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Bid 1, made 4  
Q I opened 1NT with 18 points, and partner Passed because they only had 6 points with no long suit. I was happy with the contract until we made 4! Where did we go wrong.
A Many times the opponents don't try real hard against 1NT, especially in rubber bridge. You could also have gotten a lucky split or finesses going. A third possibility is that you are undervaluing your hand. Some 1NT hands with 18 points are really too strong to open 1NT. If you have a 5 card suit, mostly primes, or good middle cards, your hand is worth more than 18 points so should be opened with 1 in a suit instead to investigate things more slowly and exactly.

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Passing a Jumpshift  
Q Partner opened 1C, I responded 1H, they rebid 1S, I jumpshifted to 2NT, and they Passed! Isn't a jumpshift forcing?   Amy, Arizona
A Your 2NT isn't really a jumpshift, it's a jump bid all right but jumpshifts are reserved for suit bids. So your 2NT isn't forcing, it's asking, and partner answered: no.

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Transfers  
Q What are transfer bids good for?
A Transfers are used after your partner opens 1NT. You bid the suit below your intended suit, partner must bid the next suit (your real suit), and then you decide to bid towards partscore, game, slam, or just pass. Transfers allow the responder to have more than 1 bid without fear that opener will Pass. They also let the usually stronger 1NT opener play the hand and thus keep their strong cards hidden from the enemy. Check out our transfer flashcards for more information and bidding situations.

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Suit Bids Bidding Cards
For Everyday Players For the regular Bridge player who plays "Goren" bids. 1S 3S shows 13-16 pts and is forcing on partner. Topics include: responses, rebids, jump bids, forcing situations, points and suit length needed for common bids.

  • When do you need 3 card support and when do you have to have 4?

  • Why is 1  4 a much weaker bid than 1  3?

  • Examples of reverses, some of the most misunderstood and common bids.

52 cards of quick simple bidding sequences you need to know.

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