There are only 13 cards face up on the WEST EAST
table … all the diamonds. ♦ Q 10 8 ♦ J 9
SOUTH
Discuss what declarer would have to do ♦ A K 5 2
to develop an extra trick in diamonds.

81
 Q. What does declarer have to do to develop an extra diamond trick through length?
A. Play the ♦A, ♦K, and a third round of diamonds.
• After declarer takes two tricks with the ♦A and ♦K, only the ♦Q is left outstanding in
the West hand.
• Declarer then has to give up a trick in diamonds by playing a third round and letting West
win the trick.
• When declarer later regains the lead, the remaining diamonds in the North-South hand
represent a winner.

Q. What is similar about this example of length and promotion?

A. You have to give up the lead.
• When developing extra tricks through length you may have to give up the lead.
• You’ll then have to regain the lead before you can take any winners you have established.
 • Like promotion, this has an impact when it comes to the third stage of declarer’s plan,
Consider the Order. A useful guideline when developing winners through length is:
develop the extra tricks early.
• You want to give up the lead while you still have winners in the other suits with which to
regain the lead.
• You won’t always have to give up the lead when taking tricks through length. You may
have enough high cards to draw all the defenders’ cards in the suit.

The Contract – Part B

East and West, turn all your NORTH

diamonds face down. ♠ A Q 9
♥ A 6 3
North and South, turn all your ♦ 7 6 4 3
cards face up. ♣ 9 6 2
WEST EAST
Only 26 cards are face up on the
table … the North and South SOUTH
hands. ♠ K 10 4
♥ K 7 2
♦ A K 5 2
♣ A 8 5

Q. If North-South can take nine tricks, what is a good choice of contract?

A. 3NT.
• Nine tricks are enough to go for the bonus level in notrump.

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 • Even though the partnership has eight combined diamonds, there aren’t enough tricks to
go for the bonus level with diamonds as trump. That would be 5♦, requiring eleven
tricks.

Q. Which player might open the bidding and suggest notrump as the contract?
A. South.
• South has enough strength to open the bidding.

The Opening Lead

Q. If South is declarer, which player will make the opening lead?

A. West.

North and South, turn your hands WEST

face down. There should be thirteen ♠8 6 3
cards face up on the table. ♥ Q J 10 9
♦ Q 10 8
West, turn your hand face up. ♣Q 7 4

Q. What would West lead?

A. ♥Q, top of the solid sequence.

The Play

Everyone pick up your hand.

NORTH (Dummy)
♠ A Q 9
West, place the ♥Q face up on
♥ A 6 3
the table as the opening lead.
♦ 7 6 4 3
North, put your hand face up on
♣ 9 6 2
the table as the dummy. Only 14
WEST EAST
cards are face up … the opening
♥Q
lead and the dummy.
SOUTH (Declarer)

The contract is 3NT. South is

the declarer. South, try to take
nine tricks with no trump suit.
You have about five minutes to
play the deal.

83
Review

Summarize the following points:

• Declarer has eight sure tricks and a potential ninth trick in diamonds.
• To develop tricks through length, declarer may have to give up the lead to the defenders.
As with promotion, it is often a good idea to take the losses early. Declarer wants to give
up tricks while still holding winners in other suits with which to regain the lead and take
the established winner(s).

84
 Exercise Six – Defenders’ Tip – Attitude Signals

This exercise introduces the concept of attitude signals by the defenders. This is an optional
exercise and you could leave it out.

Student Textbook Reference: Page 54.

Instructions

Take the cards and sort them into suits.

North, take the heart suit and

distribute it as follows around the
NORTH
table:
♥ A 4
North: ♥A, ♥4
WEST EAST
East: ♥K, ♥8, ♥2
♥ Q J 10 5 ♥ K 8 2
South: ♥9, ♥7, ♥6, ♥3
SOUTH
West: ♥Q, ♥J, ♥10, ♥5
♥ 9 7 6 3
Only 13 cards are face up on the table
… all the hearts.

Q. Suppose South is declarer in a notrump contract and West decides to lead this suit.
Which card would West lead?
A. ♥Q.
• West leads the top of the touching cards.

Q. What information does this communicate to East?

A. Top of a sequence.
• East knows that West has the ♥J and likely the ♥10 as well.
• East knows that West doesn’t have the ♥K.

Q. North is the dummy hand. Suppose declarer wins the trick with the ♥A in dummy.
What message would East like to send to West?
A. East likes hearts.
• Holding the ♥K, East wants to encourage West to keep leading the suit because the
defenders have sure tricks to take.
 • When a defender has a choice of cards to play … or discard … the defender can give
partner an attitude signal in that suit: a high card is an encouraging signal; a low card
is a discouraging signal.

85
Q. Which card could East play to encourage West to lead hearts again if West gains the
lead?
A. ♥8.
• With a choice between the ♥8 and ♥2, West plays the highest heart that West can afford
as an encouraging signal.

East, give the ♥K to South. NORTH

South, give the ♥6 to East. ♥ A 4
WEST EAST
♥ Q J 10 5 ♥ 8 6 2
SOUTH
♥ K 9 7 3

Q. Suppose West leads the ♥Q and declarer chooses to play the ♥A from dummy. Which
card should East play?
A. ♥2.
• With no help in hearts, East can make a discouraging signal by playing the lowest heart,
the ♥2.
• East’s discouraging signal doesn’t stop West from leading the suit again on regaining the
lead, it only says that East doesn’t have any help in that suit.

There’s no need to go into a lot of detail on signaling at this point. This exercise is only meant to
give a brief overview.

