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 (rather than 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 usually have at least 12-13 points

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 at least 2 quick tricks and a good suit. (See "Evaluating your opening bid" below.)

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 choose to 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 and give partner some information about your suit lengths. 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 (high-card points) 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 an opening 1C or 1D bid.

Always choose a 1H or 1S opening if you have 5 or more cards in the major suit. If you cannot open 1H or 1S, choose 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. You may choose to open with 11 or 12 points (even 10 points) if your hand has a good combination of the following requirements:

(1) Your hand has two or more quick tricks. Quick tricks are strong honor holdings that offer "sure" tricks:

A or KQ = 1 Quick Trick

King = 1/2 Quick Trick

AQ = 1 1/2 Quick Tricks

AK = 2 Quick Tricks

Stretch to open a hand that has at least 2 1/2 quick tricks. If you are light on high-card points, avoid opening a hand that has fewer than 2 quick tricks.

♠A1043 ♥1096 ♦AK92 ♣43 -- Open 1D. This is "only" 11 points, but it has three prime quick tricks.

♠Q86 ♥AQ1073 ♦KJ76 ♣4 -- Open 1H. Just two quick tricks, but good playing strength.

♠QJ6 ♥K72 ♦Q43 ♣A753 -- Pass. This is a "soft" hand with only 1 1/2 quick tricks (Ace=1, K=1/2).

(2) You have good suit quality. Your honors and high "spot" cards (10s and 9s) are in your long suits rather than your short suits.

♠AQJ103 ♥86 ♦A1042 ♣32 -- Open 1S.

♠A2 ♥KJ ♦Q763 ♣Q8743 -- Pass.

(3) You'll have an easy, descriptive rebid after partner responds. These are usually hands that have a 6+-card suit or length in two suits.

♠10 ♥KQJ85 ♦765 ♣AJ103 -- Open 1H. If partner doesn't raise hearts, you plan to show your second suit by rebidding 2C.

♠AJ5 ♥3 ♦KQJ1085 ♣643 -- Open 1D. You plan to rebid 2D 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 trump contract instead of notrump.

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

♠4 ♥K43 ♦AJ93 ♣K9543 -- Pass. You'll have an awkward rebid if partner responds 1S.

(5) You're vulnerable. It may be safer to open a vulnerable 1-bid than to overcall later, especially if you have a fairly weak suit.

♠7 ♥K98754 ♦A102 ♣KJ3 -- Open 1H. If you pass and your opponent opens 1S, it will be risky to try to show your suit at the 2-level.

♠Void ♥KJ10843 ♦A102 ♣J643 -- Pass. This hand is too weak to open a 1-bid and too strong for a weak 3-bid. You can describe it better by passing now and overcalling later.

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 passed):

Be more willing to open light. You should stretch to open a hand of just 10-11 points if:

You have a strong suit -- one you want partner to lead if you defend.

♠KQ1093 ♥J4 ♦A75 ♣983 -- Open 1S and pass partner's response.

You can safely pass any suit partner responds.

♠KJ3 ♥10976 ♦J104 ♣AQ5 -- Open 1C and pass partner's response. Partner has already passed, so the most he can have is around 11 points. Since you know you don't have the combined points for a game, there's no reason to keep the auction open for him.