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 about 13 or more. Open 1NT with a balanced 15 to 17, otherwise open a five-card major, otherwise your longer minor. As responder you need 6 points to bid: raise partner's major with three-card support, bid a new suit with 10 or more, and add your points to partner's to decide on game at about 25.
Count your points first
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 about 13 points, and a partnership needs roughly 25 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.
Opening bids: pick the first call in this order
Pass with fewer than about 12 points. With 13 or more (many players also open a good 12), 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. With five cards in both, open the higher-ranking spades.
- 1♦ or 1♣: otherwise, open your longer minor. With equal length, 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 hand of about 20 to 22, an artificial 2♣ for the very strongest hands). Those come after the basics.
Five opening hands, worked through
♠ 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.
Responding 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.
Responding to 1NT
Partner has shown 15 to 17 points, so add your own. About 25 combined points makes 3NT. With 0 to 7 points pass, with 8 or 9 invite by bidding 2NT, and with 10 or more bid 3NT. Conventions such as Stayman and transfers sit on top of this, and partnerships agree on them in advance.
A caution about agreements
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 Bridge Trainer helps
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?
About 13 high-card points opens at the 1 level, and many players also open a good 12. 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?
Open the higher-ranking suit. With five spades and five hearts open 1♠, then bid the second suit on your next turn. Opening the higher suit lets partner pick between them without raising the level.
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.
Sources
Bridge Trainer is an independent app and is not affiliated with the ACBL or any bridge organization. Partnership agreements vary.