Bridge Bidding for Beginners: Opening Bids and Responses
Count your high-card points (ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1) and open the bidding with 13 or more, or with a 12 that passes the Rule of 20. Open 1NT with a balanced 15 to 17, otherwise open your longest suit: a five-card major unless you hold a longer minor, and your longer minor when you have no five-card major. As responder you need 6 points to bid: raise partner's major with three-card support, bid a new suit at the one level with 6 or more (the two level takes 10), and add your points to partner's to decide on game at about 25.
How do you count points in bridge?
Bridge bidding starts with high-card points (HCP): ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1. The whole deck holds 40, so an average hand has 10. Two numbers matter for the auction. Opening strength is 13 points, and a partnership needs roughly 25 to 26 combined points for game (a major-suit game or 3NT) and 33 for a small slam.
Suits rank from low to high: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, then notrump. The two majors are hearts and spades, the two minors are clubs and diamonds. A bid names a level from 1 to 7 plus a suit or notrump. The level is the number of tricks above six, so 4♥ means ten tricks with hearts as trump.
What should you open in bridge?
Pass with fewer than 13 points, unless a 12 passes the Rule of 20: add your points to the lengths of your two longest suits, and open if the total is 20 or more. With 13 or more, or a 12 that passes, check the hand in this order. The first rule that fits is your bid.
- 1NT: 15 to 17 points and a balanced hand (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2). Many players still prefer to open a five-card major with 5-3-3-2.
- 1♠ or 1♥: five or more cards in a major, unless you hold a longer minor (five spades and six clubs open 1♣). With five cards in both majors, open the higher-ranking spades.
- 1♦ or 1♣: otherwise, open your longer minor. With four cards in each minor, or five in each, open diamonds, except with three clubs and three diamonds, where you open 1♣ so the auction stays low.
Hands of 20 or more points use stronger openings (2NT for a balanced 20 to 21, an artificial 2♣ for 22 or more). Those come after the basics.
How do you pick an opening bid on a real hand?
♠ A Q 6 ♥ K J 5 ♦ Q 8 4 ♣ K 9 5 2
15 HCP (6 + 4 + 2 + 3), shape 4-3-3-3, no five-card major. Open 1NT.
♠ K Q J 8 5 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K 5 2
13 HCP, shape 5-3-2-3. Five spades is a major, so open 1♠.
♠ K 7 4 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ Q J 8 5 ♣ K 9 6
13 HCP, shape 3-3-4-3, no major of five. The longer minor is diamonds. Open 1♦.
♠ A 8 5 2 ♥ K 7 4 ♦ Q 9 3 ♣ K J 6
13 HCP with three diamonds and three clubs. The balanced hand is too small for 1NT, and 3-3 in the minors means the short club. Open 1♣.
♠ Q 8 4 ♥ J 7 5 2 ♦ K 9 3 ♣ 8 6 4
Only 6 HCP. Pass and wait for your partner.
How do you respond to a one-of-a-suit opening?
You need 6 or more points to respond. With fewer, pass. Once you respond, you tell partner how strong you are by the level you choose.
| Partner opens 1♥ or 1♠ | Your points | Your response |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or more cards in partner's major | 6 to 9 | Raise to 2 of the major (some partnerships stretch this to 10) |
| 4 or more cards in partner's major | 10 to 12 | Jump to 3 of the major (invites game) |
| Fit in partner's major | 13 or more | Bid game, 4♥ or 4♠ |
| No fit, a 4-card suit you can bid at the 1 level | 6 or more | Bid that suit at the 1 level |
| No fit, no suit to bid cheaply | 6 to 9 | 1NT |
| A new suit you cannot show at the 1 level | 10 or more | Bid it at the 2 level (4 or more cards in a minor, 5 or more in a major) |
When partner opens a minor (1♣ or 1♦), look for a major first. With four or more cards in hearts or spades and 6 points, respond 1♥ or 1♠, bidding the cheaper major with two four-card majors. Without a major, raise partner's minor with real support or bid 1NT.
♠ 9 5 2 ♥ K 8 4 ♦ Q J 7 3 ♣ 9 6 2
Partner opens 1♥. You have 6 HCP and three hearts. Raise to 2♥, the simple raise.
♠ K 5 ♥ Q 9 6 3 ♦ A 8 7 4 ♣ J 8 4
Partner opens 1♥. You have 10 HCP and four hearts. Jump to 3♥ to invite game.
♠ 8 4 ♥ J 7 2 ♦ K 9 6 5 ♣ Q 9 8 3
Partner opens 1♠. You have 6 HCP, two spades and no suit worth bidding at the 1 level. Respond 1NT.
How do you respond to a 1NT opening?
With 0 to 7 points pass, with 8 or 9 invite by bidding 2NT, and with 10 or more bid 3NT. Partner has shown 15 to 17 points, so add your own: about 25 combined points makes 3NT. Conventions such as Stayman and transfers sit on top of this, and partnerships agree on them in advance.
Does everyone bid the same way?
No. Everything above is a beginner Standard American framework. Real partnerships agree on ranges and conventions, and clubs differ on details like the exact limit of a simple raise. When you play with someone new, ask what they play.
How does Bridge Trainer help?
Bridge Trainer is a free iPhone and iPad practice app for newer players. Its hand-reading drills deal a 13-card hand and ask for the opening call, then explain the decision with the points and shape that settled it. It also covers card basics, declarer play and defense. There are no opponents, so you can run a dozen hands in a few minutes, and the app works offline.
Practice opening bids on real hands
Bridge Trainer deals 13-card hands and grades your opening call with the reasoning behind it. Free on iPhone and iPad.
See Bridge TrainerQuestions
How many points do you need to open the bidding in bridge?
Open one of a suit with 13 or more high-card points. A 12 can open when it passes the Rule of 20: add your points to the lengths of your two longest suits, and open if the total is 20 or more. With fewer than that, pass and let partner speak.
What is a 1NT opening in bridge?
1NT shows 15 to 17 high-card points and a balanced hand, with no singleton or void and at most one doubleton. It tells partner almost everything about your hand in one call.
How many points do you need to respond to an opening bid?
Six. With fewer than 6 points you pass. With 6 to 9 you make a minimum response, with 10 to 12 you invite game, and with 13 or more you are strong enough for game.
What do you open with two five-card suits?
With two suits of equal length, open the higher-ranking one; with unequal lengths, open the longer suit. With five spades and five hearts open 1♠, then bid the second suit on your next turn. Opening the higher suit first means you can bid the lower one later without showing extra strength.
How do you count high-card points in bridge?
Ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1, and nothing for lower cards. The deck holds 40 in total, so an average hand has 10.
What is the best bridge bidding system for beginners?
Standard American is a good first system. It is what this page, Karen Walker's beginner guide (in the sources below) and Bridge Trainer use: five-card majors, a 15 to 17 point 1NT, and the longer minor otherwise. Whatever you learn, agree on it with your partner, because clubs and partnerships differ on details.
What do you bid in bridge with 20 points?
As opener it depends on shape. With a balanced 20 or 21 points, open 2NT (a balanced 22 to 24 opens 2♣ and rebids 2NT). With an unbalanced 20, open one of a suit (Standard American one-level openings cover about 13 to 21 points) and show the extra strength on your next bid, because the artificial 2♣ is kept for hands of about 22 or more. If partner has already opened, 20 points puts the partnership in slam range, since about 33 combined points is the guide for a small slam.
Sources
Bridge Trainer is an independent app and is not affiliated with the ACBL or any bridge organization. Partnership agreements vary.