Opening
Deciding on an Opening Bid
18
   There are three types of opening bid. The most common type is the
one-level bid. This shows a hand which may be just slightly above average
strength, but may be almost strong enough to make game on its own. Your
later bids should make it clear to your partner how strong your hand is
after you open a one-level bid.
    If you have a hand strong enough to stand a reasonable chance of making
game on its own, you open with a two-level bid. This tells your partner not
to take fright and pass with a worthless hand.
    If you have a poor hand with a very long suit (at least seven cards),
you can open at the three-level -- or even higher. This not only tells your
partner exactly what kind of hand you have, but more importantly, it gets in
the way of the opponents' bidding, making it difficult for them to find their
best contract.

    The first thing to do is to count up your High Card Points, Distribution
Points, Quick Tricks, and Playing Tricks. Then add your High Card Points to
your Distribution Points to find out your Total Points.

41
2
Can you
open 1NT ?
4
Always open 1NT if you can, because it tells your partner so much about your
hand. You need #0 to #U High-Card Points and a balanced hand (no singletons,
no six-card suits, and depending on your bidding options, possibly no 
five-card major and possibly no more than two doubletons).

1
Flannery ?
3
If the partnership is playing Flannery 2$D, always open a Flannery 2$D if
you can, because it tells your partner so much about your hand.  You need
11 to 15 High-Card Points, exactly four spades, and exactly five hearts.

1
Gambling 3NT?
3
Check to see if you have a gambling 3NT opening bid.
A gambling 3NT opener consists of a long solid minor (7+ solid playing
tricks in the suit) and no Kings or Aces outside the suit.

1
Mini-Roman 2D?
5
Are you playing Mini-Roman?
If you are, do you have a Mini-Roman 2D opening bid?
A Mini-Roman 2D opener is a hand with 11-15 HCP and
either 5-4-4-0 or 4-4-4-1 distribution.  The singleton
may be in any suit.

1
Namyats ?
4
Are you playing Namyats?
If you are are, do you have a Namyats 4C or 4D opening bid?
Or a weaker 4H or 4S opening bid?
Or a 3NT opening bid, a preempt to 4 of a minor?

1
4$C, 4$D, 4$H, or 4$S
4
With 8+ playing tricks in hearts, bid 4$C.
With 8+ playing tricks in spades, bid 4$D.
With less than 8 playing tricks in hearts, bid 4$H.
With less than 8 playing tricks in spades, bid 4$S.

2
Strong enough for
a 1 of a suit bid ?
15
Is your hand suitable for opening a bid? This depends in part on the
settings for your opening aggressiveness. If your settings are Average,
the requirements for opening are:
(1) 14 Total Points
(2) 2 Quick Tricks, and either 13 Total Points or 12 High Card Points
or 10 HCP and 5 cards in both major suits.
(3) after two passes you need 10 HCP, and either 2 QT or 5 card major.
(4) after three passes your HCP + spades length (at least 5) must be >= 15.
If your settings are Very Conserative, you cannot open on fewer than 13 HCP.
If your settings are Conservative, you can open on 12 HCP if you have a
little bit of distribution.
If your settings are Aggressive, open using the rule of 20 except when
you would need to reverse into your second suit or you have points wasted
in your short suits.
If your settings are Very Agressive, open all rule of 20 hands.

3
Benjamin
weak
twos ?
2
Are you playing Benjamin weak two-bids, in which 2$H and 2$S are weak
and 2$C and 2$D are strong?

1
2$D ?
4
Open 2$D:
(1) With 23+ Total Points and no singleton or 6-card suit.
(2) With nine or more tricks and high card strength outside the intended
    trump suit.

1
2$C ?
7
You can open 2$C with either of 3 possibilities:
(1) 8 playing tricks and one long strong suit (at least 6 with AKQJ or
    7 with AKQ).
(2) Strong 2 suited hand (at least 6-5) with at least AKQxx or AQJxxx in both
    suits (if two 6 card suits then you could have AJTxxx in one suit).
(3) 3 suited hand (singleton or void in fourth suit) with at least one 5 card
    suit and 22 points).

2
2 of a
suit ?
3
If you have 23 Total Points (or 21 Total Points with a 6-card minor 
suit or a 5-card major suit, with an Ace or King-Jack or better in
your longest suit), see if you can open with a strong two-bid in a suit

2
22+ HCP and
balanced ?
2
With #e or more High-Card Points and no singleton or 6-card suit,
open 2NT or 3NT (or 2$C if playing Weak Two Bids)

2
2NT, 3NT
or 2$C
6
If you don't play Weak Two-Bids:
(1) Open 2NT with 22-24 High-Card Points and 3NT with 25 or more.  If playing
Gambling 3NT, open 2NT with 22 or more High-Card Points.
If you play Weak Two-Bids:
(2) Open 2NT with #e-#f High-Card Points, 3NT with 25 or more (but not if
playing Gambling 3NT), and 2$C otherwise.

