| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors |
There are lots of different systems, but 12-14 1NT and 4-card majors is what I'd recommend for beginners.
1. It's more natural. If you bid 1♦, you have 4+ diamonds. Easy!
2. I like 12-14 1NT, because an opening 1NT is the best bid in bridge and this point range occurs frequently. You're describing your hand accurately in one bid.
What I'm going to describe here is just one common interpretation, chosen to be as simple as possible. There is no single correct system. Whatever you and your partner play is fine, if you understand each other.
NOTE: "points" are A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1. 10 points per suit, 40 points in the pack.
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- opening bids |
| Opening bid |
Meaning |
Comment |
| 1 suit |
Good hand |
STRENGTH: significantly better than average. 10 points is average, but occasionally you'll find a 10-count that's worth opening because it has great suits and great shape. 11-counts are sometimes worth it. Almost always open on 12+. CHOICE OF SUIT: usually your longest suit. If equal, choose the higher of two five-card suits. If you have four-card suits, bid a major if you can, otherwise choosing the lower of equals. 4441 HANDS: the middle of three touching suits, or the suit below the singleton. |
| 1NT |
12-14, balanced |
2-5 cards in every suit. (Maybe a bad six-card suit if the hand feels no-trumpy.) |
| 2♣ |
Huge, traditionally 23+ points |
Artificial, says nothing about clubs. |
| 2 of another suit |
Six-card suit, about 6-10 points |
Known as a Weak Two. Pre-emptive, usually with the objective of getting in the opponents' way. DON'T BID THIS IF: you also hold a four-card major on the side. (You and your partner too often miss your own best spot.) |
| 2NT |
20-22, balanced |
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| 3+ of any suit |
Pre-emptive |
Usually a bad hand but a very long suit, e.g. 7 at the three level, 8 at the four level. Partner will assume your hand is worth lots of tricks if you can choose trumps, but almost worthless if the opponents choose trumps instead! |
| 3NT |
A solid 7-card minor, e.g. AKQJxxx and not much outside |
Partner will flee to four of your minor if 3NT looks doomed. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- doubles |
| Meaning |
Situation |
Comment |
| Takeout, i.e. "please bid something, partner" |
The opponents have bid a suit or two and your partnership either: (a) hasn't said anything, or (b) has bid a suit at the one level and that's all, apart from pass. |
Applies both to opener and responder. If I open 1♠, the opponents overcall 2♥ and partner passes, a double from my hand is takeout (the same as it would have meant from partner). Symmetry makes it easier to remember. NOTE #1: if you want to double for penalties in this situation, pass and wait for partner to make a takeout double! NOTE #2: this applies to any level. Even if the opponents open 4♥ or 4♠, double is still takeout... ish. NOTE#3: doesn't apply if you could have made a takeout double earlier and didn't, with the exception of protecting in the pass-out seat. So, for instance, if the opponents slowly bid their way up to game and you double the final contract, this is probably for penalties since a hand that wanted to make a take-out double could have spoken earlier. |
| Penalties, i.e. "for blood" |
All other situations. 1NT openings, pre-empts, etc. |
Experts play takeout doubles in some of these situations, but knowing which situation is which is often one of the most difficult areas of their systems! |
| Lead-directing, i.e. "we might beat this contract if you make the right lead, partner". |
The opponents' 3NT and slam contracts. That's all. (Although doubles of conventional bids like Stayman, transfers, Fourth Suit Forcing, etc. are also lead-directing, as is a double of the opponents' third-bid suit.) |
DOUBLING 3NT: tells partner to lead: (a) a suit bid by the defence, (b) dummy's first-bid suit, (c) spades. In that order. Partner should lead (a) if possible, then if not (b), etc. DOUBLING A FREELY BID SLAM: is called Lightner and says "I can ruff something". |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- conventions |
| Bid |
Meaning |
Comments |
| 4NT |
Blackwood |
