Beginner’s Skinny Crib Sheet
Points mean prizes. Stop if you haven’t enough!
19 - 24 part game (approx.)
25+ game in Majors or NT - 4H, 4S, 3NT
27+ game in Minors - 5C, 5D
Your Opening Bid
12 - 14 balanced : OPEN 1NT
15 - 19 balanced : OPEN 1X, THEN with 15-16 REBID 1NT, 17-18 REBID 2NT, 19 REBID 3NT
20 - 22 balanced : OPEN 2NT
12 - 22 UNbalanced : OPEN 1X of your longest suit
10 or 11 : Apply Rule of 20
Overcalling 1C, 1D, 1H or 1S
To Overcall you MUST have 5 Cards in the suit you want to bid including 2 honours.
8-15 : BID at 1 Level
11-15 : BID at 1 level or go to 2 level if no bidding space at 1 level
16 - 18 Balanced with Stoppers : Bid 1NT
X (Takeout Double) - “I don’t have a 5 card suit but I have an opening hand(12-15) and am tolerant (at least 3 cards) in the other suits”
Overcalling 1NT
16 + : Bid X - a Penalty Double
Responding to Opener’s 1C, 1D, 1H or 1S
fewer than 6 : PASS
6 or more : You MUST RESPOND
Find the Fit
You are usually looking for an 8 card fit in H or S or a balanced fit in NT.
Opener’s Rebid
When making an Opening Bid, you should also make a plan for your 2nd bid. With 16-19 points you can go ’Above the Barrier’
Good Opening Leads against NT
4th down from highest card of your longest suit unless opposition have bid it (most common) / Dummy's second suit / An unbid major suit / Partner's suit / Top of three card sequence such as AKQ or KQJ or J109. More on leads.
Good Opening Leads against a Trump Contract
- AK is a good lead
- Lead a singleton
- Lead partner’s suit
- More good leads …
Scoring
20 each trick in C/D
30 each trick in H/S
40 first trick in NT, 30 for each subsequent one
50 - bonus for part game bid and made
300 - bonus for game bid and made eg 3NT OR 4H OR 4S OR 5D OR 5C
minus 50 - each undertrick
When you know all the above . . .
“If you open and your partner responds by bidding a new suit you MUST bid again for one round . . .”