u The Worst Bid in Bridge - The Precision One Diamond

The Worst Bid in Bridge

Which bid in bridge do you consider the least useful?  If you are a Precision player you know how useless but also necessary the opening call of one diamond is, right?

Let's discuss it, but first let me give credit to my partners who found a solution:
Lisa Walker - Karmen Armoudjian - Gloria Rommel
Thanks, ladies!
Roy Wilson



Opening Bid One Diamond - Might be a singleton with 11-16 points



Yoyr partner opens 1 and you have a hand like this... This says it all.
You are going to bid 1 right?
And that's one of the major problems presented by the diamond bid.

Over the years a very popular attempt to "fix" this problem has been to agree to modify the 1NT opening bid... Doing so will take some of the pressure off of the 1 opening bid.

You will play against Precision opponents who might be using any of these ranges for a 1NT call:
  • 15-17
  • 14-16
  • 12-14
  • 10-12
Almost all players continue to use a 3-point spread with both Stayman and Jacoby Transfers, which is a mistake when the range is in the lower range, such as either 10-12 or 12-14.  There's not much advantage in light opening bids either, when the opponents tend to smile and double a lot.  You also lose the ability to play in either two clubs or two diamonds.   If you are using the lower ranges for your opening 1NT call, you should consider using only a 2-point spread because it is easier for responder to make a close decision.  Another suggestion is to treat any 2-level response as natural and non-forcing.


ROOD
That's the acronym for Rrponding Over Our Diamond, which takes a lot of pain out of the Precision 1 opening bid:
  • Bidding a major at the 1-level is not forcing with 0-10 HCP
  • A 1NT response is forcing with 11+ points - Often has one or both 4-card majors and sometimes 5-4
  • A jump to 2NT shows either 5-5 in the minors or 5-5 in the majors
  • A 2 response is not forcing, but has at least 4-4 in the minors
  • A 2 response is forcing with at least 4-4 in the minors and 11+ HCP
  • A 3-level or 4-level jump in either minor is a 2-suited hand with the bid minor and a major

Responding at the 1-level with a major
This response is not forcing and has 0-10 points.  Fortunately, zero point hand are rare!  Unfortunately, the response only promises a 3-card suit.  Opener can bid again if he has 15-16 points.  This is a typical hand you might hold when partner opens 1.
Bid 1 and most of the time yolur partner will pass.
If your partner bids again, he should have 15-16 points!

Responder bids 1NT
Our opponents treat a 1NT response to a diamond opening as a non-forcing call, so we have to alert them that this response is forcing.  Responder has 11+ points and could have one or both 4-card majors, and sometimes even 5-4 in those suits.  (But never 5-5 - we have a different bid for that hand.)
  • Opener bids a 4-card major if he has one, and if he has both he always bids hearts first, regardless of the quality
  • If opener's second bid is 2 he has a 4-card diamond suit and 5+ clubs
  • Opener rebids only 2NT with no 4-card major and 11-13 HCP
  • Opener jumps to 3NT with 14-16 HCP and no 4-card major suit
NOTE:  When responder holds 5-4 in the majors he bids 1NT, forcing, and if opener bids either major that becomes the trump suit, but if opener rebids 2NT, responder then bids his 5-card suit.

Responder Jumps to 2NT
Well, this isn't 1950 so we no longer play natural bids!  This jump in response to a 1 opening bid is either 5-5 in the minors or 5-5 in the majors.  Opener rebid 3 so that responder can clarify his hand.
  • With both minors, responder rebids 3NT
  • Responder bids 3 with both majors of about equal strength, and allows opener to choose his best major
  • with both majors and one is is much better than the other, responder bids the better one

Responder Jumps to the 3-Level or the 4-Level in Either Minor
There are six possible 2-suited hands, and the jump to 2NT, described above, takes care of either both minors or both majors, so now we will see how to show the other four possible 2-suited hands.
    3     +     (Same Color)
    3     +     (Same Color)
    4     +     (Opposite Color)
    4     +     (Opposite Color)

Keycard Gerber
Well, if you use the 2-suited responses described above you cannot jump to 4 as Gerber, but if you start with the 1NT forcing call, and then jump to 4, you can agree that it's Keycard Gerber and the diamond king is the keycard.


An Adjunct to ROOD... A Modified and Simplified 1NT Opening Bid
Although you don't haved to make this change you will find it helps with ROOD...
  • Define a 1NT opening bid as 15-16 with no 4-card major
  • Any 2-level response is natural and non-forcing
  • Any 3-level response is natural and forcing
  • A jump response of 2NT is either 5-5 in the minors or 5-5 in the majors

... and that is ROOD !













If you are a Precision player you might like to see more at this link:


Roy Wilson   email: Unit559Webmaster@gmail.com






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