Review

Summarize the following points:

• The defenders are at a disadvantage compared to declarer because they can’t see the
combined partnership hands.
• They can exchange information, however, through the use of signals.
• Leading the top of touching cards is one form of signal … it tells partner that we don’t
have the next higher-ranking card but do have the next lower-ranking card.
• Attitude is another important type of signal. When we have a choice of cards to play to a
trick, a high card says we like the suit and a low card says we don’t like the suit.
• Attitude signals can be used when following suit or when discarding … if we discard a
high card, for example, we are suggesting that partner lead that suit.
• There’s a lot to the art of defensive signaling. For now, a key point is to watch the cards
that partner plays to each trick … partner might be trying to communicate some
information.

86
 ***

At this point, the students will have played the four deals for the first time and everyone has had
an opportunity to be declarer. It’s a reasonable point to take a break. Or, if the class is only one
hour in length, make a summary of what has been learnt so far and bring the lesson to a
conclusion.

***

87
88
 Exercise Seven – 1NT Opening Bid

Introduce the requirements for an opening bid of 1NT.

Student Textbook Reference: pages 37-39.

Instructions

• Let’s look at how the players, without seeing all 52 cards, can bid to a good contract.

• When choosing among possible opening bids, the first priority is to see if the hand meets
the requirements for an opening bid of 1NT.
• The requirements for an opening bid of 1NT are very precise. It is limited to a narrow
three-point range and specific distribution. This usually makes it easy for the partnership
to find the best contract.
 • There are various ranges that can be used for a 1NT opening bid. We’re going to use a
range that has become popular in North America and many other areas of the world: 15 –
17 points.
 • The second requirement for opening 1NT is that the hand is balanced. A balanced hand
has: no voids – a void is zero cards in a suit; no singletons – a singleton is one card
in a suit; no more than one doubleton – a doubleton is two cards in a suit.
• Any hand that has a void, a singleton, or more than one doubleton is considered
unbalanced and we usually open by suggesting a trump suit instead of notrump.
 • In summary, the requirements for opening 1NT are: 15, 16, or 17 valuation points; a
balanced hand.
• Here’s the second verse of the Bidding Song to help remember the first priority when
making an opening bid. It’s on page 194 of your text and it goes like this:

“Bid, bid, bid your cards,

With a balanced hand,
If you have a three-point range (15-17)
One notrump’s your stand.”

• Let’s see some examples of 1NT opening bids.

Take the cards and sort them into suits. One player take all the
spades; one player take all the hearts; one player take all the
diamonds; and one player take all the clubs. Sort each suit by rank.

Construct the following hand in front of North.

When having the students create a hand, read out the suit first and then the cards.

89
 In spades: the ♠K and two low cards. NORTH
In hearts: the ♥Q and two low cards. ♠ K x x
In diamonds: the ♦A, ♦J, and two low cards. ♥ Q x x
In clubs: the ♣K, ♣Q, and a low card. ♦ A J x x
♣ K Q x
Only one hand is face up. All the other cards
are face down on the table, not in your hand.

Does this hand meet the requirements for an opening bid of 1NT?
Discuss with the others at your table.

Give the students a moment to discuss the hand.

Q. How many valuation points is the hand worth?

A. 15.
• There are 15 points, all in high cards.
• If our range for opening 1NT is 15-17, this hand meets the requirements.

Q. Is the hand balanced?

A. Yes.
• This hand is as balanced as we can get. There are no voids, singletons, or doubletons.
• There is one four-card suit and three three-card suits, so this distribution, or pattern, is
sometimes referred to as 4-3-3-3 … this has nothing to do with high-card points.

Q. What would North open with this hand?

A. 1NT.
• The hand meets both the strength and distribution requirements for a 1NT opening bid.

• Let’s change the hand.

In hearts: add the ♥J. NORTH

In clubs: take away a low club. ♠ K x x
♥ Q J x x
♦ A J x x
♣ K Q

Q. Does this hand also qualify for an opening bid of 1NT?

A. Yes.
• There are 16 high-card points in this balanced hand.

90
 • This hand has two four-card suits, one three-card suit, and a doubleton. The pattern is
sometimes referred to as 4-4-3-2.

• Let’s try another hand.

In hearts: take away a low heart. NORTH

In diamonds: add a low diamond. ♠ K x x
♥ Q J x
♦ A J x x x
♣ K Q

Q. What is the value of this hand?

A. 17 points.
• There are 16 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit, for a total of 17
valuation points.

Q. Is the hand balanced?

A. Yes.
• The hand has no voids, no singletons, and only one doubleton, so it meets the
requirements for a balanced hand … even though it contains a five-card suit.
• This hand has a five-card suit, two three-card suits, and a doubleton. The pattern is
sometimes referred to as 5-3-3-2.

Q. What would North open with this hand?

A. 1NT.
• The hand meets both the strength and distribution requirements for a 1NT opening bid.

• Let’s change the hand.

In spades: take away a low spade. NORTH

In hearts: add two low hearts. ♠ K x
In diamonds: take away a low diamond. ♥ Q J x x x
♦ A J x x
♣ K Q

Q. Does this hand meet the criteria for a 1NT opening bid?
A. No.
• The hand is worth 17 points … 16 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card
suit … putting it in the right strength range.
• There are two doubletons, however, so the hand is not balanced.
• North would open 1♥ instead of 1NT, suggesting a trump suit. North might also suggest
diamonds if partner doesn’t like hearts.

91
 • Let’s change the hand.

