Whose hand is it? Knowing how to bid in a competitive auction is an important skill. What are the factors that should influence your decision?
Common Mistakes in Bidding
Continuing her popular series of Common Mistakes in Bridge, Tina McVeigh will guide you through the most common bidding mistakes she has seen her students make again and again over the years and teach you how to avoid making them yourself.
Tina McVeigh is one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed bridge teachers, who has represented NZ as a member of the national women’s team. She travels frequently, teaching bridge to both new and experienced players within NZ and overseas. Her Christchurch bridge club, House of Cards, established in 1999, is renowned for its high-quality teaching. Tina’s unique teaching style is fun and highly interactive.
In response to some of your questions:
- These ten lessons feature 5⁓10 minute videos and are pre-recorded. You are able to watch (and re-watch) them whenever you like.
Lessons
Who is the boss? Hand 1
Are you the boss of the auction or is your partner? How can you tell?
Who is the boss? Hand 2
You have barely enough points to make a bid at all. You really don’t want to encourage partner to bid game, do you? Do you promise more strength every time you bid?
Be Competitive!
Are you sometimes nervous about bidding? Worried about breaking the rules? Let’s talk about using the auction to help.
Law Raise
What do you think about after your partner makes an overcall? Do you need lots of points or just trumps?
First Response
Do you sometimes make a bid specifically to show your points? Maybe you can give partner more information.
Double, No Trouble
As the auction progresses, you discover more and more about partner’s hand and you should constantly re-evaluate your own hand.
Misfits
By the time the auction has reached the third round, you are usually in a
good position to decide the final contract. Ask yourself whether your hand has improved during the auction.
Wrong Game
It is so easy to focus solely on your own hand. You should always try very hard to visualise partner’s hand as clearly as possible
To Force or Not?
Be wise and consider what you know about partner before you make a bid.
Tell the Truth!
What do you think is the most important? Telling partner about your points or your shape?