Lesson 9 - Bidding for game

Your partner has bid at the first possible level so you know that they have 6-14 points.

Add this to your points and you get a combined partnership point count of 19-27 points

In lesson 15 - scoring, you will hear more about how you get rewarded for bidding in the higher ranked suits. Best of all is no trumps.

No trumps = 40 points for the first trick bid and made and 30 points each for any overtricks

Don't worry about what this means yet but bidding no trumps is your best option wherever it is possible. You are not particularly encouraged in the bridge starter system to open or respond in no trumps. But once those bids have been made - always think no trumps first. It scores more.

To bid no trumps in the bridge starter system you should have at least one high card in each suit or be sure that partner has cover in your weak suit or suits.

If you don't have the right hand for no trumps then you should try and make a contract in hearts and spades as they score more than clubs or diamonds. The final option is clubs or diamonds which are also good but score less.

In this hand, no trumps is definitely a possibility as you have high cards and can expect to win a trick in each suit at least. Bidding no trumps will also tell your partner that you have cover in each suit.

If your partner is not keen on no trumps, they can bid diamonds again or another suit or pass.

It is important to see if making game is possible in each bridge hand. Bridge gives you a big bonus score for making game.

To make game in one hand, you will need to bid at least 3 no trumps, 4 spades, 4 hearts, 5 diamonds or 5 clubs. The reasons for this will become clearer in lesson 15, but believe me, making game is worth a lot of points.

You will need a strong hand count, in other words lots of points, between you and your partner to make game. The below shows how many hand count points on average your partnership will need to have a fair chance of making 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

If you don't think that you have enough partnership points for game, you should pass at the earliest good opportunity. If you think you have enough points, find out your partnership's best combined suit and bid for game in it.

You have 19-27 combined points

If you were to go for game it is likely to be in either spades or no trumps each of which requires 26 points
If partner has an above average hand, game is possible

4 - Bid or pass

Now you need to add up all that knowledge and decide whether to take the bidding further.

Remember the bidding so far. You bid 1 spade and your partner responded 2 diamonds. Your opponents have passed.

It is unlikely but possible that your partner has enough points to help you make game. You have 3 good and allowable calls:

pass - you have support for diamonds and you should make 8 tricks
2 no trumps - your partner can either pass or bid another suit or bid 3 no trumps for game with sufficient hand count
2 spades - a second bid of a suit usually shows at least 5 cards in that suit

If you bid 2 no trumps, I would suggest that your partner should bid 3 no trumps for game

If you bid 2 spades I would suggest that your partner bid 2 no trumps. You would then be stuck in a fifty-fifty call whether to go for game. Experience will help you to make those fifty-fifty calls more confidently and help you forgive yourself when you get them wrong.

So what does that all mean?

Have a go at the quiz and practice your bidding skills. It really doesn't matter if you get most, or even all of the questions wrong. Just go back and do them again.

Lesson 9 - Bidding for game - 10 mins