In hearts: take away the ♥Q. NORTH

In clubs: add a low club. ♠ K x
♥ J x x x
♦ A J x x
♣ K Q x

Q. Does this hand qualify for a 1NT opening bid?

A. No.
• The hand is balanced, with no voids or singletons and only one doubleton.
• There are only 14 valuation points, however. That makes the hand too weak to open 1NT
since partner would expect at least 15 points.
• Instead, North would open in a suit (1♦) and perhaps suggest notrump later in the auction
if a suitable trump fit can’t be found.

• Let’s change the hand.

In spades: add the ♠A. NORTH

In hearts: take away a low heart. ♠ A K x
♥ J x x
♦ A J x x
♣ K Q x

Q. Does this hand meet the requirements for a 1NT opening bid?
A. No.
• The hand is balanced, with no voids, singletons, or doubletons.
• There 18 valuation points, however, all in high cards. That makes the hand too strong for
an opening bid of 1NT since partner will expect at most 17 points.
• Instead, North will open in a suit (1♦), hoping to show the extra strength and balanced
distribution at the next opportunity.

Review

Summarize the following points:

• When opening the bidding, the first priority is to consider whether the hand qualifies for
an opening bid of 1NT.
• An opening bid of 1NT shows a balanced hand and 15, 16, or 17 valuation points.

92
 Exercise Eight – Responding to 1NT With 0-7 Points

Introduce the basic idea of responding to an opening bid of 1NT, using the concepts of HOW
HIGH and WHERE. Responses with 0-7 points are discussed.

Student Textbook Reference: pages 40-43, 45.

Instructions

Distribute the Cue Cards (see Appendix) to each table if they are available.

• Let’s assume that North opens the bidding 1NT and East passes.

Put the 1NT Cue Card in front of North and a Pass Cue Card in front
of East.

• South, the partner of the opening bidder, is the responder.

• Responder knows about opener’s strength … 15-17 points … and opener’s distribution
… a balanced hand with at least two cards in every suit, likely three or four.
• Responder is in a position to determine the combined strength of the partnership hands
and can often decide whether the partnership belongs in a trump suit or in notrump.
 • Basically, responder has two decisions to make: HOW HIGH the partnership should
bid; WHERE the contract should be played.
• Responder first considers HOW HIGH and decides whether the partnership has enough
combined strength to get to a bonus level. This is a matter of addition.
• Let’s look at an example.

Take the cards and sort them into suits. One player take all the
spades; one player take all the hearts; one player take all the
diamonds; and one player take all the clubs.

Construct the following hand in front of South.

When having the students create a hand, read out the suit first and then the cards.

In spades: three low cards.

In hearts: the ♥K and three low cards. SOUTH
In diamonds: the ♦J and two low cards. ♠ x x x
In clubs: three low cards. ♥ K x x x
♦ J x x
Only one hand is face up. All the other cards ♣ x x x
are face down.

93
 North opens the bidding 1NT and the next player passes. HOW HIGH
does the partnership belong if South holds this hand? About 25-26
points are required for a game. What call should South make? Discuss
with the others at your table.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

Q. How many valuation points does South have?

A. 4.

Q. What is the maximum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 21.
• North has at most 17 points, so the partnership total is at most 21 points.
• Since North has 15-17 points, the combined partnership total is 19-21.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Partscore.
• With fewer than 25 combined points, the partnership should stop in partscore.

Responder’s second decision is WHERE the partnership belongs. Discuss

with the others at your table the best strain for the partnership if
this is responder’s hand.

Q. What call does South make?

A. Pass.
• The partnership is high enough in partscore. South doesn’t want to take the partnership
any higher and risk being defeated.
• Since South has a balanced hand, North’s suggestion of notrump as the strain seems
reasonable.

There is no need to discuss the possibility of a 4-4 fit in hearts at this point. If someone asks,
point out that South would have to take the partnership higher on the Bidding Ladder to
investigate the possibility and, if no fit is found, the partnership might be too high.

• Let’s change the hand.

In diamonds: take away the ♦J; add the ♦A. SOUTH

♠ x x x
♥ K x x x
♦ A x x
♣ x x x

94
Q. What would South respond with this hand if North opened the bidding 1NT and the
next player passed?
A. Pass.
• Although South has 7 high-card points, the maximum combined strength of the
partnership hands is 24 points … and the combined strength could be only 22 points.
• South has the answer to HOW HIGH … partscore.

Q. What is the maximum strength South can have and be sure that the partnership doesn’t
have enough combined strength to go for the game bonus?
A. 7 points.
• When responder holds 8 or more points, the partnership could belong in game. If opener
has 17 points, the combined total would be 25.
• With 0-7 points, responder can be fairly sure the partnership belongs in partscore, not
game.

• Let’s try another hand.

In hearts: add two low hearts. SOUTH

In diamonds: take away ♦A and a low diamond. ♠ x x x
♥ K x x x x x
♦ x
♣ x x x

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong if this is South’s hand and North opens 1NT?
A. Partscore.
• South has 3 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit, for a total of 5. The
combined partnership strength is 20-22 points, only enough for partscore.

Responder’s second decision is WHERE the partnership belongs. Discuss

with the others at your table the best strain for the partnership if
this is responder’s hand.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

Q. How many hearts does the partnership have in the combined hands?
A. 8 or more.
• Opener has a balanced hand with no void or singletons, so opener must hold at least two
hearts.
• Opener is likely to have three or four hearts … and could possibly have five.
• An eight-card or longer combined suit will make a good trump suit, especially when the
partnership is going to play in a partscore contract.
• When responder holds a six-card or longer suit, an eight-card fit is guaranteed, so
responder’s decision on WHERE is usually to play in the known eight-card fit.

