Bridge questions
For member bridge questions - and their answers...
Have a bridge question? Simply email it - with all the relevant information - to
TH asked: If you open with 1C – and you play 1C as showing minimum of two clubs – how many clubs does responder need to bid 2 clubs?
Cath W answered: Peninsula's Standard System is to open “Better Minor”, in which case 1C would promise a minimum of 3 (and a “fit” is 8 so you can do the math). Responder's priority is to bid four card suits “up the line” (but with a minimum one bid hand, responder should bypass diamonds and show a four card major).
David F added: Even though an opening 1C may only promise 2 clubs (if playing a "short club" or 3 if playing "better minor") opener will quite often have four. So on some hands responders may choose to bid 2C without the certainty of an eight card fit, if there is no other good bid.
TH asked: To open the bidding, you can add length points to your HCPs to get to 12+ . Length points are 1 point for a five card suit, 2 for a six card suit and 3 for a seven card suit etc. Isn’t this misleading responder because he/she expects you as opener to have 12+ HCPs - whereas in reality you may have only 10 HCP as the other 2 points came from length points? If responder had 13 HCPs and his partner opened, then responder would assume a minimum of 12 HCPs – add the two together to get 25 and therefore you bid to game – however in reality the total is only 23 HCP and you fail your game contract.
