Helpcard
1 - Sort your hand into suits
Sort your hand into suits and rank like the hand a little below...
2 - Count your hand points
Strength
Every ace = 4 points
Every king = 3 points
Every queen = 2 points
Every jack = 1 point
Length
Every 0 card suit = 4 points
Every 1 card suit = 2 points
Every 5 card suit = 1 point
Every 6 card suit = 2 points
Every 7 card suit = 3 points
etc.
The hand above* has 24 points. 1 ace = 4pts; 2 kings = 6pts; 2 queens = 4pts; 3 jacks = 3pts; 6 hearts = 2pts; 5 diamonds = 1 pt and no spades = 4 pts.
3 - Open the bidding
- If your hand count is less than 11 points - pass
- If your hand count is 11-17 points - bid your longest suit at the first possible level - if you have a balanced hand with at least 3 cards in each suit and no obvious best suit, bid no trumps.
- If your hand count is 18-24 points - same as above at the second possible level
- If your hand count is 25+ points - same as above at the third possible level
4 - Respond to your partner's bid
- If your hand count is less than 6 points - pass unless partner has indicated 25+ hand count points in which case you should bid at the first possible level
- If your hand count is 6-14 points - bid at the first possible level
- If your hand count is 15+ points - bid at the second possible level.
note: if you have two or more long suits with the same number of cards, bid the lower ranked suit
5 - Bid for Game
- count your combined partnership points
- select the best suit
- decide whether to go for game
- bid or pass
Average combined points required for game:
- Game in 3 no trumps (9 tricks), 4 spades (10 tricks) or 4 hearts (10 tricks) = 26 or more points
- Game in 5 diamonds (11 tricks) or 5 clubs (11 tricks) = 29 or more points
6 - Blackwood slam convention 4 no trumps and 5 no trumps
- If your partner responds 5 or 6 clubs - it says that they hold no aces/kings
- If your partner responds 5 or 6 diamonds - it says that they hold 1 ace/king
- If your partner responds 5 or 6 hearts - it says that they hold 2 aces/kings
- If your partner responds 5 or 6 spades - it says that they hold 3 aces/kings
Average combined points required for slam -
Slam - 6 of any suit = 33 or more points
Grand slam - 7 of any suit = 37 or more points
In a suit contract e.g. 1 spade or 3 hearts do not lead trumps but do lead in the below order:
- a singleton (one of a suit)
- the highest of your partner's bid suit
- if you have an ace and king of the same suit - lead the king
- if you have a king, queen and jack of the same suit - lead the king
- the highest card of a doubleton suit (two cards only held)
- the 4th highest of your longest and strongest suit
In a no trumps contract e,g, 1 no trump or 3 no trumps either:
- the highest of your partner's bid suit, or
- the 4th highest of your longest and strongest suit
8 - Play
Remember who bid what - If a player bid a suit, it is usually a good sign that they have at least 4 of that suit and at least 1 high card and 11 or more points. Remembering this during the play may help you make an extra trick now and again.
Plot the hand - Before playing your first card, work out in your head how you want this hand to go. How many winners do you have? How many and how will you find any extra tricks needed to win or defeat the contract?
Count the cards - As each trick is played keep a count of how many cards are left of each suit and remember which high cards are left.
9 - Score
Points are scored below the line for tricks bid and made whether doubled or not. All other points should be scored above the line. Points scored per suit:
No trumps 1st trick = 40 points, subsequent tricks = 30 points
Hearts and spades = 30 points per trick
Clubs and diamonds = 20 points per trick
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Undertricks
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1 down
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2 down
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3 down
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subsequent undertricks
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not vulnerable
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50
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100
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150
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50 per trick
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vulnerable
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100
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200
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300
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100 per trick
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doubled not vulnerable
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100
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300
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500
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300 per trick
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doubled vulnerable
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200
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500
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800
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300 per trick
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Bonuses
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Rubber Bonuses
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Points
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Winning a rubber 2-0
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700
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Winning a rubber 2-1
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500
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Overtricks
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Not vulnerable
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Vulnerable
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Not doubled
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Trick value
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Trick value
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Doubled
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100
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200
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Slam Bonuses
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not vulnerable
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vulnerable
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Small Slam (12 tricks)
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500
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750
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Grand Slam (13 tricks)
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1000
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1500
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Honours
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Points
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Holding 4 aces in no trumps
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150
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Holding 5 top trumps (A,K,Q,J,10)
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150
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Holding 4 out of 5 top trumps
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100
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Copyright © August 2013 Rols Sperling
Please e-mail Rols if you want to use any of the materials on this site.
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