B
ridge On One Page
Bidding Targets (Rough Guide)
After you and your partner have gone through the initial sequence of an opening bid and a reply, thereafter further bidding depends to a large extent on the rough guide to bidding targets. The table below gives the relationship between the joint value of the hands held by yourself and your partner, and the bidding level you should end up at. For instance, if you hold 15 points and your partner holds 11 points, giving a joint value of 26 points, then for a suit contract the appropriate level is 4 (e.g. 4 Spades), and for a no trumps contract, the appropriate level is 3 (i.e. 3 No Trumps).
This is particularly important when trying to do a game bid. A game bid is 3 No Trumps, 4 of a major suit (hearts or spades), and 5 of a minor suit (clubs or diamonds).
Bidding targets (rough guide) :
|
Points : |
20-21 |
22-23 |
24-25 |
25-27 |
28-31 |
32-36 |
37-40 |
|
Tricks (suit) : |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
Tricks (No Trumps) : |
1 |
1/2 |
2/3 |
3 |
4/5 |
5/6 |
7 |
Example
Here you have 2 kings, 2 queens, a jack, a singleton, giving you 13 points.
Suppose that you opened the bidding with 1 Heart. Consider your next response after various replies from your partner :
- Partner's reply is 2 Clubs or 2 Diamonds - your partner has indicated 10 to 12 points, so jointly you have at least 23 points. In this case, bid 2 Hearts, keeping at the 2 level for now. If your partner has 12 points, he or she can subsequently take the bidding to game, as your partner knows that jointly you have at least 25 points.
(Note that you should only repeat your hearts if you have at least 5 of them).
- Partner's reply is 2 Hearts - your partner has made a weak response, indicating 6 to 9 points. Your response is 'no bid' or 'pass', as you may jointly only have 19 points !
- Partner's reply is 1 Spade - your partner may have anything from 6 to 12 points (giving 19 to 25 points jointly). You don't know what the appropriate level you want to end up is, so keep the bidding low at this stage by bidding 1 No Trump. This tells your partner that you only have about 13 points, and that you have cover in clubs, diamonds and hearts. Your partner then has the information needed to decide on the best contract.
- Partner's reply is 2 Spades - your partner has indicated length in spades and at least 13 points, so bid 3 No Trumps. Jointly you have at least 25 points and cover in all suits, so you have the information to go for a game bid.
- Partner's reply is 3 Clubs or 3 Diamonds - your partner has indicated length in clubs or diamonds, and at least 13 points. In this case, bid 3 Hearts, showing your partner that you have 5 cards in hearts. You cannot go to a game bid in clubs or hearts (5 Clubs or 5 Diamonds), as jointly you may only have 26 points, and you require 28 points. So you repeat the hearts in the hope that your partner may have some spades or some hearts support, and you can get to a game contract more easily in no trumps or hearts.
- Partner's reply is 2 No Trumps or 3 Hearts - your partner has indicated 10 to 12 points (giving you jointly perhaps 23 points). A game bid of 3 No Trumps or 4 Hearts would be risky, being 1 level higher than you perhaps should be - discretion would tell you to respond with 'no bid'.
Notes
- If you already have some points towards game, you may wish to terminate the bidding at a lower level than the bidding targets would allow you to go. This should give you an easy contract.
- If your partner has 17 or more points, once the suit you want to end up in has been established, it is up to your partner to initiate a slam bidding sequence, as only he or she knows that you have sufficient points to do this.