Opening the three hand types: Balanced, Distributional and 4441

• Balanced: total cards in two longest suits <9, no singletons (ie 4333, 4432 or 5332)

  • 12-14:

    1NT, 1 or 1

    • quality rebiddable 5-card Major:

      1 or 1

    • otherwise:

      1NT

  • 15-19:

    1 of longest suit

    • Choice of suit

      • 4432:

        lower ranking suit, except 1 if both red suits

    • Intended rebid

      • 4432:

        immediately support 4-card Major to level based on TTP (see also Winning Trick Count)

      • 15-16:

        NT at lowest available level

      • 17-18:

        NT jumping one level

      • 19:

        3NT

  • 20-22:

    2NT

  • 23+:	2 game force - negative response 2

    
    
    
• Distributional: total cards in two longest suits = 9+

  • 5-9:	Weak Two of a Major suit or Pre-empt in any suit

    • quality 6-card Major suit:

      2 or 2 (Weak Two)

      • Responding to Weak Two
        • raise - weak, based on TTP - opener passes
        • suit change - weak, to play - opener passes
        • 2NT - 14+ points
          • Opener's rebid following 2NT response to Weak Two - based on F-test:
            • To calculate F:
              • P = points in hand
              • H = number of AKQJT honours in hand
              • F = P + H

            • F < 10:

              minimum hand - rebid 6-card suit at 3-level

            • F = 10+:

              maximum hand - rebid in order of priority

              1. 4-card other Major
              2. 3NT with 2 or 3 AKQ honours in 6-card suit
              3. least worst Minor

    • quality 7+-card suit, no outside A or K:

      3 of 7+-card suit (Pre-empt)

  • 10 with quality 6+card suit:

    1 of 6+card suit (Acol Light Opener)

  • 11 with quality 5+card suit:

    1 of 5+card suit (Acol Light Opener)

  • 12-19:

    1 of longest suit

    • Choice of suit

      • 5521 or 6610:

        higher ranking suit, except 1 if both black suits

  • 20+:

    • <8 Winners (see Winning Trick Count):

      1 of longest suit - higher ranking if equal

    • 8+ Winners (see Winning Trick Count):

      2 Strong Two - over partner's 2 relay, bid suit (Reverse Benjamin)

      
      
      
• 4441: neither Balanced nor Distributional

  • <14:

    Pass

  • 14+:

    1 or 1

    • Choice of suit

      • with red singleton:

        1

      • with black singleton:

        1

    • Intended rebid

      • if partner bids singleton:

        NT at lowest available level

References

• Paul Mendelson
  • The Right Way to Play Bridge, Elliot Right Way Books (1994)
  • Control the Bidding, Elliot Right Way Books (2003)
• Andrew Robson
  • Bridge: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, HarperCollins Publishers (2005)