Beginners introduction. Basic strategy
The essential things you really need to know
When you bid, the main things you are trying to find out about your joint hands are, in order of importance, whether you have:
- balanced(1) or unbalanced hands;
- a fit either in a Major suit
, or in No Trumps (NT), or failing these, a minor suit 
; - sufficient trumps between you for game in a suit: 8 needed for game;
- sufficient points between you for game: 25 is the minimum you need for a game in "No Trumps", or in a Major suit (28 for a minor if you must!)
The main point to keep in mind is that it's by bidding to game that you'll get your main chance to win at bridge.
If you find you have balanced hands, with stoppers preferrably in all suits, you can play in No Trumps (NT). With NT, both of you need to be (and you can be) very specific about the number of points you have between you. If you have 25 points, you should bid up to game (3NT). Bid to game in the knowledge that 25 points should win the game 75% of the time (but with 24 the odds are against you).
If you are unbalanced and therefore must play in a suit, then 25 points is also a good initial guide for bidding up to game (a bid of 4, provided it's in a Major suit). But note, when counting points with a suit contract, shape is important. Credit needs to be given for length and for voids and singletons, unless the short suits are in trumps of course ! For a minor, reckon on 28 to be able to bid the 5 tricks needed for game. . .(but in any case try to find something easier to bid, such as 3NT).
How can you be so specific ? It's quite easy really. The pull down menus above contain all a beginner needs to know - look out for the green line below the menu bar. There is a more advanced set of page versions too, with a pale blue horizontal line in the menu intead of the beginner's green one, with all you need to become a bidding expert. (Then get back to the green beginner's versions from the thing called "Main Menu" at the top left).
| 1. Bidding strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check if your hand is balanced | no voids or singletons, max 1 doubleton, no 5-card Majors, long minor useful | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Do you have an 8-card fit ? | a suit where you have 8 cards between you | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Find out if you have 25 points between you | include distribution if you have a trump fit | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Decision | a). with 25 and Major suit fit: | bid Major game, 4 or 4 |
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| b). with 25 and balanced: | bid No Trump game, 3NT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Add to your customised cribsheet | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Now try the quiz
Can you put all this into action ? Try the quiz for this subject by clicking on the link at the top left of the page, just below the main menu.
(You can try quizzes for any other subjects too while you're there. Look out for the thin red line).
| 1. Bidding strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check if your hand is balanced | no voids or singletons, max 1 doubleton, no 5-card Majors, long minor useful | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Do you have an 8-card fit ? | a suit where you have 8 cards between you | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Find out if you have 25 points between you | include distribution if you have a trump fit | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Decision | a). with 25 and Major suit fit: | bid Major game, 4 or 4 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| b). with 25 and balanced: | bid No Trump game, 3NT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Add to your customised cribsheet | |||||||||||||||||||||||