CAMBRIDGE STANDARD
OPENING BIDS
In the game of bridge, a most important feature is to pronounce the very first bid, or open the auction. Many bridge partnerships have therefore developed partnership understandings to the significance of these opening bids. The responses and rebids are more or less traditional in their interpretations, and use the normal conventions to establish the final contract.
It is important for the individual bridge reader to understand that the origins of most versions of Opening Bids are clouded in mystery and no one truly knows the precise moment when they appeared. Below is the chart for the Cambridge Standard Opening Bids, which could be attributed to the Cambridge University in England.
1
:
12-21 HCPs and a 3-card plus Club suit 1
:
12-21 HCPs and a 3-card plus Diamond suit 1
:
12-21 HCPs and a 5-card plus Heart suit 1
:
12-21 HCPs and a 5-card plus Spade suit 1 NT:
12-14 HCPs plus, balanced and/or forcing 2
22 HCPs and any shape 2
8-11 HCPs and a 6-card plus Diamond suit 2
8-11 HCPs and a 6-card plus Heart suit 2
8-11 HCPs and a 6-card plus Spade suit 2 NT:
20-21 HCPs and balanced
Most of the partnerships employ Inverted Minors after a Minor suit opening. Included in the partnership understanding is that a 2 No Trump response after a Major suit opening indicates at least a 3-card support but only invitational values. Any Two Over One response is considered to be game forcing, otherwise the response should not exceed 1 No Trump.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.
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