2
Fourth Seat
Weak Two ?
3
If you are in the fourth seat, a normal weak-two bid does not make
sense as you would rather pass the hand out.
A weak two in fourth position shows 10-14 HCP and a good six card suit.

2
Bid 2 of
longest suit
1
Bid 2 of your 6 card suit.

2
5+-card
major ?
1
Do you have a 5 card or longer major?

2
Equal length
in minors ?
1
All you have to decide now is which minor suit to bid

1
Bid 1$C or 1$D
3
(1) If you have 5 Clubs, 4 Diamonds, a major-suit singleton,
    and less than 16 Total Points, then bid 1$D.
(2) Otherwise, bid 1$D if Diamonds are longer, or 1$C if Clubs are longer.

2
Genuine
suits ?
1
Bid 1 Diamond if you have four or more cards in each minor

2
Bid your
better minor
1
Bid the minor with more High-Card Points in it (Clubs if tied)

2
Do you have two
5+-card majors ?
0

2
Bid your
5+-card major
0

3
Weak hand, or
both suits the
same length ?
2
With a weak hand (less than 18 Total Points), or with two suits the
same length, bid 1 Spade.

2
Bid the
longer major
0

2
Seven-card
suit ?
3
If you have a suit of seven or more cards, you should consider making a
shutout bid. This is a bid designed to make it difficult for the opponents
to find their best contract, by jamming their bidding space.

2
Fourth
hand ?
4
Since the purpose of making a shutout bid is to make things difficult for
your opponents, you must never make one when you are last to speak, unless
you can practically guarantee your contract. Just pass the hand out and wait
for a better hand on the next deal.

1
Preempt ?
7
Use the aggressiveness control settings to determine whether or not your
hand is suitable for a preemptive bid. Take into account seat position,
vulnerability, suit quality, and points outside your long suit. Generally
speaking if you are in third seat or if you are not vulnerable and the
opponents are vulnerable, you may preempt on many more hands. If you are
vulnerable and the opponents are not vulnerable your preempts should be
very conservative and have strong suit quality.

2
Weak
2-bids ?
3
Are you playing weak 2-bids, with a 6-card Diamond, Heart or Spade
suit ?  (If you are playing Flannery or Benjamin, you may not make a
weak 2-bid in Diamonds.)

1
Have weak-two ?
9
Use the aggressiveness control settings to determine whether or not your
hand is suitable for a weak-two bid.  Take into account seat position,
vulnerability, suit quality, points outside your long suit, and outside
voids or long suits.  Generally speaking if you are in third seat or if
you are not vulnerable and the opponents are vulnerable, you may preempt
on many more hands.  If you are vulnerable and the opponents are not
vulnerable your preempts should be very conservative and have strong suit
quality. A weak-two bid always shows a 6 card suit and usually shows
between 5 and 10 high card points.

2
5-card
suit ?
1
A strong two-bid shows at least five cards in the suit

2
Bid 2 of
a suit
2
If you are playing weak 2-bids, open 2$C. Otherwise bid two of your longest
suit (bid the higher-ranking if you have two suits of equal length).

1
4-4-4-1 ?
1
Do you have three four-card suits and a singleton?

2
Singleton
A or K ?
1
If you have a singleton Ace or King, bid No Trump.

1
2$C or 2$D
2
If you are playing weak 2-bids, open 2$C. Otherwise
bid two of your better minor, and hope !

1
1NT
0

1
2$D
0

1
3NT
0

1
2$C
0

1
1$D
0

1
1$S
0

1
Pass
0

47
0 0 0 1 2 3 2
34 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
1 0 -1 3 4 3 2
35 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
2 0 -2 5 6 3 2
36 -1 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1
3 0 -3 7 8 3 2
35 -1 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
4 0 -4 9 10 3 2
5 -1 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1
6 0 -5 11 40 1 3
7 1 -5 12 31 0 1
8 1 -4 13 14 0 1
35 1 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
9 2 -4 15 16 0 1
37 2 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
11 3 -4 17 18 0 1
12 3 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
13 4 -4 19 20 0 1
14 4 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
15 5 -4 21 26 0 1
20 5 -3 22 25 0 1
22 5 -2 23 24 0 1
39 5 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
23 6 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1
21 6 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1
16 6 -4 27 30 1 2
18 7 -4 28 29 1 2
38 8 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1
19 7 -5 -1 -1 -1 -1
17 6 -5 -1 -1 -1 -1
10 3 -5 32 38 2 1
29 3 -6 33 34 2 1
30 3 -7 -1 -1 -1 -1
31 4 -6 35 38 1 0
32 5 -6 36 37 1 2
12 6 -6 -1 -1 -1 -1
33 5 -7 -1 -1 -1 -1
11 4 -5 39 18 1 0
12 5 -5 -1 -1 -1 -1
24 -1 -5 41 44 3 2
25 -2 -5 42 43 3 0
40 -3 -5 -1 -1 -1 -1
26 -2 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1
27 -1 -6 45 46 3 2
28 -2 -6 -1 -1 -1 -1
40 -1 -7 -1 -1 -1 -1
1
0 11 31 1 1 2 -5
