The Rules of ....Five

More rules in BridgeCast this week from Level 3. BridgeCast is Andrew's monthly j subscription service, oin him as he presents a daily deal. To find out more click here. It is also Rule Five, in Andrew's "Rules, Acronyms and Ditties" book which is, providing the inspiration, for his current series of Level 3 daily videos on BridgeCast.

The Rule of Five: If you bid two suits, you should have five(+) cards in your first suit. In other words try not to bid a second suit if you have just four cards in your first suit.

Exercise: What would be your two-bid strategies with these opening hands?

(i). Bid 1 ♠ then, over a 2 ♣, 2 ♦ or 2 ♥ response, rebid 2 NT (15-16 balanced). It is mistaken to open 1 ♦, planning to rebid 1 ♠ over 1 ♥, for that would imply five diamonds. It is precisely because you are not planning to bid both your suits that with a 4-4 major-minor, you should open the major.

(ii). Open 1 ♥ – the exception to the open-higher-ranking-of-equal-length-suits rule for opener. You do not plan to bid spades, unless partner does. Over a 2 ♣, 2 ♦ reply, rebid 2 NT. If partner has responded (say) 2 ♦ with four ♠- five ♦, it is his duty to find the spade fit by bidding 3 ♠ over 2 NT.

(iii). Open 1 ♣ and rebid 1 ♠ – showing five(+) clubs. A classic example of the Rule of Five.

(iv). Open 1 ♦ and rebid 2 ♣ . You are guaranteeing five(+) diamonds. In this case you have six, but prefer to introduce the second suit (than repeat diamonds) as it is cheaper. [With ♠ 3, ♥ AJ102, ♦ AQ8642, ♣ 52 you would rebid the cheaper 2 ♦ after 1 ♦ - 1 ♠ - ?].

[Note the only exceptions to the Rule of Five will occur when you have the dreaded 4441 shape. In these – rareish – situations, do not open at all with poor 12 counts; with 13+ open 1 ♣ with a red-suit singleton and 1 ♥ with a black-suit singleton; rebid notrumps where sensible to avoid breaking the Rule of Five].

On our deal West led the top of his doubleton club v 4 ♥, East winning ♣ Q then playing out ♣ AK. If declarer ruffed low, West would overruff (and this declarer knew from East’s bid and West’s “high-low” lead) and later lose a spade. If he ruffed high, he would lose a trump and a spade later. In either case – down one.

The solution was to throw a spade – a loser in any event – on this third top club (key play). Dummy could overruff West on a fourth club and win any other lead and draw trumps. 10 tricks and game made.