Saturday, January 9, 2016

Bidding - Responding to 1NT with a Balanced Hand

When partner opens 1NT you know they hold either 15, 16 or 17 HCP (High Card Points) with a balanced hand. If you hold a balanced hand also you want to play in NT. All that is left to determine is whether or not you want to play in a part-score, game or slam. Add your points to partner's to determine where you want to play. Remember there is no point in bidding any higher than 1NT if you know you cannot make a game.

To make game in 3NT you need between 25 and 32 HCP.
To make 6NT you need between 33 and 36 HCP
To make 7NT you need between 37 and 40 HCP

When responding to partner's opening 1NT this table will help guide you as to what to bid:


Responder has a balanced hand with: Responder bids: 1NT opener does this:
0-7 HCP Pass -
8-9 HCP 2NT Pass with a minimum (15 HCP)
Bid 3NT with a maximum (17 HCP)
10-15 HCP 3NT Pass
16-17 HCP 4NT Pass with a minimum (15 HCP)
Bid 6NT with a maximum (17 HCP)
18-19 HCP 6NT Pass
20-21 HCP 5NT Bid 6NT with a minimum (15 HCP)
Bid 7NT with a maximum (17 HCP)
22+ HCP 7NT Pass

Let's look at some examples:

Example 1

♠KQ3
84
A732
♣Q532

I have 11 HCP with a balanced hand and partner opened 1NT. Since partner is balanced and I am balanced we probably want to play in NT. If partner has 15 HCP, together between the 2 hands we have 26 HCP. That is enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. If partner has 17 HCP, together between the 2 hands we have 28 HCP. That is enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. So no matter what partner has I want to be in 3NT. My response to partner's opening bid is 3NT.

Example 2

♠K93
84
A732
♣Q532

I have 9 HCP with a balanced hand and partner opened 1NT. Since partner is balanced and I am balanced we probably want to play in NT. If partner has 15 HCP together between the 2 hands we have 24 HCP. That is NOT enough for a game in NT. I want to stay low in the bidding. If partner has 17 HCP together between the 2 hands we have 26 HCP. That IS enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. Now I am going to have to ask partner whether or not they have 15 HCP or 17 HCP. My response to partner opening 1NT bid is 2NT. This says "Partner, I am interested in a game in NT. If I was not interested in a game in NT I would just 'Pass' and let you play in 1NT. However I cannot quite bid the game myself -- I don't have enough values. I know you could have 15 HCP (in which case you should Pass my 2NT) but I also know you could have 17 HCP. If you have 17 HCP I want you to bid 3NT and we will have a good shot at making game."

There are quite a few examples. Do not feel you need to do all the examples right away. Do a few and come back to them if you want. But I'd rather give you 64 examples and have you quit after 8 rather than give you 8 examples and leave you wanting more! Could I have made a mistake in some of them? Absolutely! If you feel there is an error in the point count or bid, just leave me a message. My editor can be a bit lazy at times so this is more than likely to happen.

On each hand first state how many HCP (High Card Points) you have.

Add your points to partner's if they have 15 and determine where you want to be.
Add your points to partner's if they have 17 and determine where you want to be.
If the answer is the same, that is your bid. If the answer is not the same, you probably need to invite game or slam.

So first state how many HCP and then say what you would bid if your partner opened 1NT and the opponents "Pass".

Hand 1

♠A73
T6
732
♣QJ953



Hand 2

♠AK9
Q95
T876
♣Q42



Hand 3

♠K54
QJ6
AQ94
♣A75



Hand 4

♠T9
T97
K975
♣T963



Hand 5

♠93
AT9
AT86
♣KJ87



Hand 6

♠K5
K8
AJT52
♣J862



Hand 7

♠J4
874
QT974
♣K84



Hand 8

♠986
Q83
K964
♣J94



Hand 9

♠AQ5
Q8
Q532
♠9872



Hand 10

♠K92
865
AT3
♣KT76



Hand 11

♠K92
Q76
QT9
♣Q764



Hand 12

♠QJ6
J87
AT76
♣J94



Hand 13

♠853
K72
KJ3
♣KJ52



Hand 14

♠T8
982
AQ973
♣KT4



Hand 15

♠A86
J2
K532
♣AQT4



Hand 16

♠632
A76
J8
♣AQ643



Hand 17

♠64
K73
Q542
♣QT63



Hand 18

♠752
762
762
♣Q863



Hand 19

♠83
876
J874
♣AJ54



Hand 20

♠A95
K62
AKJ54
♣K5



Hand 21

♠AJ
A7
KT653
♣Q542



Hand 22

♠J85
Q8
AKT93
♣652



Hand 23

♠K43
85
AKQ87
♣965



Hand 24

♠K5
JT8
A7643
♣T42



Hand 25

♠K8
532
T853
♣K763



Hand 26

♠KJ3
K75
QJ63
♣J73



Hand 27

♠KT3
A98
AK72
♣KQ8



Hand 28

♠Q7
52
J654
♣AT963



Hand 29

♠Q97
72
AQ95
♣QJ97



Hand 30

♠Q98
96
KQ864
♣KT8



Hand 31

♠T6
AT7
AKJ4
♣T863



Hand 32

♠T85
JT8
Q7532
♣96



Hand 33

♠KQ5
754
QJ432
♣98



Hand 34

♠K54
Q64
KJ96
♣863



Hand 35

♠T83
72
AKJ2
♣T963



Hand 36

♠T65
87
9854
♣AQT7



Hand 37

♠T9
Q6
AK742
♣JT64



Hand 38

♠Q76
KT
AKQ63
♣973



Hand 39

♠52
32
87543
♣KQ72



Hand 40

♠973
984
JT86
♣Q84



Hand 41

♠QJ
A5
9864
♣AT852



Hand 42

♠97
T2
QJT8
♣KJ753



Hand 43

♠A5
Q76
Q73
♣J9874



Hand 44

♠A7
J85
AJT86
♣T92



Hand 45

♠62
75
QT93
♣J9742



Hand 46

♠K2
83
A9743
♣AJ76



Hand 47

♠963
AT5
T8
♣AKJ94



Hand 48

♠KQ5
AK2
AQJ2
♣Q53



Hand 49

♠J92
KQ4
K3
♣K7652



Hand 50

♠AK
Q9
AJ532
♣Q654



Hand 51

♠Q7
J8
AQT9
♣KQ432



Hand 52

♠AQ3
KQ2
QJ
♣QJ653



Hand 53

♠Q7
A75
QT875
♣A65



Hand 54

♠AK4
KJ6
Q94
♣AQ85



Hand 55

♠J82
A95
AJ54
♣K85



Hand 56

♠K3
T5
T9872
♣QJT3



Hand 57

♠K2
T95
AQJT7
♣A65



Hand 58

♠84
Q2
AQT2
♣AQT72



Hand 59

♠KQ3
Q5
J432
♣QJT3



Hand 60

♠52
Q5
Q853
♣JT864



Hand 61

♠A4
Q7
QT863
♣J973



Hand 62

♠A3
K65
Q92
♣AKT86



Hand 63

♠J54
KJ6
Q9
♣KQ865



Hand 64

♠86
AQ9
742
♣QJT76

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