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FIRST THURSDAY LESSONS BY ROD
February Bridge Lesson – Very Helpful Hints
As the bidding progresses, you should re-evaluate your hand:
Honors in partner’s suit are worth a little more
Honors in long suits are worth a little more than in short suits
Multiple honors in a suit are worth more the single honors
Honors in suit your RHO bids are worth more (less if in LHO)
Hands with no A can be downgraded. (also, most flat hands)
If partner bids your void, your void should be downgraded.
If partner bids or supports a suit you like, voids are very good.
When playing a hand, it often helps to play a loser on a loser.
The first to start playing a non-trump suit tends to lose a trick.
Do not give declarer a rough and a sluff – it normally helps them.
Watch opponents discards to see if your long suit can be run.
In a competitive auction, consider the Law of Total Tricks.
It says you should bid to the level of the combined number of trumps. If you have a combined 10 total trump, you may bid to the 4 level. With 9 total trump, you may bid to the 3 level, etc. If you have a reasonable number of points, it will likely make.
Critical bidding hint – the invite to game! If your partner has shown 6-10 points by supporting your opening bid (like 1S – pass – 2S by partner), do not assume he has 10 and bid 4S unless you have at least 19 points. Instead, invite partner by bidding 3S. If partner is at or near the top of his 6-10 range, he can go to 4S. Otherwise, he will pass 3S. Partner is now in charge!
BASIC BIDDING LESSON (related to NMF) - MARCH
This situation seems to happen often. You have the following:
S Kxx H Axx D KJxxx C J9 and you open 1D,
LHO passes, your partner bids 1S, and RHO passes
Do not support partner’s S with only 3 (support with 4+)
Instead, bid 1NT to ask partner if he has 4 or 5 S
Partners responses, if no interference:
Pass with 4 S and less than 10 points (key point)
Bid 2C (New Minor Force) with 5 S and 10+ points
If you do not play NMF, bid 2N with 10+ points
Or bid 2S with 5+ S and 8-10 points
Or bid 3 or 4 S with 5+ and 10+ points
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Example – You have: S Axx H Q10xxx D Jx C Axx
Partner opens 1C (minor) RHO pass 1H (major) by you LHO pass
Your partner now bids 1NT (says he does not have 4 of a major)
If you have less than 10 points, pass partners 1NT!
With 10+ points and 5H, your bid of 2D is NMF (artificial bid)
It asks if partner can support your H, as you have only shown 4
If you do not play New Minor Force, you have options:
If you have 10+ points with 6H, bid 2H (or bid 2N, if only 5H)
Consider bidding 3H if, 13+ points and 6H
April Lesson – Bidding your Hand
- You hold: S AK1085 H 6 D KQ109 5 C Q5 (pretty nice hand)
You open 1S, pass, 2C (2/1 or SA), pass. What is your bid and why?
You bid ____ and partner bids 3C. What does that mean? Your bid?
You bid ____ and partner bids 4D. What does that mean? Your bid?
- You hold: S K6 H 9743 D K10964 C 53 (only 6 point hand)
West opens 1C, partner bids 1S, opponent bids 2H. Your bid?
You can upgrade the S K, but still too weak to bid, so Pass
West now bids 3H, your partner bids 4D, and opponent bids 4H.
What do you know about everyone’s hand and what do you bid?
LESSON FOR MAY 2026 – JACOBY 2NT
This convention is verry useful to potentially got to a slam contract.
Over a 1H or 1S opener by partner, a 2NT bid shows the following:
At least 4 cards in opener’s suit (never just 3), 12+ HCP, and no singleton or void (unless singleton ace).
Some good hands (16-18 pts) to bid 2NT over partners 1S opener:
S AQ75 H KJ53 D 832 C AQ2
S KJ732 H AQ2 D KQ5 C J4
S KQ976 H A D J42 C KQ972
S KQJ6 H A D KQ8 C 7542 (great slam possibility)
Now, when opener has a void or singleton (not an A), opener can bid the singleton or void and let you decide if that is helpful. H? D? C?
Note: Having honors in partner’s void/singleton are not worth too much.
