Page 87 - Learn Bridge Ver2_Neat

the combined hands (yours and partner’s).
There are three possible answers -
1. No. This occurs when you hold between 0 and 10 points. If this is
true we pass now.
2. Maybe. With 11 points we should make game if partner is a
maximum. So we need a bid that says, “Partner, please bid game if
you have a better hand than you might have”. That bid is 2NT.
Notice that we don’t bid 2NT just because we think that partner
will make it. You score the same for making 1NT with an
overtrick as you do for making 2NT.
3. Yes. Bid 3NT. Later there will be supplementary questions but
that is enough for now.
Hand 1 Dealer North
Í A K Bidding -North South
Some examples are necessary. Ì Q 8 7 1NT 3NT
Ë J 8 7 5 Pass
Example 1. Ê K 7 3 2 13 points

South
The hand shows an easy
Í J 10 8 6
principle of bidding. When Ì A J 6
responding to an opening bid, if Ë Q 10 14 points
you too have an opening, bid game Ê A Q 10 4
as it is normally on. Here we have
14 points and partner has opened 1NT. We have a balanced hand and so
we bid game in notrump. 3NT here is a ‘statement’ bid and the opening
bidder must not advance.
Hand 2 Dealer East
West Bidding - West East
Í 7 5 2 - 1NT
Example 2.
Ì Q 9 7 Pass
Ë 6 5 4
After partner opens 1NT, West Ê A K 9 4 9 points
can see that no game is on and
passes. With 9 points partner may East
Í A J 8 4
well make 8 tricks but there is no
Ì A J 6 2
advantage in bidding 2NT and it
Ë A 8 2
would be a ‘question bid’ asking Ê 7 2 14 points
partner to bid game with a
maximum.

73