In contract bridge

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...

, a single suiter (or single-suited hand) is a hand containing at least six cards in one suit

Suit (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...

 and with all other suits being at least two cards shorter than this longest suit. Many hand patterns can be classified as single suiters. Typical examples are 6-3-2-2, 6-3-3-1 and 7-3-2-1 distribution.

Single-suiters form the cornerstone of preemptive bidding

Preempt

Preempt 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...

. Weak single-suiters with six card length are traditionally opened preemptively at the two level, whilst seven carders are used to preempt at the three level. The modern trend is to lower these minimum length requirements, especially when non-vulnerable. Conventional

Bridge convention

A bridge convention is a system of calls made during the auction phase of a contract bridge game which conveys a coded meaning about the players' card holdings...

 preemptive openings used to introduce a weak single-suited hand include the multi 2 diamonds

Multi 2 diamonds

Multi or Multi 2 diamonds is contract bridge convention whereby the opening bid of 2 shows multiple types of hands, which always includes a weak two bid in either major suit, while the additional meaning may be a strong balanced hand , or a 20-22 three suiter...

 and the gambling 3NT

Gambling 3NT

Gambling 3NT is a preemptive opening bid. The bid is used to describe a hand containing a minor suit of at least 7 cards in length and headed by the AKQ at minimum...

 conventions.

Over an opposing opening, single suiters are usually introduced via a natural overcall

Overcall

In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' is referred to as a balancing...

. But see also list of defenses to 1NT.

See also

• Two suiter
  Two suiter
  In contract bridge, a two suiter is a hand containing cards mostly from two of the four suits. Traditionally a hand is considered a two suiter if it contains at least ten cards in two suits, with the two suits not differing in length by more than one card. Depending on suit quality and partnership...
  
  
• Three suiter
  Three suiter
  In the game of Contract bridge a three suiter denotes a hand containing at least four cards in three of the four suits. As a bridge hand contains thirteen cards, only two hand patterns can be classified as three suiters: 4-4-4-1 and 5-4-4-0.In natural bidding systems, strong three suiters are...
  
  
• Balanced hand
  Balanced hand
  In the game of bridge a balanced hand denotes a hand containing no singleton or void and at most one doubleton. As a bridgehand contains thirteen cards, only three hand patterns can be classified as balanced: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2...
  
  
• Preempt
  Preempt
  Preempt 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...