August 1, 2024

Alan Ward, Bridge Convener

The Bridge group continues to meet on Tuesdays at 12.45 p.m. in the Friendship Room at Willowdale Emmanuel United Church, on the east side of Kenneth Avenue just north of Church Street. We are a social group and welcome new players, including rookies with little or no experience of the game. The RTO subsidizes the cost of renting the room, and we charge $2 per person to cover our part. On an average day, we have six tables and play until 3.30 p.m.

Why do we play bridge? The answer is primarily for social reasons. Some of us have been members of the group for over 20 years and began our teaching careers together almost 60 years ago, but most have joined us in the past 10 years. Bridge is not a difficult game to play, but playing well demands regular practice and a willingness to learn. The advantage of the RTO group is our willingness to introduce newcomers to the game, which regular clubs will not do. (We are also inexpensive!)

Weird and wonderful club bids

A player with 12-13 high card points is entitled to open the bidding at the 1-level. A bid of 1 heart or 1 spade promises the partner a 5-card suit. Failing this, a bid of 1 diamond promises at least 4 diamonds. How do we open a hand with 12-13 HCP containing 4 spades, 4 hearts, 3 diamonds and 2 clubs? Some players will make a bid of 1 club, others will bend the rules and bid 1 diamond. In more formal circles, after a 1 club bid, the opener’s partner will announce “could be short”. The 1 club bid is ambiguous: it could show as few as two clubs or even six or more: the only guarantee is 12-13 HCP and denial of length in the other three suits. A partner with 6 HCP or more will almost always respond rather than risk leaving the opener in a bad contract. With 19-20 HCP between them and the choice of the trump suit, the pair should be able to take 7 tricks. If the partner responds, a bid of 2 clubs by the opener shows a strong 5+ card suit.

Suppose a player opens with a 2 club bid. This is a demand bid. The partner must respond even with a Yarborough (a rare hand with no card higher than a 9, which happens on average once in 1827 hands). A 2 club bid does not promise a good club suit, but implies 23 or more HCP, only about 3 fewer than the 26 normally sufficient to make a “game”. A “waiting bid of 2D promises 0-7 HCP and allows the opener to bid again, showing their hand’s longest and strongest suit.

A rookie might expect a 3 club opening to be even stronger than a 2 club opening, but this is a weak preemptive bid, perhaps with only 6 HCP but 7 cards in clubs. The HCP would include AK, AQ, or QJ10 in the long suit. Bids of this type are intended to make the opponents’ bidding difficult and will often attract penalties, so they are best made when non-vulnerable. Opening bids of 2D, 2H, 2S, 3D, 3H and 3S are also preemptive. Any opening bid at the 4 or 5 level is preemptive, promising only 6-11 HCP but 8 or 9 of the bid suit. Partner will usually pass a preemptive bid.

These are not the only weird and wonderful club bids. After the partner opens with a 1 notrump bid, the responder may bid for 2 clubs, even with no clubs. This is the Stayman convention. Responder is promising 8+ HCP and at least one 4-card major and is looking for a major “fit”. (Not a seizure!) If the two hands have 25-26 HCP between them, it is usually possible to make a 3N or 4H/4S game. Where the responder’s hand has one or more short suits, the 4H/4S game may play better despite requiring one more trick to be made.

You still need to finish! You open 1N (15-17 HCP), and your partner responds 4C. Partner has a 15+ HCP hand of their own and is interested in the possibility of a slam, bidding and making 12 tricks. A 4C response is the Gerber convention, asking how many aces the opener possesses. A reply of 4D implies 0 or 4 (both unlikely), 4H shows 1 ace, 4S shows 2 aces, and 4N shows 3 aces. If the responder then bids 5C, it is a king ask. 5D is 0 or 4 kings, etc.

If you don’t understand the meaning of a bid, feel free to ask. Most of the bids in our group are standard and would not need to be alerted or explained in a Duplicate Bridge Club. However, we do not play to acquire Masterpoints but to have fun and help everyone enjoy a better game. We shall recommence our meetings on the second Tuesday of September.