| Much of the complexity in bridge arises
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| | The term 'preempt' (or pre-emptive bid)
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| from the difficulty of arriving at a good
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| | is used to signify a high level tactical
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| final contract in the auction. This is a
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| | bid by a weak hand, relying upon a long
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| difficult problem: the two players in a
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| | suit rather than high value cards for
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| partnership must try to communicate
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| | tricks. Pre-emptive bids serve a double
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| sufficient information about their hands
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| | purpose - they allow a player to indicate
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| to arrive at a makeable contract, but the
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| | they are bidding on the basis of a long
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| information they can exchange is
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| | suit in an otherwise weak hand, which is
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| restricted - information may only be
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| | important information to share, and also
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| passed by the calls made and later by the
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| | effectively raises the stakes before a
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| cards played, not by other means; and the
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| | possibly strong opposition can identify
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| agreed upon meaning of all information
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| | whether they have a good possibility to
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| passed must be available to the
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| | play the hand. Several systems include
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| opponents.
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| | bids on weak hands with 6 or 7 card suits
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| Since a partnership who have freedom to
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| | at the 2, 3 or even 4 level, as preempts.
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| bid gradually at leisure can exchange
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| | Basic natural systems
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| more information, and a partnership who
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| | As a rule, a natural suit bid indicates a
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| can interfere with their opponents
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| | holding or at least 4 (or more depending
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| bidding (or who raise the bidding level
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| | on the system) cards in that suit as an
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| rapidly) can cause difficulties for their
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| | opening bid (or a lesser number when
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| opponents, bidding systems are both
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| | supporting partner); a natural NT bid
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| informational, and also strategic. It is
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| | indicates a balanced hand.
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| this mixture of information exchange and
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| | Most systems use a count of high card
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| evaluation, deduction, and strategy that
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| | points as the basic evaluation of the
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| is at the heart of bidding in bridge.
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| | strength of a hand, refining this by
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| Bidding systems and conventions
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| | reference to shape and distribution if
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| A bidding system is the typical solution
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| | appropriate. Aces are counted as 4
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| to this problem: each player evaluates
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| | points, kings as 3, queens as 2, and
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| their hand and their best strategy, in
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| | jacks as 1 point; therefore, the deck
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| light of new information, and makes bids
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| | contains 40 points. In addition, the
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| to give or request information from their
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| | distribution of the cards in a hand into
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| partner with the goal of arriving at an
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| | suits may also contribute to the strength
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| ideal contract. A bidding system is
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| | of a hand and be counted as distribution
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| usually made up of a core system (such as
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| | points. A better than average hand,
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| Acol, Standard American or Precision
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| | containing 12 or 13 points, is usually
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| Club), modified and complemented by
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| | considered sufficient to open the
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| specific conventions (optional
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| | bidding, i.e. make the first bid in the
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| customisations incorporated into the main
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| | auction. A combination of two such hands
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| system for handling specific bidding
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| | (i.e. 25 or 26 points shared between
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| situations) which are pre-chosen between
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| | partners is often sufficient for a
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| the partners prior to playing. The line
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| | partnership to bid, and generally make,
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| between a well known convention, and a
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| | game in no trumps; more may be needed for
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| part of a system, is not always
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| | a suit game).
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| clear-cut, some bidding systems include
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| | In natural systems a one no trump (1NT)
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| specified conventions by default. Bidding
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| | opening bid usually reflects a hand that
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| systems can be divided into mainly
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| | has a relatively balanced shape (usually
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| natural systems such as Acol and Standard
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| | between 2 and 4 cards in each suit) and a
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| American, and mainly artificial systems
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| | limited number of high card points,
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| such as the Precision Club.
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| | somewhere between 12 and 18 (normally a 3
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| Bids are usually considered to be either
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| | point range e.g. 12-14, 15-17 or 16-18).
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| natural or conventional (artificial). A
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| | Opening bids of 3 or higher are
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| natural bid is one where the suit and
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| | preemptive (strategic) bids, i.e. bids
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| level bid is essentially passing the
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| | made with weak hands that especially
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| information "I have this suit for you",
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| | favor a particular suit, opened at a high
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| or in the case of a double "I want to
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| | level in order to frustrate the
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| raise the stakes as I don't think the
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| | opposition. A hand of ¦AK98742
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| opponents can make their contract". By
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| | ¦73 ¦42 ¦76 would
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| contrast, a conventional (artificial) bid
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| | be an ideal candidate for an opening bid
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| offers and/or asks for information by
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| | of 3¦, designed to make it
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| means of pre-agreed coded interpretations
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| | difficult for the opposing team to bid
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| in which some bids convey very specific
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| | and find their Optimum contract even if
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| information or requests which are not
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| | they have the bulk of the points.
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| part of the natural meaning of the bid.
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| | Openings at the 2 level may be unusually
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| Thus in response to 4NT, a 'natural' bid
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| | strong (2NT, natural, and 2C, artificial)
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| of 5D would state a preference towards a
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| | or preemptive depending on the system.
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| diamond suit or a desire to play the
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| | Unusually strong bids communicate an
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| contract in 5 diamonds, whereas if the
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| | especially high number of points
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| partners are including 'Blackwood' in
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| | (normally 20 or more) or a high trick
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| their system (a common convention), a bid
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| | taking potential (normally 8 or more).
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| of 5D in this situation would say nothing
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| | Opening bids at the one level are made
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| about the diamond suit; it would tell the
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| | with hands containing 12/13 points or
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| partner that the hand in question
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| | more which are not suitable for one of
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| contains exactly one ace.
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| | the preceding bids - with some systems
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| Conventions are valuable in bridge
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| | (e.g. Standard American or 5-card majors)
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| because of the need to pass information
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| | a major suit opening shows a 5-card suit
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| beyond the simple like or dislike of a
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| | (5-card major convention, in which an
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| named suit, and because the limited
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| | opening bid of 1¦ or 1¦
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| bidding space can be used more
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| | promises at least 5 cards in that suit.
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| efficiently by taking situations where a
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| | This leads to some awkward bids, for
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| given bid will have less utility and
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| | instance, when a player has four cards in
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| giving that bid an artificial meaning
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| | each major, and is forced to open the
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| that conveys more strategically useful
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| | bidding with 1 of a 3-card minor suit).
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| information. There are a very large
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| | Doubles are sometimes used in bidding
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| number of conventions that players often
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| | conventions. A natural, or penalty
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| choose from. Well known conventions
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| | double, is one used to try to gain extra
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| include Stayman (to ask for the show of
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| | points when the defenders are confident
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| any 4 card major suit in a 1NT opening
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| | of setting (defeating) the contract. The
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| hand), Jacoby Transfers (a strategic
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| | most common example of a conventional
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| request by the weak hand for the stronger
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| | double is the takeout double of a
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| partner to bid and play the game
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| | low-level suit bid, implying support for
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| instead), and Blackwood convention (to
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| | the unbid suits and asking partner to
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| ask for information on aces and kings in
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| | choose one of them.
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| a slam bidding situation).
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