If your hand had 3 or more losers in that suit, you could try for slam.
What if opener bid S and you have: S AQ75 H KJ75 D A74 2 C A5
You bid 2NT and partner says 3NT saying no void or singleton.
If you bid 4NT now, and partner responds with 5H (2 key cards and no Q of spades), you know partner has K of Spades and Ace of Hearts. It is a good try for slam at 6S with possibly only 30 HCP.
If opener has 6S or a flat hand (no second suit), he can just bid 4S and the bidding ends.
If opener has a good second suit, he should bid that suit. It does not mean he does not have a void or singleton – that can be covered later with a Q Bid.
BRIDGE LESSON – OPENING FLAT HANDS (June 2026)
An accurate description of your balanced opening hand makes it easy for your partner to know how to proceed in the auction.
Here are 3 balanced hands with 13 HCPs and 4-3-3-3 distribution.
You open 1C on all 3 hands and the opponent passes!
Hand 1 – S Jxx H AQx D KJx C Qxxx
If partner bids 1D, 1J, or 1S, your bid is 1NT
If partner bids 1NT you should pass
Hand 2 - S Jxxx H AQ x D KJx C Qxx
If partner bids 1D or 1H, you can bid 1S (showing 4)
If partner bids 2C (showing 5), you should probably pass
If partner bids 1S, you can bid 2S (a rather weak bid)
Hand 3 – S Jxx H AQxx D KJx C Qxx
If partner bids 1D, you can bid 1H (showing 4, not strong)
If partner bids 1H, you should bid 2H (showing 4, not strong)
If partner bids 1S, you should bid 1N
If partner bids 1NT, you should pass.
JULY LESSON – PLAYING A DIFFICULT HAND
The order in which we play our suits can determine whether or not we end up successful or not! In this hand the bidding is automatic.
South opens 2NT and North bids 6NT. No need to waste time!
Dealer South Partner North
S AK8 S QJ3 Possible 3 losers – wow!
H A42 H KJ3 How did we get so high?
D A64 D QJ52 Need to play hand well!
C KQ43 C A72 Lead is S10
First, we need to count our quick winners (9). Then we need to decide the best way to get 3 more tricks. Generally, we want to go for the suit with most extra tricks (D). Leading the DQ is wrong!
After playing the DA, lead a small D to the QJ and hope for the best.
If this play only gets you 2 extra tricks, you need C to break 3-3, or the H finesse in order to make your contract. Which should you try?
I would go with the C first. If it does not break, then try the finesse.
As the bidding progresses, you should re-evaluate your hand:
Honors in partner’s suit are worth a little more
Honors in long suits are worth a little more than in short suits
Multiple honors in a suit are worth more the single honors
Honors in suit your RHO bids are worth more (less if in LHO)
Hands with no A can be downgraded. (also, most flat hands)
If partner bids your void, your void should be downgraded.
AUGUST LESSON – PRE-EMPTS IN 4TH SEAT
Dlr. South S QJ8
Vul – E-W H AJ 52
D J765
C 42
S K432 N S A105
H Q1086 W E H 94
D K92 S D 3
C Q3 C AKJ10965
S 976
H 94
D AQ1084
C 87
BIDDING: P P P 1C 1D DBL (takeout) 3D (clever) ???
WHAT IF E OPENED 3C (instead of 1C)?
KEY POINT: 4th seat preempts should show a strong hand
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BONUS: You are south with this hand and East opens 1H.
S KJ83 H K3 D QJ C A9852 What is your bid?
SEPTEMBER - Lesson on Special Redouble
This is one of my favorite bids and has a lot of possibilities.
Partner opens a suit at the one level and immediately the opponent doubles partner’s one bid. If you have at least 10 points and may or may not have support for your partner’s suit, so you REDOUBLE!
You will get another bid because opponents can rarely leave it in!
First situation is that opponent passes. Now partner can either bid showing you something important, or pass and let you show him something important, like raising his suit or making another bid.
Second situation is that opponent does not pass and makes a bid. Now your partner can double, rebid his suit, bid a second suit, bid NT, or pass.
You have an advantage, having at least 22 points in this hand.
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