Bidding Practice

When you begin a new partnership, you fill out a convention card. Perhaps you might want to get

together away from a game and go over everything point by point. Then practice the parts of

your wonderful system. How? Here’s how:

Get a pack of cards. Strip out about a dozen cards at a time, depending on what you want / need

to practice. For example: On the convention card, your “notrump engine” is near the top.

“Strong” Notrump

You have agreed on a range. (But, exactly what does your range mean? Next time I will pursue

that question. It bears on all that follows here.) Let’s assume you decide to play 15-17 HCP.

Currently, this seems to be the most frequently used. (In the past lower and higher ranges have

been in vogue.)

To practice “strong” notrump bidding, remove three low cards from each suit (twelve cards

total). Some partnerships just remove the two, three and four of each suit. That works. I like to

turn over the cards one at a time and take the first three spot cards I find in each suit. This way,

the hands you deal look a little more natural.

With your pack of 40 cards, take turns dealing two hands only. Bid as if in a regular game and

after you complete the auction, put both hands on the table face up. Do you think you might

make the contract you bid? Would you bid the same if you could see one another’s cards?

The Rest of Your “Notrump Machine”

Gizmos: Employ all your fancy responsive bids and rebids. Two clubs. Red-suit or four-way

transfers. Smolen. Major-suit splinters. Baron. Two-spades for minors or range. “Breaking” and

“bouncing” and other super-accepts. As many or as few as you play, practice them in action.

Likewise, to practice major-suit opening sequences, remove six low cards from each minor suit.

Shuffle, deal and bid. Do you play Bergen raises? Jacoby 2NT? Splinters? Constructive single

raises? Forcing NT? What is 3NT in response to one of a major? What is four of a major in

response to one of that suit? Does a jump to three of the other major have a special meaning?

You should be able to figure out how to practice minor-suit sequences. Hint: Remove a dozen

major-suit cards.

Keep a system “playbook” with fine-tuning notes every time you practice. Write down especially

interesting hands. Ask others how they would bid those tricky hands.

See my next page on What Does a One Notrump Bid Promise?

Rod Bias, I/N Coordinator D17