Lesson 13 of 17
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105 – Vulnerability

105

Vulnerable or Not-Vulnerable

Vulnerability is a system of varying the scoring in a bridge game and with each hand in duplicate bridge the North-South partnership and the East-West partnership are designated as either vulnerable or not vulnerable and this is assigned by a label on the bridge board or on the bidding pad (in computer bridge)
Learn Bridge Online – What is Vulnerability?
Being vulnerable increases bonuses when you make a contract and conversely increases the penalties for going light in your contract.  Vulnerability also affects strategies for a partnership bidding and play. Partnerships tend to be more cautious when they are Vulnerable and take more risks when they are not-vulnerable

Vulnerability:

Going Light Contract (undertricks)
If your contract goes down 1 trick (known as going light) and you are  not-vulnerable (not vul) your opponents earn 50 points per trick that you are taken light.

Being vulnerable (vul) and going light earns your opponents double the points so they earn +100 points (which means -100 for your side). 

Partnerships should be careful about overbidding when vulnerable and they can take more risks when they are not-vulnerable.


Bidding & Making your contract

If you are not vulnerable (not vul) and bid and make “game” contract you will score a bonus of 250 points as well as the extra points for each trick won.

If you are vulnerable (vul) and bid and make “game” you will be awarded a bonus of 450 points as well as additional points for all the tricks you won.

Non-Vulnerable (not-vul) Under tricks penalties:

Down 1 = -50 points
Down 2 = -100 points
Down 3 = -150 points
Down 4 = -200 points

Vulnerable (vul) Under tricks penalty

Down 1 = -100 points
Down 2 = -200 points
Down 3 = -300 points
Down 4 = -400 points

Doubling

Doubling adds extra bonuses or penalties whether you are vulnerable or not, the difference is the amount of points you or the opposition are awarded.

You are doubled for penalties and you make your contract with overtricks!

Sometimes the partnership doubling for penalties gets it all wrong and the declarer not only makes the contract they make it with overtricks. For these overtricks when doubled massive amounts of bonus points are earned.
For each doubled overtrick, non vulnerable = 100 points
For each doubled overtrick, vulnerable = 200 points

How to determine which pair/s are Vulnerable or Not Vulnerable

All players are vulnerable

West, North, East and South are all Vulnerable (red )


No positions are vulnerable

All positions  are Not-Vulnerable (grey)


North and South are vulnerable

North & South are Vulnerable; East & West are Non-Vulnerable


West and East are vulnerable

West & East are Vulnerable; North & South are Non-Vulnerable


Exercise: Play the game and see how the vulnerability affects the scores awarded.




Instant Progress Quiz – Check the correct answer



  False

  True






Responses

  1. Not sure my P would understand me throwing a game to lower the opponents score without conferring which is impossible to do at a bridge table. Great theory but I wouldn’t go there !

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.