BASIC BRIDGE COURSE

OPENING 1 NO TRUMP

When you pick up your hand the first thing you do is to count your High Card Points (HCPs). Your second

action is to decide if the hand is “balanced”.

A balanced hand contains No Voids, No Singletons, it does not contain two Doubletons.

The great thing about a 1 No Trump bid is that you get your whole hand off your chest in one go. It is the

perfect “Limit Bid”. If you fail to open 1 No trump when your hand has 12-14 HCPs in it and it is balanced

you will dig yourself into trouble.

Would you open 1 No Trump on the following hands?

1. ♠ K987 ♥ QJ9 ♦ KQ8 ♣ QJ4

2. ♠ AKQ ♥ 432 ♦ 753 ♣ AJ86

3. ♠ 43 ♥ AKQJ ♦ 875 ♣ QJ98

4. ♠ 9654 ♥ 9654 ♦ AKQ ♣ QJ

5. ♠ AKQJ ♥ 65 ♦ A76 ♣ 8653

6. ♠ AK ♥ AK ♦ 65432 ♣ 5432

7. ♠ AK ♥ 753 ♦ 742 ♣ AK986

8. ♠ 754 ♥ AK753 ♦ 85 ♣ AQJ

9. ♠ A632 ♥ 4 ♦ A975 ♣ AJ65

10. ♠ AKQJ ♥ 8632 ♦ QJ8 ♣ Q7

11. ♠ 97643 ♥ AK ♦ AKQ ♣ 874

12. ♠ 32 ♥ 432 ♦ AK97 ♣ AK87

To prove the point you should ask yourself “What is my re-bid?”

Remember if your hand is balanced and you want to bid No Trumps but it is too strong to

open 1 NT then you open a suit and re-bid No Trumps

Q.1 Is my hand balanced

Q.2 Does it contain 12-14 HCPs

If the answer is yes on both counts open 1NT and don’t bid again unless

partner asks, invites or forces you to bid again.