We had a great turnout and a great time at the Bridge Club last Saturday when 55 to 60 avid bridge players saw three hours and 15 minutes fly by in learning about and discussing their favourite game. The topic was “How to Win at Bridge” and from the feedback I received both on and after the day, it appears that people got a lot out of it.

I think I got through about 75 per cent of what I wanted to cover and in the next few days will make the notes available with expanded commentary where appropriate – stay tuned.

Two of the areas I did cover during the talk were “Conventions” and “Suit Combinations” and both garnered a lot of interest – so here they are with some expanded explanations.

Conventions

Must Have

Stayman: learn how to use it – 2c promises a major – don’t bid it to gain comfort in a major suit where you have shortage, as partner will not know that!

Weak twos and threes pre-emptive bids: for either of these pre-empts, most of your points must be in your suit or partner cannot judge whether to bid, defend or sacrifice.

Double by partner of interference over preeempts is penalties, eg 2S (3H) DBL.

Over weak twos 2NT by partner asks for a feature – singleton or King outside the main suit.

Over three level pre-empts – new suit by partner is forcing – opener either supports the suit or rebids 3NT. Going past 3N is not an option – partner will then decide the final contract.

Gambling 3NT: an opening bid of 3NT shows a solid seven-card minor – nothing outside. Responder passes or bids 4C clubs and opener can correct.

Roman Key Card Blackwood: 1430 or 0314 – Queen showing – if you have supported with five small, show the Queen.

What does 5NT mean after response to 4NT? Asking for number of Kings – 5NT confirms that the side have all five key cards.

Fourth suit game force: usually asks for a stopper in that suit – forcing to game or four level in the minors.

Michaels – use with care

RHO opens 1H (1S) – 2H (2S) shows the other major and a minor.

RHO Opens 1C (1D) – 2C (2D) shows the majors.

Often gives away too much information – vulnerability is a big factor.

Unusual no trump: RHO opens a suit – a jump by you to 2NT shows the minors or two lower unbidden suits

Jacoby 2NT: over major opening shows four-card support 13 plus HCP – opener jumps to 4 major with a minimum – bids 3NT with a middling hand – bids three of the major with a 16-19 hand – bids another suit at three level with singleton or void – new suit at four level show a good second suit and probably 5-4-2-2.

Negative doubles: shows the other suits – double of a major suit overcall nearly always shows the other major.

Long suit game tries: very useful as it also allows a pre-emptive raise.

After 1H (1S) – 2H (2S) by partner – a new suit by opener asks partner to bid game if they have help (honours or shortage) in that suit.

So after one major - two major a bid of three major by opener is pre-emptive and designed to block the opponents from entering the bidding.

Should have?

Flannery: opening bid of 2D shows 4/5 in spades/hearts opening hand – subsequent bidding – responder asks with 2NT, opener bids 3D with 4-5-3-1, bids three clubs with 4-5-1-3. Bids 3H with 4-5-2-2 minimum and bids 3S with 4-5-2-2 maximum. Bids 3NT 4522 honours in both doubletons.

Bid of 2H/2S by responder – to play.

Unassuming cue bid: doesn’t promise anything asks partner for stopper or further hand description.

Lebensohl after interference over 1NT: play the simple version – if there is one!

Splinter bids: you open one major and partner jumps to the four level in another suit (or bids 3S over 1H) – shows four-card trump support, 12 plus HCP and a singleton in the jumped suit – play it only with singleton – rule of 28, if you think you have 28 points outside the splinter suit (or 24 points outside if you have the Ace of the splinter suit) you should be in slam.

Bergen Raises: not really compatible with 2/1 – use carefully – I actually like using them only by a passed hand.

Maybe?

Forcing stayman: my favourite system and, for me, way superior to transfers

Support Doubles: useful if used well, sometimes leads to confusion. Most common sequence – you open 1D – partner bids 1H- RHO bids 1S – DBL by you shows a balanced hand with three-card heart support.

Suit combinations

AQxx xxxx

AQxxx xxx

These two are the same – you have at least one loser in this suit no mater how the opposing cards lie so you must try and avoid two losers. Cash the Ace first (yes!), come to hand and lead towards the Queen. If LHO plays low make a guess on whether to play the Queen or (a bit better) duck in dummy playing RHO to have started with Kx.

AQxxxxxxx

You can win all the tricks if LHO has Kx so take the finesse.

AQ10xxxxx

Lead low to the ten on the first round, repeat the finesse if it loses to the Jack.

AQ10xx xxx

Same as above

AQxx Jxxx

LHO can have Kx so lead low to the Queen

AJxx Qxxx

Same thing, lead low to the Jack

K10xxQ9xx

Lead low towards the King or Queen and whether it wins or loses finesse the Jack coming back

Qxxx Kxxx

You can only avoid two losers if one opponent has Ax and you guess which one. Lead through that hand to the honour and then play another round of the suit and duck all round.

AKJxxxxxx

Probably play for the drop with no other information – “eight ever, nine never” for the finesse.

AxxxxQJx

Again, you have at least one loser so start by leading a low one towards the QJx. This will result in only one loser if LHO started with K109x.

K10xQxx

If you are trying to lose only one trick in this suit, lead a low one to the ten, hoping LHO has the Jack.

Some simple odds to remember

Chance of a finesse working – 50 per cent

Chance of any one of two finesses working – 75 per cent

If the opponents have an even number of cards, the odds are 66 per cent that the suit will break badly- eg 2/0, 3/1, 4/2

If the opponents have an odd number of cards, the odds are heavily in favour of them breaking evenly e.g. 2/1, 3/2, 4/3

So, based on the above if you have a choice between a finesse (50 per cent) ar a suit breaking 3-3 (34 per cent) you would go for the finesse.

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, March 31

North/South

1. William Pollett-Magda Farag

2. Peter Donnellan-Joseph Wakefield

3. Tony Saunders- Margaret Way

East/West

1. Gertrude Barker-Sharon Shanahan

2. Martha Ferguson-Judy King

3. Linda Pollett-Kirsty Pollett

Monday, April 3

North/South

1. Peter Donnellan-Lynanne Bolton

2. Elysa Burland-Greta Marshall

3. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

East/West

1. Kristy Pollett-William Pollett

2. Caroline Svensen-Rosemary Smith

3. Marion Silver-Jane Gregory

Tuesday, April 4

North/South

1. Carol Jones-Nikki Boyce

2. Sally Irvine-Linda Manders

3. Rosemary Smith-Felicity Lunn

East/West

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stevens

2. Tracey Pitt-Desiree Woods

3. Duncan Silver-Marion Silver

Wednesday, April 5

1. Joseph Wakefield-Magda Farag

2. Tracy Nash-Desmond Nash

3. Duncan Silver-Marion Silver

Thursday, April 6

1. Rachael Gosling-John Glynn

2. Stephan Cosham-Craig Hutton

3. Jane Smith-Heidi Dyson