Standard American Bidding (5-Card Major System) by Karen Walker
Point Count: Ace = 4 points King = 3 points Queen = 2 points Jack = 1 point Total points in the deck = 40
Suit Rank (lowest to highest): Minors: ♣ Clubs ♦ Diamonds Majors: ♥ Hearts ♠ Spades Notrump
A good trump suit: A "fit" of 8 or more cards in one suit, combined in your two hands in any way (4-4, 5-3, 6-2, etc.).
First choice: A major (hearts or spades) if you have at least an 8-card fit.
Second choice: Notrump if you have balanced strength and no fit in a major suit.
Third choice: A minor (clubs or diamonds) if you have at least an 8-card fit and unbalanced strength.
Contract requirements -- What you and your partner need in your two hands to make these contracts:
Suit partscore (bid of 1, 2 or 3 in any suit) -- 18-24 points and at least an 8-card trump fit.
Notrump partscore (bid of 1NT or 2NT) -- 20-24 points and preferably no 8-card major-suit fit.
Major-suit game (4H, 4S) -- 25+ points and at least an 8-card fit. (Game and slam contracts pay a scoring bonus.)
Minor-suit game (5C,5D) -- 29+ points and at least an 8-card fit.
Notrump game (3NT) -- 25+ points and preferably no 8-card major-suit fit.
Small slam (any bid of 6) -- 33+ points
Grand slam (any bid of 7) -- 36+ points and all four aces.
These contract guidelines apply when you have relatively balanced hands. If you have a strong trump fit, long side suits and/or unusual distribution, you'll need fewer points to make these contracts.
Hand Evaluation
Distribution Points (for SUIT contracts only)
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Add 1 point for a doubleton (2-card suit).
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Add 2 points for a singleton (1-card suit).
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Add 3 points for a void (no cards in a suit).
- Add 1 point for each "extra" trump (see "Suit Length & Strength" below).
Count only high-card points for short suits with "unprotected" honors (K, Qx).
Count full distribution points for short suits with quick tricks (A, Ax, Kx, AK).
DON'T add in your distribution points until you know you have a trump fit.
Suit Length & Strength
- Your hand goes "up" in value if you have:
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One or two long suits (5+ cards) instead of 4-card suits.
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High "spot" cards (10s & 9s) in your long suits. These intermediate cards solidify your suit and often win the second or third tricks in a suit.
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Extra trumps. If you have greater length than promised in your agreed trump suit, you'll often take one more trick for each extra trump your side holds. Add in 1 distribution point if you hold enough trumps to guarantee a 9-card fit (for example, if partner opens 1H and you have a 4-card raise). Add in 2 distribution points if you know you have a 10-card fit.
Honor Combinations and Positions
The ultimate value of your honors will depend on the "fillers" partner has. In general, though, you'll win more tricks with hands that have:
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Touching honor combinations. A hand such as ♠KJ32 ♥AJ54 ♦AQ ♣Q107 is 17 points, but it's impossible to determine the real value of your king, queens and jacks.
The same 17 points is much stronger if the honors are more concentrated. Change the hand to ♠AKQJ ♥AQJ10 ♦54 ♣765 and it's 7 "sure" tricks because the honors are working together.
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Honors in your long suits. High honors in your long suits help turn the suit's small cards into tricks. A holding of KQJ is only two tricks, but KQJxx will often be four tricks. AK is two tricks, but AKxxxx will usually bring in five or six tricks (assuming partner holds xx or xxx in the suit).
- Honors with positional strength. Use the bidding to pick up clues about whether or not your honors are located in a good position. If your right-hand opponent opens 1S, your ♠KJx (over his presumed ♠AQ10xx) is likely to be one or two tricks. But if your left-hand opponent bids spades, your ♠KJx may not take any tricks.
When evaluating your hand for a suit contract, don't give full value to your lower honors (queens and jacks) if they're in a suit the opponents have bid. Holdings such as Qxx, Jxxx and QJx aren't likely to help partner and may take tricks only if you're defending the opponents' contract.
AT THE TABLE
You open 1D and partner responds 1H. What is your rebid?
- ♠AK54 ♥Q862 ♦AQJ103 ♣Void
- 4H. A "normal" 16-point hand would be worth an invitational raise to 3H, but you have a strong side suit and good distributional values here. Adding in 3 points for the void, your hand is worth 19 points in support of hearts, raise partner to game in his suit immediately.