TRADITIONALLY: 5♣ = 0/4 aces, 5♦ = 1, 5♦ = 2, 5♠ = 3. RKCB: the trump king is a 5th "ace", so 5♣ = 0/3, 5♦ = 1/4, 5♥ = 2/5 without the trump queen, ♠5 = 2/5 with the trump queen. Bidding the next non-trump suit over 5♣ or 5♦ asks about the trump queen. NOTE: some people use different RKCB responses... but if you haven't agreed anything, assume what's here by default. |
| Fourth Suit Forcing |
Forcing and artificial, just says "keep bidding, more information" |
e.g. 1♥ 2♣ 2♦ 2♠ is Fourth Suit Forcing, because it's unlikely that you'll want to play there! It's just a noise, saying "keep bidding". NOTE: doesn't apply at the one level. 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ is natural. |
| Unusual 2NT overcall |
5-5 or better in the lowest 2 unbid suits |
e.g. the opponents open 1♠ and you overcall the Unusual 2NT, showing 5-5 in clubs and diamonds. |
| Michaels |
5-5 or better in the majors, or in the other major and a minor |
e.g. the opponents open 1♠ and you overcall 2♠, showing 5-5 in hearts and a minor. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to 1 of a suit opening |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
Absolute garbage |
0-3 points, maximum. Personally, I often reply on even weaker hands (especially non-vulnerable). Opener could be very, very strong... and even if not, you don't want to raise a white flag to the opponents saying "this hand belongs to you". |
| Raise partner's suit to 2 |
4 trumps, weak |
Might have only 3 trumps if you're weak and your only alternatives look even worse. |
| Raise partner's suit to 3 |
4 trumps, intermediate |
Partner will assume about 10 points. Could stretch it with the right hand, e.g. good side suits + singletons. |
| Raise partner's suit to game |
4+ trumps, probably pre-emptive |
Trying to shut out the opponents. If you had a strong hand, you'd take it slowly by responding in a new suit (even if you were telling a white lie) just to hear partner's rebid and learn more about their hand. |
| 1 of a new suit |
4+ of your suit |
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| 1NT |
Dustbin response |
Doesn't promise a no-trumpy hand! Instead, it's the dustbin bid for all hands too strong to pass but unsuitable for any other response. |
| 2 of a new suit |
4+ of your suit, 10+ points |
You need 10+ points because you're forcing partner to rebid at the 2 level. NOTE: the specific sequence 1♠ 2♥ shows five hearts, because if you have a 4-4 heart fit then partner's about to rebid 2♥ him/herself anyway. |
| Jump in a new suit |
Long, strong suit, 17+ points |
...or at least that's the old-fashioned meaning of the bid! It's great when it comes up, but that's not often. Here are some alternatives, if your partner agrees. ALTERNATIVE #1: the same as a Weak Two, i.e. 6-10 points and a six-card suit. ALTERNATIVE #2: fit-jump, showing 4-card support for partner's trumps and a good side suit (5+ cards) that you're jumping in. It's like a 2-and-a-half raise that sometimes lets partner bid miracle games on hands that fit well. |
| 2NT |
balanced, 10-ish points |
Natural, partner can pass. |
| Double jump in a new suit, e.g. 1♥ 4♣ |
Splinter |
Shows a singleton in your jump suit and a trump fit with partner's suit. Game forcing and (if partner has the right hand) slam invitational. |
| Redouble after double |
10-ish points |
If the opponents double and you redouble, you're saying you have a good hand and you're interested in doubling them for penalties. |
| Raise or jump raise of opener's suit after double |
A level higher than you'd have bid normally |
If the opponents have doubled, they want to contest the auction. Make it harder for them! |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to 1NT opening |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
To play |
Completely different from 1-of-a-suit responses. You could have anything up to 10 points. |
| 2♣ |
Stayman |
Asking partner about the majors. They'll bid one if they have one, or 2♦ if they don't. |
| 2♦, 2♥ |
Transfer |
Showing 5 of the next suit up (♥ and ♠ respectively). Partner will obediently bid 2 of that suit, after which you can pass, bid a new suit (forcing), bid some number of no-trumps to give partner a choice of contracts, etc. NOTE: if holding a suitable hand with 4+ support for your 5-card suit, partner can break the transfer by jumping to 3 of them, instead of just 2. |
