1. Bridge Lessons - Intermediate NYU Bridge and Spades Club

2. Practice Scenarios for Lessons 9-11 Responding to 1M and 2C Openers and Searching for Slams

3. Practice Scenario 1 What should the bidding sequence look like? Opener’s hand: Responder’s hand: S: Axx S: x H: AQxxxx H: KTxx D: Qx D: AKx C: Ax C: Kxxxx

4. Answer to Scenario 1 Opener opens 1H Responder bids 3S (splinter bid) showing 4+ hearts and singleton/void in spades Opener rebids 4C (cue bid) showing 1st or 2nd round control in clubs Responder rebids 4D (cue bid) Opener rebids 4NT (RKC or Blackwood… up to you) Responder bids 5H for RKC or 5D for blackwood Opener places the partnership in 6H

5. Practice Scenario 2 You open 1S on 3rd seat and partner bids 2C (2-way drury). What do you bid? What if partner bid 2D (2-way drury)? S: KQxxxx H: Axx D: x C: Txx

6. Answer to Scenario 2 After 2C, you have an easy rebid of 2D to show you opened by rule of 18. After 2D, I would argue for a straight 4S bid. In general, the law of total tricks suggests that a 10+ spade fit will result in a hand that can take 10 tricks. The law states that the total number of tricks available on a deal is equal to the total number of trump cards both sides hold. It’s not a law per se, but works quite well when HCPs are evenly distributed and when hands are shapely.

7. Practice Scenario 3 What should the bidding sequence look like? Opener’s hand: Responder’s hand: S: AKQx S: xxx H: AQxx H: Jxxx D: KQx D: Axx C: Ax C: KQx

8. Answer to Scenario 3 Obviously opener should bid 2C. School of thought 1: natural bids Method 1: 2C – 2H (4+ hearts, 8+ points) – 4NT (RKC or Blackwood) – 5C (1430) or 5D (0314 or Blackwood) – 6H Method 2: 2C – 2NT (8+ points, no 5+ card suit) – 6NT (opener may choose to show a 4-card major instead)

9. Answer to Scenario 3 School of Thought 2: Transfers will have a little problem here. The best bidding sequence will probably be: 2C – 3NT – 6NT School of Thought 3: Kokish relays 2C – 2D (3+ points) – 2NT (22-24 points balanced) – 3C (puppet stayman) – 3D (at least 1 4-card major) – 3S (4+ hearts) – 4H – 6H (may want to check key cards/aces first, but no real point after 2C opener holding 10 points)

10. Practice Scenario 4 What should the bidding sequence look like? Opener’s hand: Responder’s hand: S: Ax S: xx H: Axxxxx H: KTxx D: x D: xxx C: AQxx C: Kxxx

11. Answer to Scenario 4 Opener bids 1H Responder bids 2H (6-9 points, 3+ hearts) Opener bids 2S as an artificial game try Responder bids 3C to show a club feature Opener knows there’s probably a decent secondary fit and 4H is probably the right contract