THIS PAGE INCLUDES TIPS ON BIDDING AND PLAY, BRIDGE RULINGS, BRIDGE HUMOR, ETC.. WE WILL BE ADDING ITEMS AS THEY ARISE.

(1) RULE OF EIGHT

(2) RULE OF NINE

(3) RULE OF ELEVEN

The Rule of Eight is a system for deciding whether to bid over an opponent's 1NT bid in the direct seat. This rule applies regardless of our bidding convention (DONT, Cappelletti, Brozel, etc.).

The key to this system is distribution. Long suits in our hand create short suits that help to reduce the usefulness of the opener's high cards. We determine whether to bid or not by subtracting the number of losers in our hand using (losing trick count) described below from the total of the two longest suits. If the result is 2 or greater we should bid (but must have at least 6 HCP). With fewer than 2, we should pass.

The losing trick count works as follows. You count one loser for each A, K or Q you don't have. A singleton (other than an Ace) counts as one loser and a worthless doubleton counts as two losers. Examples are as follows:

(1) You hold ª -AQ972 ©-K54 ¨-95 §-K82. Your losers total seven   consisting of 1 in spades, 2 in hearts, 2 in diamonds and 2 in clubs. Your two longest suits total eight. Subtracting the seven losers from eight leaves 1 so you should pass despite the 12HCP hand and five-card spade suit. It is better to defend.

(2) You hold ª-K8543 ©-K7642 ¨-84 §-4. Your losers total seven consisting of 2 in spades, 2 in hearts, 2 in diamonds and 1 in clubs. Your two longest suits total ten. Subtracting the seven losers from ten leaves 3 and you also have at least 6HCP so you should bid. Again, distribution is the key.

RHO opponent bids 1NT (15-17HCP). Do you bid or pass in the following situations:

SPADES           HEARTS          DIAMONDS       CLUBS             ANSWER

(1) ªQ10754     ©AQ64             ¨ 53                 §107                BID

(2) ªQJ4           ©KJ765            ¨K82               §A5                  PASS

(3) ª10             ©AQ9763          ¨J1072            §95                  BID

(4) ªKQ953       ©75                  ¨K875              §K3                  BID

(5) ª3               ©K9543            ¨64                  §J6543             PASS

(6) ªA872         ©84                  ¨KJ5               §AK92              PASS

(7) ª63             ©A975              ¨KQ653           §32                  BID

Rule of Nine

REOPENING DOUBLES--WHEN TO PASS-WHEN NOT TO

Sequence-Example:            West      North      East      South 

                                                                                         1S

                                              2H           P            P             ?

When to Reopen With a Double?:

                          (1) You (South) opened the bidding

                          (2) LHO either overcalls or preempts

                          (3) Partner passes

                          (4) Opponent passes

Question- Why Did Partner (North) Pass?:

                         (1) Had nothing to say, or

                         (2) Was lying in wait to make a penalty double but couldn't because

                               a direct double would be a negative double

Answer- Which of the Two Reasons is More Likely?:

                        (1) If you hold only one or two cards in the opponent's suit-

                              presume partner is lying in wait

                        (2) If you hold three or more cards in the opponent's  suit

                             partner is less likely to have a trump stack and probably passed

                             because of being broke

.

Rules for Reopening:

                       (1) Reopen with a double when holding one or two cards in the opponent's

                             suit-even if your hand is not perfect for a takeout double.

                       (2) Pass with 3 or more cards in the oppenent's suit-unless you have sub-

                             stantial extra values. Odds are that your partner passed because of

                             being broke.

                         .

YOUR RESPONDING PARTNER'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THE RULE OF NINE

Your reopening double is for takeout and your partner may either:

                        (1) Bid his/her best suit,

                        (2) Raise the suit you bid first, or

                        (3) Pass for penalty.  If the decision is between bid or pass

                             the Rule of Nine* may be helpful.

Rule of Nine (whether responding partner bids or passes):

          Partner adds (a) the level of the contract, plus                                                                                   

                                (b) the number of cards held in the opponent's suit and

                                (c) the number of honors held in the opponent's suit (10 is an honor).

         If the sum is nine or more, partner passes for penalty. If the sum is eight or less

          partner should bid.

Example:

         Level of contract is two and partner holds AQxxx of the opponent's suit. Thus, the 

         level of the contract 2 plus the number of cards 5 and the number of honors 2

         total 9. In this case, partner should pass.  If the opponent's suit held were AQxx,

         the total would be 8 and a bid is appropriate.                           

        In the above cases if the level of the contract was 3 a pass in both situations

        would be appropriate.  

                                REOPENING DOUBLES                                              Page 2

QUIZ

AUCTION WITH YOU AS OPENER

                         You          LHO          Partner        RHO

                         1H             2D             Pass          Pass

                          ?

Examples of Your Hands:

                                       S                  H                    D                 C

                              1.   K75            AK842                 9              A763

                              2.    86             AK765                 7              AQ865

                              3.   K974          AK872               Q86               6

                              4.    K73           AK9865            None           J1092

Solutions:

                              1. Double. You have a good defense and support for

                                  the unbid suits. Partner is likely to have values so

                                  you must protect partner's right to double or bid.

                              2. Double. If partner bids 2H or 3C you're OK.  If partner

                                  bids 2S, you bid 3C. If partner passes he/she may have

                                  a trump stack.

                              3. Pass. You have 3D and not enough extra values to bid.

                                  Partner may be broke.

                             4. Bid 2H. Doubling with a void is risky. Even though your

                                 partner has some diamonds you have too little to con-

                                 tribute to a defense of the hand.

AUCTION WITH YOU AS RESPONDER

                       Partner               RHO                   YOU                   LHO

                          1H                     2D                    Pass                  Pass

                         DBL                  Pass                     ?

Examples of Your Hands:

                           S                      H                        D                        C

                     5. J54                     8                    KJ1062                 A843

                     6. J53                     84                  K765                    Q963

                     7. J6                       82                  K92                     J87643

Solutions:

                     5. Pass. You weren't in the position to make a negative double.

                         You satisfy the Rule of Nine.

                     6. Bid 2H. You're too weak to pass. Protect your partner's double.

                         You don't satisfy the Rule of Nine.

                     7. Bid 3C. You're too weak to pass. Protect your partner's double.

                         You don't satisfy the Rule of Nine

* The above information is derived from an article by Mel Calchamiro published   in the June 2002 issue of the ACBL Bulletin.

Many of us are aware of the Rule of Eleven but how many of us remember to apply it.  If you have stopped using it the time has come to begin using it again to your great benefit. Check out the following example:

When Partner leads his 4th best suit you (third hand) can tell exactly how many cards Declarer has that are higher than the card led. To do this you subtract the face of the card led from eleven.  This results in the combined total of cards higher than the card lead that are contained in your hand plus those in the Declarer's hand and in the Dummy.

Contract is 4S and West leads his fourth-best seven of hearts.  Using the Rule of Eleven East subtracts 7 (West's lead) from 11 which leaves 4. This means that East, Dummy and Declarer together have four cards higher than 7. Since East can see all four cards higher than 7 (K-A-J-8) he knows that the declarer cannot have any cards higher than 7.  Therefore, if Dummy does not play the King, East can safely play the 5. This keeps West on lead to continue the suit and be able to trap the King.

As can be seen from the above example the Rule of  Eleven can be extremely useful in playing the hand.  A little extra concentration can go a long way.

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Last modified: February 25, 2003