Beginning bridge: Opening One-Bids

After the cards are dealt (13 to each player), the bidding begins with the dealer and progresses clockwise around the table. The first person to make a bid (instead of a Pass) is the opening bidder.

An opening bid tells partner you want to name the final contract. You'll want to have a better-than-average hand to send this message. You can determine your hand's strength by counting its high-card points. To do this, you mentally assign points for each of the high honors in your hand:

Ace = 4 points

King = 3 points

Queen = 2 points

Jack = 1 points

There are 40 points in the entire deck, so an “average” hand would be 10 points To make a one-level opening bid, your hand should have at least 12-13 points.

For purposes of scoring, the four suits are grouped into two categories:

The two higher-ranking suits (♥ Hearts & ♠ Spades) are called major suits. You'll earn a higher score if you can name one of these suits as trumps.

The two lower-ranking suits (♣ Clubs & ♦ Diamonds) are called minor suits.

Major-suit and notrump contracts score higher than minor-suit contracts.

Should I open?

Always open the bidding if your hand counts up to 13 points or more.

You may open with only 11-12 points if you have a good suit.

If you’re in third position after two passes, you can open with 11 points if you have a good suit.

Pass with all other hands. You may bid later.

Which suit?

The suit you choose for your first bid isn’t necessarily the one that will be trumps, or even the one you want to be trumps. An opening bid is meant only to get the bidding started. It asks partner to tell you something about his strength and suit length so you can both make a decision on what the final contract should be.

Every opening bid has a simple, specific meaning. It tells partner about your minimum strength and whether or not you hold five or more cards in a major suit (hearts or spades). Your opening one-bids -- in the order you should consider them -- and their exact meanings are:

1NT = Exactly 15 to 17 high-card points and balanced distribution (your 13 cards are divided 4-3-3-3 or 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 or 5-4-2-2).

1H or 1S = 12+ points and at least 5 cards in the bid suit.

1C or 1D = 12+ points and NO 5-card major. You may have only 3 cards in your suit for this opening bid.

A 1C or 1D opener is sometimes called a "convenient minor" because it's designed just to start the auction at a low level, not to show a real (long) suit. It tells partner what you don't hold -- a long major, a 1NT opener -- and gives him room to show his suits.

If you have 5 or more cards in hearts or spades: Always choose a 1H or 1S opening bid.
If you cannot open 1H or 1S: Open your longer minor, even though you may hold only 3 cards (and/or no honors) in the suit.
If you have two 3-card minors: Open 1C to keep the bidding low.

Evaluating your opening bid

You should open virtually all hands that have 13 or more high-card points and most hands that have 12 points. You may choose to open with 10 or 11 points if your hand has good playing strength.

In general, your hand offers more strength if it has:

(1) Quick tricks -- More high honors (aces and kings) than low honors (queens and jacks) and honors that are concentrated in the same suits.

♠A1043 ♥1086 ♦AK732 ♣3 -- Open 1D. This is "only" 11 points, but it has two good suits and the Ace and Ace-King combination offer three sure tricks.

♠Q64 ♥Q832 ♦K42 ♣AJ5 -- Pass. This is a "soft" hand because the honors are spread out. The only sure trick is the ♣A.

♠654 ♥KQ82 ♦843 ♣AQJ -- Open 1C. This is a stronger 12 points because the honors work together to build tricks. You have at least one sure heart trick and at least two sure club tricks.

(2) Good suit quality. Your honors and high "spot" cards are in your long suits rather than your short suits.

♠AKJ103 ♥832 ♦4 ♣K762 -- Open 1S.

♠97643 ♥AJ3 ♦K ♣K762 -- Pass. Your long suit is very weak and the ♦K may be worthless.

(3) You have a suit of 6+ cards or a two-suited hand (at least 5-4 in two suits). These hands are easy to describe if you get a second chance to bid.

♠5 ♥QJ1085 ♦1065 ♣AKJ3 -- Open 1H. You plan to rebid 2C if partner doesn't raise hearts.

♠AJ5 ♥3 ♦KQJ1085 ♣863 -- Open 1D. You plan to bid your diamonds again over any response from partner.

(4) You have length and strength in the majors. This gives you an easy rebid and makes it more likely that you'll play in a higher-scoring major-suit contract.

♠K1072 ♥AJ93 ♦4 ♣K954 -- Open 1C. If partner responds 1D, you can bid 1H at your second turn. If he instead responds 1H or 1S, you can raise to 2 of his suit.

♠4 ♥QJ3 ♦KJ53 ♣KJ743 -- Pass. You'll have an awkward rebid if partner responds 1S.

A RULE TO REMEMBER: If you decide your hand is worth an opening bid, stay with the courage of your conviction. Don't "lie" later just to make up for your thin high-card points. Treat your hand as a "real" opener, especially if you find a trump fit.

If you're in third seat (partner has already passed):

Partner has fewer than 11-12 high-card points, so unless you have a strong opening bid, you know your side doesn't have enough for the game bonus. In these situations, be more willing to open light, planning to "get in and get out" of the auction and find a low partscore. You can stretch to open a hand of just 10-11 points if:

You have a strong suit -- one you want partner to lead if the opponents bid and declare.

♠KQ1093 ♥84 ♦A75 ♣J93 -- Open 1S.

You can safely pass any suit partner responds.

♠KJ3 ♥10876 ♦J104 ♣AQ7 -- Open 1C and pass partner's response.