95
Q. What call does responder make with this hand in response to an opening bid of 1NT?
A. 2♥.
• Responder knows HOW HIGH … partscore … and WHERE … hearts. Putting the two
together, responder bids 2♥, putting the partnership in a partscore contract with hearts as
trumps.

If any of the students are advanced enough to have heard of transfer bids, agree that responder
could transfer opener to partscore in hearts but explain that, for now, no conventional responses
are being discussed.

Q. What will opener do after responder bids 2♥?

A. Pass.
• Opener respects responder’s decision for the partnership to stop in a partscore contract
with hearts as the trump suit. Remember, responder knows more about the combined
strength and distribution than opener.
• The bidding “message” being sent by the 2♥ bid is ‘STOP’.

If any of the students aren’t convinced that responder should bid 2♥ with this hand, try the
following exercise. Leave the South hand as it is and construct a 1NT opening bid in front of
North with only a doubleton heart, such as ♠A-x-x ♥A-x ♦A-x-x-x ♣A-x-x-x. Have the students
randomly deal the East-West hands. Then play the hand out, first with North as declarer in a
notrump contract and then South as declarer in a heart contract. Compare the number of tricks
taken in each case.

• Let’s try another hand.

In hearts: take away two low hearts; add ♥Q. SOUTH

In diamonds: add a low diamond. ♠ x x x
♥ K Q x x x
♦ x x
♣ x x x

North opens 1NT. Discuss with the others at your table what South
would respond with this hand.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong if this is South’s hand and North opens 1NT?
A. Partscore.
• South has 5 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit, for a total of 6. The
combined partnership strength is 21-23 points, only enough for partscore.

96
Q. Does the partnership have an eight-card or longer fit in hearts?
A. Maybe.
• There is no guarantee because North could have only a doubleton heart for the 1NT
opening, leaving the partnership with a seven-card fit.
• If North has three or more hearts, the partnership has an eight-card or longer fit.
• In general, with a five-card or longer suit, responder will choose to play with that suit as
trumps when the partnership belongs in partscore.
• Experience has shown that this usually works best and there is no room on the Bidding
Ladder to discover whether opener has three or more hearts without risking getting the
partnership too high.
• There is one exception. The response of 2♣ is a reserved bid that is assigned a special
meaning … beyond the scope of this course. As a result, responder only bids 2♦, 2♥, or
2♠ with a five-card or longer suit. With five or more clubs, responder usually passes and
plays partscore in notrump.

• Let’s change the hand.

In hearts: take away a low heart. SOUTH

In diamonds: add a low diamond. ♠ x x x
♥ K Q x x
♦ x x x
♣ x x x

Q. What is South’s response with this hand if North opens 1NT?

A. Pass.
• The answer to HOW HIGH is partscore since South has 5 points and the partnership has at
most 22 combined points.
• Although North could have four or five hearts, it’s more likely North has two or three and
the partnership doesn’t have an eight-card fit in hearts.
• In general, with no five-card or longer suit, responder will choose to play in notrump
when the partnership belongs in partscore.

97
Review

Summarize the following points:

• Responder makes two decisions when partner opens the bidding 1NT: HOW HIGH and
WHERE.
• Responder decides HOW HIGH by adding together the combined strength of the
partnership. With fewer than 25 combined points, the partnership should stop in
partscore. With 25 or more combined points, the partnership should go for a game bonus.
• The decision on WHERE is also a matter of addition. If the partnership belongs in
partscore and responder has a five-card or longer suit … except clubs … responder bids
2♦, 2♥, or 2♠; otherwise, responder passes.

98
Exercise Nine – Deal #5: Bidding to a 1NT Contract

The students review Deal #5, referring to the deal in the textbook.

Deal #5: pages 64-65.

Instructions

Turn to Deal #5 on page 64.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

DEAL: 5 NORTH
1NT Pass Pass
DEALER: NORTH ♠ A J 5
Pass
♥ A K 7 3
♦ K 6
♣ 9 8 7 3
WEST EAST
♠ K Q 10 9 ♠ 8 7 4
♥ Q 8 4 2 ♥ J 10 9
♦ 10 8 4 2 ♦ 9 7 5
♣ 5 ♣ A K Q J
SOUTH
♠ 6 3 2
DECLARER: North
♥ 6 5
OPENING LEAD: ♣A by East
♦ A Q J 3
♣ 10 6 4 2

The Opening Bid

Q. North is the dealer. What is North’s opening call?

A. 1NT.
• North has 15 high-card points and a balanced hand.

Q. After North opens 1NT, what does East say?

A. Pass.
• East has 11 high-card points, not enough to enter the auction at the two level.

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The Response

Q. What is South’s role in this auction?

A. Responder.
• As responder, South determines HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs.

Q. What is South’s response to the 1NT opening bid?

A. Pass.
• With 7 high-card points South knows HOW HIGH, partscore.
• With no five-card or longer suit, South knows WHERE, notrump.
• By passing, South leaves the partnership in its best contract.

Q. After South passes, what call does West make?

A. Pass.
• With 7 high-card points, West doesn’t have enough to enter the auction.

The Declarer

Q. Which player is declarer?

A. North.
• North first mentioned the strain of the contract.

Q. What is the contract?

A. 1NT.

100
Exercise Ten – Responding to 1NT With 10 or More Points

Continue with the concepts of HOW HIGH and WHERE after an opening bid of 1NT. Responses
with 10+ points are discussed.

Student Textbook Reference: pages 43-44.

Instructions

• Let’s assume that North opens the bidding 1NT and East passes.

Put the 1NT Cue Card in front of North and a Pass Cue Card in front
of East.

