Responding to 1NT openings

Responding to 1NT Openings: no 4+ Major

This is the simplest case of all, and some very basic addition will get you to the right answers in the quiz once you have watched the video.

Try some hands

Hand 1

Your partner will open 1NT (this is going to be a common occurrence for the next few modules). Think about your combined point count and choose the best bid. If you have not watched the card play video about hold-up plays, you might want to do that.

Hand 2

After partner’s 1NT opening, it’s not 100% clear whether you belong in game or not. It depends on whether partner is minimum or maximum for their 1NT. Can you make a bid to find out? Remember the hold-up theme? Hint: If the defence lead a potentially long suit, subtract the number of cards you hold between your hand and dummy from seven. The answer is the number of rounds you should hold up if possible.

Hand 3

Again, it’s a question of doing the sums to see whether you should be looking to play at a higher level. There’s a long way to go to establish a winner in your long suit, but it’s worth it.

Hand 4

Wow! More fingers needed to count the points this time! Think carefully about the order in which you play your cards.

Back

Responding to 1NT Openings: no 4+ Major

Question 1/5

Penelope has opened 1NT - she’s going to do that a lot in the next few quizzes - how should Walter respond?

Walter has a weak, balanced hand. Adding his points to even the maximum that Penelope can have in her 15-17 range, he can see that they don't have enough for game, so he should pass and let Penelope play in 1NT.

How about here?

Let's do the sums. If Penelope has the minimum for her bid, 15 points, then the partnership has a total of 24, which is not enough. If she has 16 or 17 though, they do have enough, so Walter should invite game by bidding 2NT

You can probably see this one coming. What should Walter respond this time?

Add Walter's 11 to Penelope's minimum of 15 and we get 26, so the pair (the pair with the pear) definitely have enough for game. Walter can make sure they play there by bidding 3NT.

How should Walter respond with this rather nice hand?

16 plus Penelope's minimum of 15 would give them 31 - not quite enough for slam. But if Penelope has 17 they have 33 between them and that is enough, so Walter should invite slam by bidding 4NT. Penelope will know to pass if she has a minimum hand or bid 6NT with a better hand.

What about with this, even nicer hand?

Even if Penelope has the minimum 15, Walter can see that they have 33 points between them so he can go ahead and bid the slam.

The links below will take you to the Bridge Training website. Because you are practicing responses that will make your partner declarer, you start out in the North seat for the bidding, then you will automatically be swapped to South to play the hand. Have as many goes playing the hands as you like if you don’t get it right the first time.