Bridge topics, plainly explained.
Short guides to the bids and plays people ask about most, taken from our ACOL and 5‑card majors lessons: what each one is, when you use it, and one example. The full lessons, with practice hands, are in the app.
Bidding
- The 1NT opening
1NT is the most precise opening bid: in one call it tells your partner how strong your hand is, and roughly what shape it is.
- Responding to one of a suit
A response is the answer to partner’s opening bid, and the player making it is the responder.
- Stayman
Stayman is a convention: after partner opens 1NT, a 2♣ response asks whether opener holds a four-card major.
- Transfers
Over partner’s 1NT, a transfer shows a five-card major by bidding the suit below it (2♦ for hearts, 2♥ for spades); partner completes the transfer.
- Blackwood
Blackwood is a slam-going convention: a bid of 4NT asks partner how many aces they hold.
- Weak twos
A weak two (2♦, 2♥ or 2♠) shows a good six-card suit and about 5 to 10 points, mostly in the suit, with no side four-card major.
- Pre-empts
A pre-empt is a high opening, at the three, four or five level, made on a weak hand with a long suit.
When the opponents open
- The take-out double
A take-out double is an asking bid: instead of proposing to defend, it asks partner to choose a suit.
- Overcalls
An overcall is a bid made after the opponents have opened the bidding: it tells partner “I have this specific suit.”
Declarer play
- The finesse
A finesse is an attempt to win a trick with a card that isn’t the highest out, by playing it when the danger card is likely to be trapped.
Defence
- Opening leads
The opening lead is the very first card of the play, made by the defender to declarer’s left before dummy appears.
Counting points and scoring have handouts of their own: Counting Your Hand and Scoring Cheat Sheet.
Learn it properly
Bridge Unlocked teaches the game step by step, with real hands to play. Bridge Basics is free.