Repeating Bids: Bridge Convention

Partnership (Repeating Bids)

In golf , you must have a repeating golf swing. In other words, your swing must be the same each time so that different clubs result in pre-determined distances the golf ball travels. The fact that your golf swing repeats means that you can trust it time after time to deliver the golf ball accurate distances.

In Bridge, an analogy to your golf swing is your bidding. Your bidding must repeat so that an element of trust is built between yourself and your partner. By having your bids “repeat” each time eliminates ambiguity. Partner takes your bid “to the bank” so accuracy is achieved in reaching your contract. In other words, the golf ball travels the same distance each time. Reaching the correct contract means that both sides have described their own hands as accurately as possible.

You get a reputation in Bridge as being wild “off the tees”. Your golf ball can go anywhere. Sometimes it is down the fairway but more often it is in the woods or a water hazard. In past articles, We have discussed the effects of “bad swinging” i.e. undisciplined opening bids, responses, overcalls, doubles, pre-empts and respecting vulnerability. This lack of discipline destroys trust and the partnership aspect of Bridge is eliminated.

However, discipline is more than that. Your bids must repeat. You cannot open 1 and rebid 2 on a 5 or 6 card suit and then do the same the next time on an 8 card suit. You cannot make a 2/1 on a 5 card suit one time and a 3 card suit the next time and have partner read it properly. You cannot play canapé one time with 13 HCP and a 4-5 by bidding your 4 card major first. Your bids are not repeating and become meaningless. You cannot pass 10 HCP after partner's takeout double one time and bid the next time with 10 as your pass is not repeating. You are introducing ambiguity. How is partner to know the difference?

Here is a Tormentee in action. You have Qx Axx xx AKJ10x so what do you bid after a takeout double? Reason this way. A 2 bid can show zero HCP’s as partner forced you to bid with a double. A 3 jump bid was invented to show the takeout doubler that you do not have zero to 8 HCP but an invitational hand 9-12 HCP. A cuebid shows hands 13 HCP and above as with partner's 13 HCP for the double you are in the game range of 26 HCP. The Tormentee with 14 HCP and a nice suit bid 3, the same bid she would have made with 9 HCP (too strong to bid 2). Bridge bidding is a language. How is partner supposed to read that one time you may have 9 HCP and the next time 14 HCP with the same bid.

Same Tormentee, who held KQxxx Q AQxx Jxx who opened 1 in 1st seat. Her LHO doubled, partner passed and her RHO bid 2. Why would you ever want to freely bid 2 to describe to partner that you barely have an opener. What if you had a nice 5-5 in spades and diamonds? Would you not like to reserve a 2 bid to show that hand? Your bids must repeat. You cannot bid 2 with this hand and 2 with a nice 5-5 the next time as how is partner to know the difference? A pass was invented to show a hand that you have nothing more to say.

You have void KJxxx AKQxx Axx and the auction goes 1 to your right. You play Michaels weak or strong so you bid Michaels. Partner bids 3 so you carry on to 4. Partner has 9 unannounced HCP’s so she bid KCB so you get to +1430 in hearts. Say you hold x KJxxxAQJ10x Ax. A nice 15 HCP. You cannot Michaels and single handedly force this hand to game. Partner may just have made a forced 3 bid which could have been on nothing. You make a takeout double and let partner have some input to the final contract. You need help from partner to make game, so let her have some say in the matter. In other words, make sure your strong Michaels bid “repeats itself” each and every time.

You play weak 5-5’s in the blacks by opening 1 initially. You have this hand AKxxx xx x Kxxxx so you open 1. Partner bids 2 and they bid 3 so now what? Resist the urge to bid freely at the 3 level. You pass and partner doubles. Now you bid 3 and partner gets a clear picture of your hand as a weak 5-5 and bids 3NT which makes for +630. If you had a better hand AKxxx x xx KQxxx you can bid 3 freely and you get to your cold +1370. In other words, your bid has repeated. You have what partner would reasonably expect for a free bid at the 3 level. You do not bid a good hand and a bad hand the same way. Discipline is quite often resisting the urge to bid if you do not have a bid that describes your hand to partner. Bridge is not played in a vacuum nor is it a single handed pastime like poker.

Here is an example of not “playing the vulnerability “. You have Jxxx Kxxx x AQ10x and you are vulnerable vs not. They open 1 so do you make a takeout double? You would if the vulnerability was different but you want your vulnerable vs not takeout doubles to repeat. In other words, be trusted by partner. A Tormentee’s partner doubled and they ended up in their best spot 2 doubled for –500 and of course a zero. What if you had a real vulnerable takeout double the next time? How is partner to know the difference? Partners give each other leeway from time to time but no leeway is given on this vulnerability.

Playing the vulnerability properly is bidding discipline. When you are vulnerable vs not, you do not operate. Your bids should “repeat” vulnerable and always be sound. Qxxx Q Axxx Q10xx and you are vulnerable, they are not. You are a passed hand, LHO opens 1 and RHO bids 1 so do you back in vulnerable not? If your 10 HCPs were concentrated in your two suits, why not?

QJxx x AQxxxxxx is not a bad hand for a disciplined vulnerable bid. If you have more distribution, HCP’s do not need to total 10. Passed hand takeout doubles are not just having the right shape with 10 HCP’s. Your points should be concentrated in your two suits, controls or excessive distribution. The hand above resulted in –800 and the opponents were probably going to play the hand in a heart partial!

You have bought into the importance of the hand evaluation concept of quick tricks for your opening bids and other Bridge decisions like doubles. This is a good thing. You hold AK xxx 10xxx AJxx 1st seat vulnerable in an IMPS match. You only have a balanced 12 count so do you open?

You use your hand evaluation skills to promote or demote hands for an opening bid. 13 HCP’s can be demoted to a non opener due to lack of quick tricks and distribution. Hands under 13 HCP can get promoted to opening bid status due to quick tricks and good distribution. The Tormentee did not notice her quick tricks so when her HCP total was only 12, she passed! You have 3 quick tricks for defense so of course you open. You want your opening bids to repeat showing your quick tricks every time. You will pass a flat 12 if you lack quick tricks but how can partner ever play you for passing 3 quick tricks? Partner’s judgment is thrown off by your lack of discipline. Your opening bids are not repeating so they are becoming ambiguous. The Tormentee passed, partner opens 1 in 3rd seat so you bid Drury. Partner signs off in 2unsuspecting that you passed 3 quick tricks. You have shown your heart fit already and your HCP’s already with Drury but you have not yet shown your balanced distribution. You bid 2NT to give partner a picture of your hand and suggest an alternative contract of 2NT with your bad hearts. Partner may have opened on a 4 card heart suit in 3th seat. Partner carries on to 3NT with her balanced hand and you get rewarded with +600 as only 9 tricks were available. The Tormentee instead bid 3 an ambiguous bid repeating what she just said with her Drury bid and not giving any new information to partner. Partner passed for a -12 IMP loss and the match.

Partner opens 1 in 4th seat. You have A10x J109xx K10x xx so what is your bid? You want to be disciplined and have your bids repeat. A 2 bid shows 3 card support with a hand under a limit raise. This hand is all controls with 5 trump which evaluates to at least 10 HCP. You cannot bid 2 as your bids are not repeating. You would make the same bid with 3 card support with the same HCP’s. You bid Drury so partner bids a baby slam making 7.