60Second Bridge
60Second Bridge
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015-019: Absolute Beginners - Play and Learn

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  1. 015 - Bridge Game - An Overview
  2. 016 - Features in Our Bridge Lessons
  3. 017 - Play Your Second Bridge Game With Us
  4. 018 - How to Place a Bid
  5. 019 - Play Your Third Game of Bridge
018

Computer Bridge and making bids

Bidding is the most complex part of Bridge with a large number of rules. However in 60 SecondBridge you will be able to see bidding hints and follow those hints until you have studied the lessons and learned the necessary rules for each bid. By making extensive use of the hints at the beginning, you’ll be able to be up and playing Bridge very quickly. Then over time you’ll learn the bidding rules and be less reliant on the hints.

Watch this Video on using the bidding hints in 60SecondBridge

*Has audio ... turn your sound on

The purpose of bidding

The bidding involves knowing how high to bid with the hand you and your partner have altogether. Bidding is how you communicate the strength of your hand to your partner. Of course your opposition understand the strength of your hand from you and your partner’s bids as well, you are not allowed to have a private bidding system with your partner, you always need to have your partner able to describe what your bid means. The purpose of the bidding is to estimate how many rounds you and your partner could win together if they get the contract by making the highest bid followed by three passes (called winning the auction).

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NOTE: The minimum number of tricks you can bid for is 6. The first six winning tricks are assumed and the number you bid is added to this basic six tricks. A bid of 1D or 1H or 1S or 1NT means you need to win at least 7 tricks. eg. A bid of 2D or 2H or 2S means you must win at least 8 tricks.

Three different methods of recording the bidding

The bidding in a game could be written like this:

1. Your partner North starts the bidding with 1 Heart  (1H).
2. East overcalls  with 1 Spades (1S).
3. South (South (Jillee or You)) bids 2 Clubs (2C)
4. West overcalls (bids) 2 Spades (2S)
5. North bids  3 Clubs (3C)
6. East raises his over-calling partners bid to 3 Spades (3S)
7. South (Jillee or you) bids 3 NoTrumps  (3NT)
8. West  rebids  4 Spades (4S)
9. You (South or Jillee) bid  5 Clubs  (5C)
East, Jillee(You) and North then all ‘Pass’ (P) so the bidding is over and the ‘Contract’ is 5 Clubs.

But the above description is very long and wordy, so below is a shorter form of the same bidding...

WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH
1H1S2C
2S3C3S3NT
4S5CP (pass)P (pass)
P (pass)

Here is the same bidding as it appears in the bidding pad...

The highest bid at the end of the bidding is called the ‘Contract’. In this example North-South have the 5 Club (5C) Contract and must win 11 ‘Tricks’ (rounds).



Instant Progress Quiz - Check the correct answer


  False 1.

  True

Play a game of Bridge

  1. You Pass on your first turn to bid (10 points isn’t enough to open the bidding).
  2. North your partner opens the bidding with 1C
  3. East overcalls 1D
  4. You bid 1S
  5. Partner bids 2NT
  6. You bid 3NT
  7. Three consecutive Passes and you are playing yours and partner’s hands
Play

Did you make 11 tricks? – If you did well done you

Glossary

the highest bid at the end of the bidding (after 3 consecutive passes)

is when a player chooses to make no bid – they can re-enter the bidding at any time before the bidding finishes

writing or entering the bid which you think describes your hand best

when the other side have started the bidding and you want to make a bid it is called overcalling and the noun is ‘overcaller’

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The Acol Bidding System

*If you live in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand Acol is the most widespread system Acol has the following characteristics:
  • It is a natural system: most opening bids, responses and rebids are made with at least 4 cards in the suit bid, and most no trump bids are made with balanced hands.
  • It is a four-card major system: only four-card suits are required to open 1♠ or 1♥, unlike Standard American and many other systems where five-card suits are typically required.
  • It makes extensive use of limit bids: limit bids describe the hand so closely, in terms of high card points (HCP) and shape, that the one who makes the limit bid is expected to pass on the next round, unless partner makes a forcing bid.
  • Understanding and correct use of limit bids and forcing bids is fundamental to applying the system: all no trump bids below the level of 4NT are limit bids, as are all suit bids that merely repeat a suit already bid by the partnership; changes of suit may be forcing or not depending on the approach bids.
  • The level of the 1NT opening bid influences other bids: the normal choice is between a “weak no trump” (12–14 HCP) and a “strong no trump” (15–17 HCP).
  • All 1 of a suit opening bids then promise at least 4 cards in the bid suit
  • Notrump follow-up conventions include Stayman, Jacoby transfers Blackwood and Gerber Convention.
Change my Settings to Acol