Bridge Tips

• Bidding, No.1 - 2NT rebid expectations
• Bidding, No.2 - 4-4-4-1 distributions
• Bidding, No.3 - The Pudding Raise
• Bidding, No.4 - Finding a Major Fit After a Benjamin 2NT Opening
• Bidding, No.5 - Cue Bidding
• Bidding, No.6 - Suit Agreement After Partner Opens a Strong Two
• Bidding, No.7 - A Stayman Sequence
• Playing, No.1 - Playing to partner's NT lead with AQx or AJx
• Playing, No.2 - Ace for Attitude, King for Kount
• Playing, No.3 - A promising Queen?
• Playing, No.4 - Leads to partner’s suit
• Playing, No.5 - Helping partner
• Playing, No.6 - Playing in Teams 
• Playing, No.7 - McKenny With a Ruff

Bidding, No.1 - 2NT rebid expectations

You are playing standard Acol with a weak No Trump, 12 – 14 points and the bidding goes: -


1♥ – 2♥ – 2NT


What do you expect from the 2NT rebid by opener?

Again, you are playing standard Acol with a weak No Trump, 12 – 14 points and the bidding goes: -


1♥ – 1♠ – 2♥ – 2NT


What do you expect from the 2NT rebid by responder?

Click here for the solution.

Bidding, No.2 - 4-4-4-1 distributions

What do you open with the following hands: -
1.   ♠ KJxx         ♥   x             ♦ AQxx      ♣ KJxx
2.   ♠ x               ♥ QJxx         ♦ AQJx     ♣ AQxx
3.   ♠ Kxxx         ♥   AQxx       ♦ J            ♣ Axxx
4.   ♠ KJxx         ♥   KQxx       ♦ QJxx      ♣ Q
5.   ♠ Kxxx         ♥   Qxxx        ♦ Q           ♣ Axxx

Click here for the solution.

Bidding, No. 3 The Pudding Raise

Your partner opens 1♥. What is your response with the following hands?
 ♠ KJx  ♥ QJxx  ♦ AQx  ♣ Jxx
 ♠ QJx  ♥ QJxx  ♦ AQ  ♣ Jxxx

Click here for the solution.

Bidding, No. 4 Finding a Major Fit After a Benjamin 2NT Opening

Your partner opens 2NT, using Benjamin. How can you find a fit in the majors if you have: -
• five hearts and four spades or
• five spades and four hearts?

Click here for the solution.

Bidding, No. 5 - Cue Bidding

You have opened 1♥ and your partner has responded 3♥. What do you bid with the following hand?

 ♠ Kx         ♥ KQxx     ♦ AKxxx     ♣ Kx

Bidding, No. 6 - Suit Agreement After Partner Opens a Strong Two

Your partner opens a strong Acol 2♥. What do you respond with the following hand, and what do you then bid if partner bids 4NT simple Blackwood?

Bidding, No. 7 - A Stayman Sequence

If the bidding goes: -
 
1NT – 2♣ – 2♦ – 3♥ / 3♠, what do you understand by this bid?

Playing, No.1 - Playing to partner's NT lead with AQx or AJx

Playing fourth longest leads to no trump contracts, your partner leads the 5 of spades in a contract of 3NT and there are only small spades in dummy. Which card do you play with the following holding: -
1. AQx
2. AJx

Click here for the solution.

Playing, No.2 - Ace for Attitude, King for Kount

A very useful technique, widely used, is the A for Attitude, King for Kount technique. When partner leads the Ace or King, he is asking you: -
1. When the Ace is lead, partner wants to know if you have supporting honours in the suit, e.g. the King or the Queen. You should play a high card as encouragement and low card as discouragement – assuming you hold the cards to play. You may for example hold Q62, in which case you would play the 6. If partner is looking carefully, he will see that the 2 is missing and will recognise your 6 as a probable high card.
2. When the King is lead, he wants to know if you have an odd or even number of cards. You should play high with an even number of cards and low with an odd number of cards. Whilst this information is also being passed to declarer, experience has shown that its importance to your partner over-rides the information given to the opposition – if they see it!

Playing, No.3 - A promising Queen?

Your opponents are in a contract of 4♥ and your partner leads the A♦ or K♦ , it doesn't matter which.  What card do you play with the following hands?

1. Qx
2. QJ
3. QJx
4. QJxx

Playing, No.4 - Lead to partner's suit

You are on lead to an opponent’s contract and your partner has bid a suit during the auction, or doubled a suit as a lead-directing double. Which should you lead to his suit from the following cards: -

1. Q
2. 973
3. Q873
4. A4
5. J742
6. A752
7. 74
8. K73
9. J2
10. Q73

Playing, No.5 - Helping partner

                         North
♠ Q53  ♥ J7  ♦ QJ9743  ♣ 74
                                                                        East
                                                 ♠ A84  ♥ Q43  ♦ 852  ♣ QJ32

You are East, defending against South's 3NT. Partner's opening lead was a club, you played your Jack and declarer won with the King. Declarer leads the King of diamonds, your partner plays low - which card do you play?

Playing, No.6 - Playing in Teams

You are playing in the Swanmore Cup Teams of Four Knockout Competition.  How do you play the following three hands?

1. You are declarer South, in a vulnerable contract of 3NT and the two of clubs has been led.  You duck.  East plays the King and returns a club.

                                              North
                         ♠ xxx  ♥ xx  ♦ AKQxxx  ♣ Ax

                                              South
                         ♠ AQx  ♥ AKJxx  ♦ xx  ♣ xxx

2. You are declarer South, in a contract of 6 Clubs and a spade has been led. The opposition have not bid so you have no clues.   

                                               North
                          ♠ AQx  ♥ Axx  ♦ xxx  ♣ KQTx

                                               South
                          ♠ Kxx  ♥ xx  ♦ AQJ  ♣ A9xxx

3. You are declarer South, in a contract of 4 Spades and a club has been led.  You put up the King, which is taken by the Ace and a Club is returned. The opposition have not bid so you have no clues.
             
                                                North
                          ♠ AKTx  ♥ Axx  ♦ Axxx  ♣ Kx

                                                South
                          ♠ Qxxx  ♥ xxx  ♦ KQJx  ♣ Qx

Playing, No.7 - McKenny With a Ruff