Take the cards and sort them into suits. One player take all the
spades; one player take all the hearts; one player take all the
diamonds; and one player take all the clubs.

Construct the following hand in front of South.

When having the students create a hand, read out the suit first and then the cards.

In spades: the ♠A and two low cards.

In hearts: the ♥K and two low cards. SOUTH
In diamonds: the ♦A and two low cards. ♠ A x x
In clubs: four low cards. ♥ K x x
♦ A x x
Only one hand is face up. All the other cards ♣ x x x x
are face down.

North opens the bidding 1NT and the next player passes. HOW HIGH
does the partnership belong if South holds this hand? What call
should South make? Discuss with the others at your table.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

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Q. How many valuation points does South have?
A. 11.

Q. What is the minimum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 26.
• North has at least 15 points, so the partnership total is at least 26 points.
• Since North has 15-17 points, the combined partnership total is 26-28.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Game.
• With 26 or more combined points, the partnership should go for the game bonus.

Q. WHERE does the partnership belong?

A. Notrump.
• South has a balanced hand, so notrump would seem to be the best strain for the
partnership.

Q. What does South respond?

A. 3NT.
• South takes the partnership right to the game bonus level.

Q. What will North do when South bids 3NT?

A. Pass.
• South has decided HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs. North doesn’t have
any reason to overrule South’s decision.
• The bidding message being sent by responder is ‘STOP’.

• Let’s change the hand.

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 In clubs: take away a low club and add the ♣A. SOUTH
♠ A x x
♥ K x x
♦ A x x
♣ A x x x

Q. How many valuation points does South have?

A. 15.

Q. What is the minimum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 30.
• North has at least 15 points, so the partnership total is at least 30 points.
• Since North has 15-17 points, the combined partnership total is 30-32.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Game.
• With 25 or more combined points, the partnership should go for the game bonus. The
partnership needs about 33 or more points to consider going for a slam bonus.

Q. WHERE does the partnership belong?

A. Notrump.
• South has a balanced hand, so notrump would seem to be the best strain for the
partnership.

Q. What does South respond?

A. 3NT.
• South takes the partnership right to the game bonus level. There’s no need to bid any
higher since 3NT is enough for the game bonus.

• Let’s change the hand again.

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 In spades: add the ♠Q and two low spades. SOUTH
In diamonds: take away the ♦A. ♠ A Q x x x x
In clubs: take away the ♣A and a low club. ♥ K x x
♦ x x
♣ x x

Q. How many valuation points does South have?

A. 11.
• South has 9 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit.

Q. What is the minimum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 26.
• North has at least 15 points, so the partnership total is at least 26 points.
• Since North has 15-17 points, the combined partnership total is 26-28.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Game.
• With 26 or more combined points, the partnership goes for the game bonus.

Q. WHERE does the partnership belong?

A. Spades.
• North has at least two spades, so the partnership has an eight-card or longer fit in a major
suit.
• If the partnership belongs at the game bonus level and there is an eight-card or longer fit
in a major suit, experience has shown that it is usually better to play game in the major
suit than in notrump.
• Although 3NT requires only nine tricks and 4♥ or 4♠ requires ten tricks, the trump fit
will usually produce at least one extra trick, and sometimes two or more.

Q. What does South respond?

A. 4♠.
• South takes the partnership right to the game bonus level in spades.

• Let’s make one more change.

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 In spades: take away ♠Q and three low spades. SOUTH
In diamonds: add ♦Q and three low diamonds. ♠ A x
♥ K x x
♦ Q x x x x x
♣ x x

Q. How many valuation points does South have?

A. 11.
• South has 9 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit.
Q. What is the minimum combined strength of the partnership?
A. 26.
• North has at least 15 points, so the partnership total is at least 26 points.
• Since North has 15-17 points, the combined partnership total is 26-28.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Game.
• With 26 or more combined points, the partnership wants to try for a game bonus.

Look at the Bidding Ladder on page 41. WHERE does the partnership
belong if South holds this hand? What call should South make?
Discuss with the others at your table.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss WHERE the contract should be played.

Q. WHERE does the partnership belong?

A. Notrump.
• North has at least two diamonds, so the partnership has an eight-card or longer fit in a
minor suit.
• However, it requires about 29 or more combined points to make game in a minor suit
since eleven tricks are required.
• A contract of 3NT requires only 9 tricks and experience has shown that it is usually better
to play game in 3NT even when there is a minor suit fit.
• Although having a trump suit is likely to produce at least one more trick than in notrump,
5♣ or 5♦ requires two more tricks, making 3NT a better choice unless the combined
hands are very unbalanced.

Q. What does South respond?

A. 3NT.
• South knows HOW HIGH … game … and WHERE … notrump. South takes the partnership
right to the most likely game contract.

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Review

Summarize the following points:

• When partner opens the bidding 1NT and responder has 10-15 valuation points,
responder immediately knows HOW HIGH … game.
• With more than 15 points, responder can consider going for a slam bonus, but that’s a
topic for a later course.
• If the partnership belongs at the game level, responder next has to decide WHERE. When
there is an eight-card or longer major suit fit, responder puts the partnership in game in
the major suit, 4♥ or 4♠. If there is no major suit fit, responder puts the partnership in
3NT, even if there might be a minor suit fit.

106
Exercise Eleven – Deal #6: Bidding to a 4♥ Contract

The students review Deal #6, referring to the deal in the textbook.

Deal #6: pages 66-67.