| 2NT |
11 or so |
Invitational. Partner can either pass if minimum or bid 3NT if maximum. |
| 3NT |
To play |
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| Other suit bids |
All sorts of agreements |
In practice, most players don't use these bids! OPTION #1: lots of transfers, i.e. 2♠ is a transfer to clubs and 3♣ is a transfer to diamonds. OPTION #2: splinters, i.e. 1NT 3♠ is strong and game-forcing with a spade singleton, letting partner decide what spot looks best. OPTION #3: a jump to 3 of a suit is strong and forcing with a big suit, which would probably be the default meaning if you haven't agreed anything more specific. NOTE: important to know whether 1NT 4♥ is natural and to play (i.e. with hearts) or a transfer to 4♠! If you haven't agreed anything specific with partner, it's not a transfer. |
| If partner's 1NT is doubled for penalties |
All sorts of agreements |
I'd suggest redouble = for blood (we can start doubling them!), immediate suit bid = your lowest 4-card suit, pass = shows a five-card suit and partner will keep the auction alive with a bid that you'll either pass or correct. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to 2C opening |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
Temporary insanity |
NOT PERMITTED. Partner has picked up the moon and stars, and hasn't promised any clubs at all. In fact, the 2♣ opening is game forcing in all auctions except 2♣ 2♦ (negative) 2NT (23-24 balanced) pass (no points at all) |
| 2♦ |
Negative |
Couldn't bid a positive. Artificial, doesn't promise diamonds. |
| Higher new suit |
5+ of suit, 8-ish points |
Positive = 8+ points (or an ace and a king) |
| Jump in a new suit |
6+ of suit, bad hand |
Big, useful suit but a bad hand, too weak for a positive |
| 2NT |
8-11, balanced |
Probably looking for slam. |
| 3NT |
12-14, balanced |
Probably looking for grand slam. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to a Weak Two |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
To play |
No further ambitions. |
| Raise |
Continuing the pre-empt |
Could be any hand that wants to make the opposition's life harder. |
| Jump to game |
To play |
No one knows what you have. Strong and expecting to make the contract? A load of garbage that's just trying to shut out the opponents? Could be either. |
| New suit |
Strong, natural |
100% forcing if the opponents are silent, but merely competitive if they're bidding. |
| 2NT |
Ogust |
Artificial and asking for information. OPENER'S REBID: 3♣ bad points bad suit, 3♦ bad points good suit, 3♥ good points bad suit, 3♠ good points good suit, 3NT solid suit. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to 2NT opening |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
To play |
Can't have more than 3 points. |
| 3♣ |
Stayman |
Asks about majors, exactly like 1NT 2♣, and the responses work the same. OPTIONAL VARIANT: some people play 5-card Stayman, after which 3♦ shows a four-card major, while 3♥ or 3♠ show five. The continuations are a little fiddly, though. |
| 3♦, 3♥ |
Transfer |
Shows five hearts or spades, respectively. |
| 3NT |
To play |
Anything from 3 points upwards. |
| 4NT |
10-11 points |
Partner will pass if minimum and bid 6NT if maximum. |
| Other bids |
Whatever you like |
Different people play different things. Making 3♠ and 4♣ transfers to clubs and diamonds respectively would seem reasonable, but for the time being I'd suggest making everything else natural. |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to pre-empts |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
To play |
Not getting involved |
| New suit |
Strong, natural |
100% forcing if below game and the opponents are silent, but it's only competitive if the opponents are bidding. |
| Anything else |
Whatever you like |
Pre-empts are an agent of chaos. Keep up the good work! |
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| Weak 1NT and 4-card majors -- replying to Gambling 3NT |
| Response |
Meaning |
Comment |
| Pass |
To play |
Let's give it a go! |
| 4♣ |
Yikes |
3NT looks like a disaster. Opener will either pass or correct to 4♦, depending on which suit (s)he holds. |
| Anything else |
Natural |
Whatever you like |
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