- ♠AQJ ♥4 ♦AJ7652 ♣KJ3
- 2D. Your choice is between 2D, showing 13-15 points, and 3D, showing 16-18 points. With your poor suit and a singleton in partner's suit, your best choice is probably the underbid of 2D. If partner invites game, you can accept -- and be happy to contribute more than promised instead of less.
- ♠Void ♥J106 ♦AK1084 ♣AKQ93
- 3C. Your good suits and 3-card support for partner make this hand worth a jump-shift to force to game. You may be able to raise hearts later if partner shows more than 4. If he had instead bid 1S, you should rebid only 2C to keep the bidding low until you find a fit.
You open 1S and partner responds 2S. What is your rebid?
- ♠KJ10973 ♥6 ♦AJ98 ♣A4
- 3D. This hand has minimum point-count, but once you find the spade fit, it's worth 17 points -- 13 points in high cards, plus 2 points for the singleton, 1 point for the doubleton and 1 point for the extra trump (partner promised at least 3-card support, so you know you have at least 9 trumps). Your 3D bid is a game-try bid that shows your second suit and invites partner to bid 4S if he has help in diamonds.
- ♠KJ1094 ♥K6 ♦KQ4 ♣AJ9
- 2NT. You need general high-card strength from partner to make 4S, so show your balanced hand with a game-try bid of 2NT. Partner will return to 3S with a minimum response or bid 4S with a maximum (8-10 points).
Partner opens 1C, you respond 1H and partner raises to 2H. What is your rebid?
- ♠KJ5 ♥Q642 ♦KJ3 ♣J54
- Pass. With most 11-point hands, you would want to invite game, but this one has such poor trick-taking potential that your best choice is pass. The weak trumps, no aces and flat distribution all make your hand drop in value.
- ♠7 ♥KQ1074 ♦1092 ♣A975
- 4H. You could invite game by bidding only 3H (or making a game-try bid of 3C), but partner will pass with many minimum hands that could easily take 10 tricks. Your extra trump and the singleton make this hand worth at least 12 points, and the fit in partner's club suit makes it even more powerful.
Rules for Opener (the first player to make a bid other than Pass)
Your first bid: Always open the bidding at the 1-level if you have at least 13 points You may open a hand of 11 or 12 points if you have a long suit, distributional strength and/or good quick tricks.
The meanings of your opening bids are:
1NT = Exactly 15-17 points and balanced distribution (at least 2-3 cards in every suit). Balanced distributions are 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2.
1H or 1S = 13-21 points and at least 5 cards in your suit.
1C or 1D = 13-21 points and at least 3 cards in your suit. Choose your longer minor. If you have two 3-card minors, open 1C to keep the bidding low.
This is called a convenient minor -- it tells partner you have opening points, but your hand doesn't meet the requirements for an opening bid of 1H, 1S or 1NT.
2NT = Exactly 20-22 points and balanced distribution.
2C = Artificial bid that starts the description of a very strong hand (22-23+ points). Partner must respond.
2D, 2H or 2S = A weak two-bid -- 5-9 points with a good 6-card suit.
3 of a suit = A weak hand (5-9 points) with a long, strong suit (7 cards).
If you have two 5-card suits, open the higher-ranking suit, then rebid the lower-ranking suit (if you have 5 clubs and 5 diamonds, open 1D and bid clubs at your next turn). This allows partner to choose between your two suits without raising the level of the bidding.
Your second bid (called a rebid), A rebid is made after partner responds to your opening bid.
A new suit (1C - 1H - 1S) -- At least 4 cards in the suit, 13+ points.
Simple rebid of your first suit (1C - 1H - 2C) -- Extra length (usually a 6+ cards) and a minimum (13-15 points). To show a stronger hand with a long suit, you can jump-rebid your suit -- 1C - 1H - 3C.
Single raise of partner's suit (1C - 1H - 2H) -- 4 cards in the suit partner responded and a minimum (13-15 points). To show a stronger hand with a fit, you can jump-raise his suit -- 1C - 1H - 3H or 4H.
Notrump (1C - 1H - 1NT) -- A balanced minimum opener (13-14 points) WITHOUT 4 cards in partner's suit and without a new 4-card suit you could bid at the 1-level. To show a stronger balanced hand, you can open 1NT (with 15-17 points). To show a very strong balanced hand (19 points), open a suit bid and then jump in notrump -- 1C - 1H - 2NT.
