Bidding system
Encyclopedia
A bidding system in contract bridge
is the set of agreements and understandings assigned to calls and sequences of calls used by a partnership, and includes a full description of the meaning of each treatment and convention. The purpose of bidding is for each partnership to ascertain which contract, whether made or defeated and whether bid by them or by their opponents, would give the partnership their best scoring result.
Each bidding system ascribes a meaning to every possible call by each member of a partnership, and presents a codified language which allows the players to exchange information about their card holdings. The vocabulary of bidding is limited to 38 different calls - 35 level/denomination bids plus pass, double and redouble. Any bid becomes a contract if followed by three successive passes, therefore every bridge bid is a potential contract.
By the rules of the game, the agreed meanings
of all calls must be public and known to the opponents. In normal club or home play, the opponents are entitled, at their turn to make a call, to ask the partner of the bidder about the meaning of the call. In high-level tournaments, where screens
are used, the procedure is to ask the screen-mate about their calls as well as their partner's calls. In serious online tournaments, the procedure is for the player making the call to self-alert it, but the explanation is visible only to the opponents.
bid. In artificial systems, the bids are more highly codified, so that for example a bid of 1 may not be related to a holding in the club suit.
Natural system(s) are the "lingua franca
" of bridge players, with regional variations. Thus, a new partnership can agree to play a natural system and understand each other fairly well. Players sometimes alter certain aspects of a system, adding their specific agreements or preferred conventions.
Structure and meaning of opening bids are the common determining factor for system classification: in most modern natural systems, opening bids of 1 through 2 have the same or similar meaning, with level-one bids denoting length in a suit. Artificial systems typically reserve at least one one-level suit opening bid for special purposes, unrelated to the suit.
Various developments in the area of natural systems have resulted in systems that are natural in essence, but contain special features. Examples are systems like Romex
, Boring club
, Fantunes
, and EHAA
(Every Hand An Adventure).
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
is the set of agreements and understandings assigned to calls and sequences of calls used by a partnership, and includes a full description of the meaning of each treatment and convention. The purpose of bidding is for each partnership to ascertain which contract, whether made or defeated and whether bid by them or by their opponents, would give the partnership their best scoring result.
Each bidding system ascribes a meaning to every possible call by each member of a partnership, and presents a codified language which allows the players to exchange information about their card holdings. The vocabulary of bidding is limited to 38 different calls - 35 level/denomination bids plus pass, double and redouble. Any bid becomes a contract if followed by three successive passes, therefore every bridge bid is a potential contract.
By the rules of the game, the agreed meanings
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
of all calls must be public and known to the opponents. In normal club or home play, the opponents are entitled, at their turn to make a call, to ask the partner of the bidder about the meaning of the call. In high-level tournaments, where screens
Screen (bridge)
The screen is a device used in some tournaments in duplicate bridge that visually separates partners at the table from each other, in order to reduce the exchange of unauthorized information. It is a panel made of plywood, spanned canvas or similar material, which is placed vertically, diagonally...
are used, the procedure is to ask the screen-mate about their calls as well as their partner's calls. In serious online tournaments, the procedure is for the player making the call to self-alert it, but the explanation is visible only to the opponents.
Classification
Bidding systems can be classified into two broad categories: natural systems and artificial systems. In natural systems, most bids (especially in the early phase of the bidding) denote length in the suitSuit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...
bid. In artificial systems, the bids are more highly codified, so that for example a bid of 1 may not be related to a holding in the club suit.
Natural system(s) are the "lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
" of bridge players, with regional variations. Thus, a new partnership can agree to play a natural system and understand each other fairly well. Players sometimes alter certain aspects of a system, adding their specific agreements or preferred conventions.
Structure and meaning of opening bids are the common determining factor for system classification: in most modern natural systems, opening bids of 1 through 2 have the same or similar meaning, with level-one bids denoting length in a suit. Artificial systems typically reserve at least one one-level suit opening bid for special purposes, unrelated to the suit.
Natural systems
Natural systems generally use opening bids as follows:- A bid of 1 or 1 shows at least 4 or 5 cards in the major suitMajor suitIn the card game contract bridge, the major suits are spades and hearts . The major suits are of prime importance for tactics and scoring as they outrank the minor suits while bidding and also outscore them...
, and 1 or 1 shows at least 3 or 4 cards in the minor suitMinor suitIn contract bridge the minor suits are diamonds and clubs . They are given that name because contracts made in those suits score less than contracts made in the major suits , and they rank lower in bidding. In particular, one can make game with a bid of 4 in a major suit, while a bid of 5 is...
