100 Honors — Awesome
Any suit containing four honors can be bid as though it were one card longer.
The Forgotten Honor
The 10 is an honor card. Make sure you treat it with respect.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
If all you need from partner to make a game is a minimum hand with the right card(s) — bid ’em up
I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing
When you have a fit, the value of dummy’s void is equal to his number of trumps.
You Can’t Be Too Shapely
Five-five, come alive.
Number One
A hand rich in aces should be upgraded, even if those aces are unsupported.
Know Your Limit
An ideal limit raise in a major includes four trumps and 10-12 distribution points.
Hardly Working
Honors in partner’s short suit(s) are usually not worth much.
Opener’s Decisions
Bid More With Less
When you open 1 or 1 and partner makes a limit raise, never pass if you have a singleton or void.
A Minor Dilemma
With four diamonds and five clubs, open 1 only when your minimum opening bid includes strong diamonds.
6–4–6
When opener has 6-4 distribution, he should usually show his four-card suit before rebidding the sixbagger.
Flat as a Pancake
Once you open 1 with a totally flat hand (4-3-3-3), NEVER introduce a four-card major at your second turn.
Don’t Wait for a Fourth
Opener can raise a 1 or 1 response to the two level with just three trumps.
Out of Balance
When you open 1 or 1 and partner responds 1 , it is often right to rebid 1NT with a singleton
spade.
It’s not Necessarily Over
When partner responds in a new suit, opener’s jump to game is NOT a signoff.
Play It Again, Sam
In a competitive auction, opener can rebid a four-card minor once it has been raised.
Responder’s Decisions
A Minor Fib
If you are stuck for a bid, it is okay to lie about your length in a minor suit.
Dance with Who Brung Ya
With a choice between raising partner’s 1 opening bid to 2 or responding 1 — “support with
support.”
Just Another Four – Card Minor
A 2 or 2 response to 1 or 1 can be made with a four-card suit.
Do We Have a Future?
Answering “Yes, no or maybe” to “Do we have a game?” will often help responder decide what to do.
Not Ready for a Commitment
When responder’s major is raised to the two level, he should not jump to game with only four trumps.
I’m Game for Anything
After your partnership has bid three suits, responder’s bid of the fourth suit is an artificial game force.
Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too
When your partnership has bid three suits at the one level, responder’s jump is NOT forcing — it is invitational.
This Honor is No Stiff
When partner promises a six-card suit, you can support him with a singleton honor.