Instructions

Turn to Deal #6 on page 66.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1NT Pass
DEAL: 6 NORTH
4♥ Pass Pass Pass
DEALER: EAST ♠ Q 10 6 4
♥ 3
♦ J 10 9 7 2
♣ K 10 5
WEST EAST
♠ 5 2 ♠ A 8 7 3
♥ K J 10 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 2
♦ K Q 4 ♦ A 8 3
♣ 7 4 ♣ Q 8 6
SOUTH
♠ K J 9
♥ 9 6 4 DECLARER: West
♦ 6 5 OPENING LEAD: ♦J by North
♣ A J 9 3 2

The Opening Bid

Q. East is the dealer. What is East’s opening call?

A. 1NT.
• East has 16 high-card points and a balanced hand.

Q. After East opens 1NT, what does South say?

A. Pass.
• South has 9 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit, not enough to enter
the auction at the two level.

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The Response

Q. What is West’s role in this auction?

A. Responder.
• As responder, West determines HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs.

Q. What is West’s response to the 1NT opening bid?

A. 4♥.
• With 9 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit, West knows HOW HIGH,
game.
• With a six-card major suit, West knows there is an eight-card major suit fit since East
must have at least two hearts. So West knows WHERE, hearts.
• West takes the partnership directly to the game bonus level in hearts.

Q. After West bids 4♥, what call does North make?

A. Pass.
• With 6 high-card points plus 1 length point, North isn’t coming to the auction at this
level!

The Opener’s Rebid

Q. What call does East make after West’s response of 4♥?

A. Pass.
• West’s 4♥ response says the partnership belongs at the game bonus level with hearts as
the trump suit. East has no reason to overrule this decision.

Q. What call does South make?

A. Pass.
• South passes and the auction is over.

The Declarer

Q. Which player is declarer?

A. West.
• West first mentioned the strain of the contract, hearts.

Q. What is the contract?

A. 4♥.

108
Exercise Twelve – Deal #7: Bidding to a 2♠ Contract

The students review Deal #7, referring to the deal in the textbook.

Deal #7: pages 68-69.

Instructions

Turn to Deal #7 on page 68.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass
DEAL: 7 NORTH
1NT Pass 2♠ Pass
DEALER: SOUTH ♠ A 5 2
Pass Pass
♥ 8 4 3 2
♦ Q 10
♣ K J 6 2
WEST EAST
♠ 6 3 ♠ Q J 10 9 8 7
♥ A K 7 ♥ 9 5
♦ A K 6 3 2 ♦ 7 4
♣ Q 9 4 ♣ 8 5 3
SOUTH
♠ K 4
DECLARER: East
♥ Q J 10 6
OPENING LEAD: ♥Q by South
♦ J 9 8 5
♣ A 10 7

The Opening Bid

Q. South is the dealer. What is South’s opening call?

A. Pass.
• South has 11 high-card points, not enough to open the bidding.

Q. After South passes, what call does West make?

A. 1NT.
• West has a balanced hand … no voids or singletons and only one doubleton.
• West has 16 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit. The total of 17
valuation points puts the hand in the range for a 1NT opening bid.

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Q. After West opens 1NT, what call does North make?
A. Pass.
• North has 10 high-card points, not enough to enter the auction at the two level.

The Response

Q. What is East’s role in this auction?

A. Responder.
• As responder, East determines HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs.

Q. What is East’s response to the 1NT opening bid?

A. 2♠.
• East has 3 high-card points plus 2 length points for the six-card suit. With a total of 5
points the combined partnership strength is from 20 to 22 points. East knows HOW HIGH,
partscore.
• With a six-card major suit, East knows there is an eight-card major suit fit since West
must have at least two spades. So East knows WHERE, spades.
• East puts the partnership in partscore in spades by responding 2♠.

Q. After East bids 2♠, what call does South make?

A. Pass.

The Opener’s Rebid

Q. What call does West make after East’s response of 2♠?

A. Pass.
• East’s 2♠ response says the partnership belongs at the partscore level with spades as the
trump suit. West has no reason to overrule this decision.

Q. What call does North make?

A. Pass.
• North passes and the auction is over.

The Declarer

Q. Which player is declarer?

A. East.
• East first mentioned the strain of the contract, spades.

Q. What is the contract?

A. 2♠.

110
Exercise Thirteen – When Responder Doesn’t Know HOW HIGH or
WHERE

Cover the situations in which responder is uncertain about HOW HIGH or WHERE.

Student Textbook Reference: pages 46-47.

Instructions

• Let’s assume that North opens the bidding 1NT and East passes.

Put the 1NT Cue Card in front of North and a Pass Cue Card in front
of East.

Take the cards and sort them into suits. One player take all the
spades; one player take all the hearts; one player take all the
diamonds; and one player take all the clubs.

Construct the following hand in front of South.

When having the students create a hand, read out the suit first and then the cards.

In spades: two low cards.

In hearts: the ♥A and two low cards. SOUTH
In diamonds: the ♦K and three low cards. ♠ x x
In clubs: the ♣Q and three low cards. ♥ A x x
♦ K x x x
Only one hand is face up. All the other cards ♣ Q x x x
are face down.

North opens the bidding 1NT and the next player passes. HOW HIGH
does the partnership belong if South holds this hand? What call
should South make? Discuss with the others at your table.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

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Q. How many valuation points does South have?
A. 9.

Q. What is the minimum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 24.
• North has at least 15 points, so the partnership total is at least 24 points.

Q. What is the maximum combined strength of the partnership?

A. 26.
• North has at most 17 points, so the partnership total could be 26 points.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Maybe game.
• If opener has only 15 points, the partnership belongs in partscore.
• If opener has 16 or 17 points, the partnership should go for the game bonus.