As Opener, if you have fewer than 16 points, DON'T go to the 2-level unless:
1 - You're raising partner's suit (to confirm a trump fit (1D - 1S - 2S); or
2 - You're rebidding your own extra-long suit (1D - 1S - 2D); or
3 - You're showing a second suit (4 cards or longer) that is lower in rank than your first suit (1D - 1S - 2C).
Rules for Responder (after your partner opens the bidding):
Respond to partner's opening bid if you have 6 points or more.
If partner opens 1H or 1S and you have 3-card support -- Always raise to confirm the 8-card trump fit.
If partner opens 1C or 1D and you have a 4+-card major -- Always respond 1 of your major.
If you have two 4-card majors, respond the cheaper major to keep the bidding low.
If you have fewer than 10 points, DON'T go to the 2-level unless you're raising partner's suit (to confirm a trump fit) or rebidding your own extra-long suit.
With some unbalanced hands, you'll have to respond 1NT to keep the bidding low.
Your first response (after partner opens one of a suit):
1 of a new suit (1C by partner - 1H by you) = At least 4 cards in your suit and at least 6 points.
2 of a new minor (non-jump) (1H - 2D) = A 4+-card suit and at least 10-11 points.
2 of a new major (non-jump: the auction 1S - 2H) = A 5+-card suit and at least 10-11 points.
Single raise of partner's major (1S - 2S) = At least 3 cards in partner's suit and 6-10 playing points To show a stronger hand with support, make a jump-raise -- 1S - 3S or 1S - 4S.
Single raise of partner's minor (1D - 2D) = At least 4-5 cards in partner's suit, 6-10 points and no 4+-card major suit. To show a stronger hand with support, make a jump-raise -- 1D - 3D.
Notrump (1S - 1NT) = Weak (6-10 points) with no support for partner's suit and no suit you can bid at the 1-level. To show a stronger balanced hand, jump in notrump -- 1S - 2NT or 1S - 3NT.
Jump in a new suit (1S- 3C) = Very strong (18-19+ points) and a long, strong suit. This is a jump-shift.
As Opener OR Responder, you are showing your point-count range any time you:
1 - Open or rebid notrump -- 1C - 1NT 1C - 1S - 1NT 1S - 2H - 2NT
2 - Raise partner's suit (to confirm that you have an 8-card fit) -- 1H - 2H 1C - 1H - 2H 1C - 1H - 1S - 2S
3 - Rebid your own long suit -- 1D - 1S - 2D 1H - 1S - 1NT - 3S
The level you choose for these bids shows whether you have a minimum, invitational or forcing point-count range.
Rules for Overcaller (after an opponent opens the bidding)
1-level suit overcall (1H by left-hand opponent - 1S by you) = 10+ points with a good 5+-card suit.
2-level, non-jump suit overcall (1H - 2D) = 12+ points with a strong suit
Jump overcall (1H - 3C) = Weak hand (5-9 points) with a long, strong suit (6+ cards).
1NT (1H - 1NT) = 15-17 points (some play 15-18) with balanced distribution and stoppers in the opponent's suit.
Double (1H - DBL) = 12+ points, shortness in the opponent's suit, 3+ cards in all unbid suits. This is called a takeout double because it asks partner to take it out of the auction by bidding his longest suit.
Bidding when opponents interfere
Takeout Double: If opponents overcall your opening and you have no good suit or NT bid, double to show general strength and a desire for partner to bid their best suit, often with a takeout double.
Negative Doubles: After a 1-level suit overcall, a double by the responder shows values and support for unbid suits (like Spades after 1♥ (1♠)).
Cue-Bidding: Bidding the opponent's suit (e.g., 2♦ over 1♥ (1♦)) shows support for your partner's suit and is forcing, sometimes indicating a strong hand or game interest.
New Suit Bids: Bidding a new suit at the 1-level is natural and forcing for one round (e.g., 1♥ (1♠) 2♣).
No Trump (NT) Bids: A 1NT bid shows stoppers in the enemy suit and 7-10 HCP (in some systems).
Support Rebids: When it's your turn to rebid after partner's response and interference, try to make your standard rebid if possible; otherwise, pass or consider a penalty double.
Jump Raises: A jump raise (e.g., 1♥ (1♠) 3♥) is often weak (limit raise) in modern systems, showing trumps and few points, while cue-bidding the opponent's suit shows a strong raise.
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