The Fun Way to Serious Bridge

Introduction

BASICS OF GAME

First Magic Number

Mechanics of game

Scoring

BIDDING

Goal of bidding

How to evaluate hand

Point count system

What is an opening bid?

SUIT BIDDING

Distributional Points

Opening Bids

Point requirements for game and slams

Second Magic Number

Responses to opening suit bids

Rebids by the Opening Bidder

NO TRUMP BIDDING

Opening One No Trump bids

Responses to No Trump bids

Stayman Convention

Stayman Interference

FORCING BIDS

COMPETITION

Reasons for competing

Ways of competing

Overcalls

Responses to overcalls

One no trump overcalls

Take-out doubles and responses

Defense against take-out double

Cue bids

Preemptive overcalls

"Unusual" no trump

BIG HAND BIDDING

Opening two bids in suits and responses

Blackwood convention

Grand slam force

Big no trump hands

Gerber convention

PREEMPTIVE BIDDING

PENALTY DOUBLES

PATTERNS OF PLAY

How tricks are won

DECLARER PLAY

The finesse

Establishing long suits

Play in trump contracts

When to pull trumps

When to delay pulling trumps

No trump play

Hold-up play

Dangerous opponent

Which suit to set up

Entries

DEFENSIVE PLAY

Opening leads

No trump leads

Rule of Eleven

Suit contract leads

Third hand play

Signalling

Lead-directing doubles

ADVANCED PLAY

Strip and end plays

Simple squeeze

Counting the hand

Dummy reversals

False-carding

Bath coup

YOUR BRIDGE SYSTEM

PROPRIETIES

OTHER SYSTEMS

The weak two bid

Preemptive single jump overcalls

Dopi

Balancing

Third hand openings

Drury

The negative double

Transfer bids

Flannery