Q. WHERE does the partnership belong?

A. Notrump.
• South has a balanced hand, so notrump would seem to be the best strain for the
partnership.

Q. How does South move toward the game level without committing the partnership to
game?
A. 2NT.
• South can move toward game by bidding 2NT.
• This shows a hand of about 8 or 9 points. With 0-7 points, responder would pass; with 10
or more points, responder would go right to 3NT.

Q. What would opener be expected to do if responder bids 2NT?

A. Pass or bid 3NT.
• Opener can pass with a minimum of 15 points and continue to 3NT with a maximum of
17 points. With exactly 16 points, opener can either pass or bid game … it’s 50-50.

• Let’s change the hand.

112
 SOUTH
♠ x x
In hearts: add the ♥J and a low heart. ♥ A J x x x
In diamonds: take away two low diamonds. ♦ K x
♣ Q x x x

Q. How many valuation points does South have?

A. 11.
• South has 10 high-card points plus 1 length point for the five-card suit.

Q. HOW HIGH does the partnership belong?

A. Game.
• The partnership has at least 26 combined points.

Discuss with the others at your table WHERE the partnership belongs.

Give the students a couple of minutes to discuss the hand.

Q. Does the partnership have an eight-card fit in hearts?

A. Maybe.
• If opener has three or more hearts, the partnership has an eight-card or longer fit.
• If opener has only a doubleton heart, the partnership doesn’t have an eight-card fit in
hearts.

Q. What call could responder make to ask if opener has three or more hearts?
A. 3♥.
• A response of 2♥ would say that responder wants to play in partscore with hearts as the
trump suit.
• A response of 4♥ would say that responder wants to play at the game level with hearts as
the trump suit.
• A response of 3♥ asks opener to choose between 3NT and 4♥.
• With three or more hearts, opener bids 4♥; with only two hearts, opener bids 3NT.

113
Review

Summarize the following points:

• Even with the accurate description given by the 1NT opening bid, responder will
sometimes be uncertain HOW HIGH or WHERE the partnership belongs.
• With 8 or 9 points, responder is uncertain HOW HIGH the partnership belongs. Responder
can move toward game by bidding 2NT.
• With a five-card major suit and enough strength for a game contract, responder is
uncertain WHERE the partnership belongs. Responder can jump to 3♥ or 3♠ to ask opener
to choose between game in the major suit or 3NT.

114
Exercise Fourteen – Opener’s Rebid and the Bidding Messages

Cover opener’s rebid after a 1NT opening and the use of the bidding messages.

Student Textbook Reference: pages 47-49.

Instructions

• Let’s assume that North opens the bidding 1NT and East passes.

Put the 1NT Cue Card in front of North and a Pass Cue Card in front
of East.

Take the cards and sort them into suits. One player take all the
spades; one player take all the hearts; one player take all the
diamonds; and one player take all the clubs.

Construct the following hand in front of North.

When having the students create a hand, read out the suit first and then the cards.

In spades: the ♠K, ♠J, and a low card.

In hearts: the ♥Q and a low card. NORTH
In diamonds: the ♦A, ♦Q and two low cards. ♠ K J x
In clubs: the ♣K and three low cards. ♥ Q x
♦ A Q x x
Only one hand is face up. All the other cards ♣ K x x x
are face down.

115
The Signoff Bid

Q. What would North open with this hand?

A. 1NT.
• North has 15 high-card points and the hand is balanced … no voids or singletons and
only one doubleton.
• It meets the requirements for an opening bid of 1NT.

Q. We open 1NT with this hand, the next player passes, and our partner, the responder,
bids 3NT. After West passes, what call do we make?
A. Pass.
• Opener’s second bid is called opener’s rebid.
• In this auction, responder has immediately decided HOW HIGH the contract belongs …
game … and WHERE … notrump.
• We have already described the hand accurately with the 1NT opening bid, so we have no
reason to overrule responder’s decision to play game in notrump.
• Every bid carries a message and responder’s 3NT is called a signoff bid … responder
isn’t expecting to hear from us again.

Q. Suppose we open 1NT and responder bids 2♥. What is our rebid?
A. Pass.
• Again, responder has decided the contract … a partscore contract with hearts as the trump
suit.

Q. What is the message sent by responder’s 2♥ bid?

A. Signoff.
• Responder isn’t expecting to hear from us again.
• A signoff bid is similar to a red traffic light … stop.

Q. Suppose we open 1NT and responder bids 4♠. What message is responder sending and
what do we do on our rebid?
A. Signoff; pass.
• Based on our 1NT opening, responder wants to sign off in game with spades as the trump
suit.
• After a 1NT opening bid, most of responder’s bids are signoff bids because responder
knows HOW HIGH and WHERE.

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The Invitational Bid

Q. Now suppose we open 1NT and responder bids 2NT. Is this a signoff bid?
A. No.
• If responder wanted to stop in partscore in notrump, responder would have passed.
• If responder was certain the partnership should go for the game bonus, responder would
have jumped to 3NT.
• Instead, responder’s 2NT bid is invitational … asking whether or not we want to go for
the game bonus.
• Responder isn’t sure HOW HIGH. Responder has 8 or 9 points … too much to pass but not
enough to commit the partnership to the game level.
• An invitational bid is like the yellow light on a traffic signal … telling us to think about
stopping or to proceed with caution.

Q. What is our rebid after responder’s invitational bid of 2NT?

A. Pass.
• North has only 15 high-card points, the bottom of the range for 1NT.
• North should pass and turn down the invitation, stopping in partscore.
• Even if responder has 9 points, the combined total will only be 24, not enough to try for
the game bonus.