. The complete hand usually contains about (11)12-20(22) high card points. As between two major suits or between two minor suits, the bidder opens in the longer suit; with equal lengths, the higher ranking suit is usually chosen. If the opening bid of 1 or 1 promises 5 cards, the system is referred to as a "five-card major" system; otherwise, it is referred to as a "four-card major" system. The term five-card majors implies that an opening bid in a minor suit bid might show three card length only (for example, the hand pattern might be 4=4=2=3, so neither major suit is long enough to show with an opening bid). - A bid of 1NT shows a balanced hand in a narrow high card points range. The common ranges are 15-17 or 16-18 HCP ("strong notrump") and 12-14 ("weak notrump").
- A bid of 2 typically shows a very strong hand (22+ points).
- A bid of 2NT shows a strong balanced hand, usually 20-21 HCP.
- Opening bids of 3 of any suit are preemptPreemptPreempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...
ive, showing a 7+ card suit and 6-10 points (mostly inside the bid suit). - The meaning of 2, 2 and 2 varies. One common usage is that the bid shows a weak two bidWeak two bidThe Weak two bid is a common treatment used in the game of contract bridge, where a jump bid of two of a suit signifies a weak hand with a long suit. It is a form of preemptive bid...
, similar to a preemptPreemptPreempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...
ive bid. Another is that the strong two bidStrong two bidIn contract bridge, a strong two-bid is an opening bid of two in a suit. i.e. 2, 2, 2 or 2 . It is a natural bid, used to show a hand that is too strong to open at the one level – more than about 21 points...
, which is natural and shows a very strong hand (too strong for a 1-level opening). Yet another usage, popular in otherwise natural systems, is to use weak two bids in the major suits, and 2 as FlanneryFlanneryFlannery is a bridge convention using an 2 opening bid to show a hand of minimal opening bid strength with exactly four spades and five hearts. It was invented by American player William L. Flannery....
: four spades and five hearts in a hand of minimum strength.
Specific systems
The most widespread natural systems are:- AcolAcolAcol is the bridge bidding system that, according to The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, is "standard in British tournament play and widely used in other parts of the world". It is named after the Acol Bridge Club, previously located on Acol Road in London NW6, where the system started to evolve...
, featuring 4-card majors and weak notrump, originating in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... - Standard AmericanStandard AmericanStandard American is a common bidding system for the game of bridge in the United States, also widely used in the rest of the world. This system, or a slight variant, is learned first by most beginners in the U.S. and may be referred to as 'Goren'; a dominant version used in on-line computer...
, originally with 4-card majors but later adopting 5-card majors. - Bridge Base BasicBridge Base BasicBridge base basic, also known as BBO basic, is a bidding system for the game of bridge based on Standard American Yellow Card. It is simplified, suitable for beginners, and widely used in internet bridge particularly on Bridge Base Online...
, based on Standard American and used in internet play - 2/1 game forcing2/1 game forcing2/1 game forcing is a bidding system in modern contract bridge in which, after a one-level opening bid, a non-jump response in a new suit at the two level commits the partnership to bidding at least game....
, based on Standard American and gradually superseding it. Some features of 2/1 game forcing originated from the Roth-Stone and Kaplan-SheinwoldKaplan-SheinwoldThe Kaplan-Sheinwold bidding system was developed and popularized by Edgar Kaplan and Alfred Sheinwold during their partnership, which flourished during the 1950s and 1960s. K-S is one of many natural systems...
systems of the 1950s and 1960s.
Various developments in the area of natural systems have resulted in systems that are natural in essence, but contain special features. Examples are systems like Romex
Romex system
The Romex system is a bridge bidding system designed by the Mexican bridge expert George Rosenkranz. Key features of Romex are the multiple meanings attributed to certain bids, namely the Dynamic one notrump and the Mexican two diamonds....
, Boring club
Boring club
The Boring Club is a bidding system in contract bridge designed by Lucas Smid of the Netherlands. In this system all balanced hands, that in most natural systems would be opened 1NT or would be opened in a suit at one level with the plan to rebid 1NT or 2NT, must be opened with 1...
, Fantunes
Fantunes
In the game of contract bridge Fantunes is a natural bidding system that was invented and is played by Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes of Italy, players ranked first and second World Grand Masters respectively according to the World Bridge Federation, as of June 2011.The Fantunes system differs...
