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