The Forcing Bid

Q. Now suppose we open 1NT and responder jumps to 3♠. What does responder’s bid
mean?
A. Choose between 4♠ and 3NT.
• Responder has 10 or more points and knows HOW HIGH … game.
• If responder had a six-card spade suit, responder would also know WHERE and have bid
4♠.
• The 3♠ response shows exactly five spades. Responder is uncertain about WHERE …
spades or notrump. If we have three or more spades there is an eight-card fit; if we have
only a doubleton spades, there is no eight-card major suit and the contract should be
played in notrump.
• Responder’s jump to 3♠ is the third type of bidding message. It is forcing. Responder
expects us to bid again.
• A forcing bid is like the green light on a traffic signal … go.

Q. What is our rebid after responder’s forcing 3♠ response?

A. 4♠.
• With three spades we know there is an eight-card fit and can put the partnership in game
in the major suit fit.

117
Q. Finally, suppose we open 1NT and responder bids 3♥. What is our rebid?
A. 3NT.
• The 3♥ response is forcing, asking us to choose between 4♥ and 3NT.
• With only two hearts, we prefer to play in notrump since there is no eight-card major suit
fit.

Review

Summarize the following points:

• Every bid carries one of three messages … signoff, invitational, or forcing.

• If partner makes a signoff bid, we are expected to pass.
• After a 1NT opening, responder can make a signoff bid to stop in partscore by
bidding 2♦, 2♥, or 2♠. Responder can make a signoff bid to play in game by bidding
3NT, 4♥, or 4♠ … or even 5♣ or 5♦.
• If partner makes an invitational bid, we have the choice of passing or bidding higher.
• After a 1NT opening, responder can make an invitational bid by bidding 2NT.
• If partner makes a forcing bid, we are expected to bid again.
• After a 1NT opening bid, responder can make a forcing bid by jumping to 3♥ or 3♠,
asking us to bid 3NT or game in the major suit.
• Knowing the messages carried by various bids is a key to successful bidding by the
partnership.

118
Exercise Fifteen – Deal #8: Bidding to a 3NT Contract

The students review Deal #8, referring to the deal in the textbook.

Deal #8: pages 70-71.

Instructions

Turn to Deal #8 on page 70.

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass Pass Pass 1NT
DEAL: 8 NORTH
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
DEALER: WEST ♠ A Q 9
Pass
♥ A 6 3
♦ 7 6 4 3
♣ 9 6 2
WEST EAST
♠ 8 6 3 ♠ J 7 5 2
♥ Q J 10 9 ♥ 8 5 4
♦ Q 10 8 ♦ J 9
♣ Q 7 4 ♣ K J 10 3
SOUTH
♠ K 10 4 DECLARER: South
♥ K 7 2 OPENING LEAD: ♥Q by West
♦ A K 5 2
♣ A 8 5

The Opening Bid

Q. West is the dealer. What is West’s opening call?

A. Pass.
• West has 7 high-card points, not enough to open the bidding.

Q. After West passes, what is North’s call?

A. Pass.
• North has 10 high-card points, not enough to open the bidding.

Q. What is East’s first call?

A. Pass.
• East has 6 high-card points, not enough to open the bidding.

119
Q. After East passes, what call does South make?
A. 1NT.
• South has a balanced hand … the most balanced hand possible.
• South has 17 high-card points, putting the hand in the range for a 1NT opening bid.

Q. After South opens 1NT, what call does West make?

A. Pass.

The Response

Q. What is North’s role in this auction?

A. Responder.
• As responder, North determines HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs.

Q. What is North’s response to the 1NT opening bid?

A. 3NT.
• North has 10 high-card points, so the combined partnership total is from 25 to 27 points.
North knows HOW HIGH … game.
• With a balanced hand, North also knows WHERE, notrump.
• North puts the partnership in game in notrump by responding 3NT.

Q. After North bids 3NT, what call does East make?

A. Pass.

The Opener’s Rebid

Q. What is the message sent by North’s 3NT bid?

A. Signoff.
• North, as responder, has decided HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership belongs. South
isn’t expected to bid again.

Q. What call does South make?

A. Pass.

Q. What call does West make?

A. Pass.
• West passes and the auction is over.

The Declarer

Q. Which player is declarer?

A. South.
• South first suggested notrump as the strain of the contract.

Q. What is the contract?

A. 3NT.

120
Final Review

Make sure the students are familiar with the following points:

• An opening bid of 1NT shows 15-17 valuation points and a balanced hand … no void or
singleton, and at most one doubleton.
• The responder to the 1NT opener determines HOW HIGH and WHERE the partnership
belongs by adding together the combined assets of the partnership:
• With 0-7 points, responder bids 2♦, 2♥, or 2♠ with a five-card or longer suit;
otherwise, responder passes.
• With 8-9 points, responder can bid 2NT with a balanced hand, inviting opener to
game.
• With 10 or more points, responder can bid 4♥ or 4♠ with a six-card suit and 3♥ or
3♠ with a five-card suit; otherwise, responder bids 3NT.
• Every bid carries one of three messages:
• Signoff … partner is expected to pass.
• Invitational … partner can bid again or pass.
• Forcing … partner is expected to bid again.

Conclude with the following points:

• You might want to try the exercises at the end of Chapter Two in your textbook.

Make sure this is just a suggestion. Many students have no time to spend on the game outside the
class.

• The game has much to offer … it’s puzzling at times. This seems like a good time to
close with this quote:

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.”

—Albert Einstein

• I look forward to seeing you in the next class for more adventure and mystery as we
continue to explore the world’s most popular card game.
• Remember to bring your textbooks to the next class.

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122