, and EHAA
EHAA
EHAA is a highly natural bidding system in contract bridge characterized by four-card majors, sound opening bids, undisciplined weak two-bids in all four suits and a mini notrump, usually of 10–12 high card points.-Weak two-bids:...
(Every Hand An Adventure).
Artificial systems
Artificial systems can be further classified into:- Strong club systemStrong club systemThe Strong Club System is a set of bidding conventions in the game of contract bridge. It is classified as an artificial type of bidding system since the bids are highly codified.-Explanation:...
s are the most popular artificial systems, where opening of 1 shows a strong hand (typically 16+ HCP). Other 1-level bids are typically natural, but limited to about 15 HCP. The most popular strong club systems are:- Vanderbilt club (the predecessor)
- Precision clubPrecision clubPrecision Club is a bidding system in the game of contract bridge. It is a type of strong club system that was invented by C. C. Wei and used to good effect by Taiwan teams in the early 1970s...
- Blue clubBlue ClubBlue Club is a bridge bidding system, developed mainly by Benito Garozzo. It was used by the famous Blue Team and became very popular in the 1960s and has been in decline since.The main features are:...
- In Small club systems, the opening bid of 1 is forcingForcing bidIn the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any bid that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e...
but not necessarily strong. It typically includes some range of balanced hands, some hands with long club suit, and very strong hands. Examples are:- Vienna club (the predecessor)
- Roman clubRoman ClubRoman Club is an artificial bridge bidding system devised in the 1950s by Giorgio Belladonna and Walter Avarelli of Italy's Blue Team. They used it to win twelve WBF World Teams Championships, three Olympiads and numerous European and National titles...
, developed and used by famous Blue teamBlue team (bridge)The Blue Team represented Italy in international contract bridge tournaments, winning sixteen world titles from 1957 through 1975. From 1964 to 1969 and during a 1972 comeback, the team comprised three regular pairs: Walter Avarelli–Giorgio Belladonna, Pietro Forquet–Benito Garozzo, and Massimo... - Polish clubPolish clubPolish Club is a bridge bidding system which was developed in Poland, where it is the most popular bidding system, and which is also used by players of other countries...
, originating (and standard) in PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
but also gained certain popularity worldwide - Dutch doubleton, an offspring of the Polish clubPolish clubPolish Club is a bridge bidding system which was developed in Poland, where it is the most popular bidding system, and which is also used by players of other countries...
system
- Strong diamond systems are similar to strong club systems, but the bid of 1 shows a strong opening, and the bid of 1 is typically ambiguous, as in small club systems. An example is Leghorn diamond, played by some top Italian pairs in 1970s.
- Strong passStrong passIn the card game of bridge, a strong pass is an opening pass that indicates a strong hand, typically with a minimum of 11-16 points. Strong pass bidding systems are of a quite different nature from the more typical "natural" systems, but share some similarities with strong club systems...
systems are highly artificial and fairly rare. In those systems, an initial pass shows a hand of opening strength (13+ HCP); as result, weaker hands (8-12 must be opened with a bid instead (normally one low level bid is reserved to show 0-7 HCP, that bid is sometimes called a "fert", short for fertilizerFertilizerFertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s). Strong pass systems are mostly banned by World Bridge FederationWorld Bridge FederationThe World Bridge Federation is the world governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competition, most of which is conducted at a few multi-event meets on a four-year cycle...
and other governing organizations from all competitions except the highest-level ones, because opponents cannot be reasonably expected to cope with such an unusual approach. See: Highly unusual methodHighly unusual methodHighly unusual methods is a class of contract bridge bidding systems defined by the World Bridge Federation. Usually these are artificial systems that require advance preparation to contend with, and are restricted to the highest levels of tournament play in most locations... - Relay systems are based on relay bidRelay bidIn contract bridge, relay is a term for a conventional bid that usually has little or no descriptive meaning but asks partner to describe some feature of his hand. A relay is often the cheapest bid available but need not be. Stayman and Blackwood are common examples of relay bids.The rationale...
s – the artificial bids where one partner just bids the cheapest denomination (relay bid) and the other describes his distribution and high cards in detail (relay response) using a highly codified scheme. Such systems are out of the above classification (based on opening bid structure), as the relay feature takes place later in the auction. For example, relatively popular "Moscito system" has variants based on strong-club and strong-pass approaches. Symmetric relay is based on Precision club. Relay systems do not need to begin with an initial forcing pass or an initial forcing 1 opening. The ACBL typically disallows relay systems, on the grounds that they are too difficult to defend against without a lot of advance preparation.