Summary of ACOL Bidding System

Summary of ACOL bidding system for beginners

Points counting

HIGH CARDSLENGTH DUMMY(do not include in initial bidding)

Ace4 points5-card suit1 pointVoid5 points

King3 points6-card suit2 pointsSingleton3 points

Queen2 points7-card suit3 pointsDoubleton1 points

Jack1 point8-card suit4 points

You either count length or dummy points and not both.

Suit ranking: Clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades & No trumps.

Zone guidelines The opener should classify his hand as follows

ZONE / POINTS REQUIRED / POINTS REQUIRED
Grand slam / 37 or more points / 12-15 points / small
Small slam / 33 or more points / 16-18 points / medium
Game / 25 or more points / 19 or more / large
Part game / less than 25 points

A balanced hand is one with no void, no singleton and not more than one doubleton. An unbalanced hand is the one that is not a balanced hand.

Open the bidding with more than 12 points

Opening with balanced hand

Less than 12pass (However, after 3 passes the 4th player can open 1NT with 11 points)

12-141 NT

15-16open one of a suit, planning to rebid 1NT

17-19open one of a suit, planning to jump in NT

20-22open 2NT

23-24Open 2C - planning to rebid 2NT

25-27Open 2C - planning to rebid 3NT

Responding to an opening bid of 1NT (if not playing transfers)

0-10 pointsStop in part game (bid 2D, 2H or 2S with a five or six card suit and an unbalanced hand); otherwise pass

11-12 invite your partner to game zone - bid 2NT

13 or more with a six-card or longer suit - bid 4H or 4S;
with a five-card or longer suit - bid 3H or 3S (asking for more information)
otherwise bid 3NT

StaymenBid 2C to ask the partner whether he has a 4-card major suit. You need to have 10-12 points and should have 4 card major suits. If you have 5-card major, bid that suit

Opening with unbalanced hands

Less than 12 pointspass

12 - 19 points1 of a longest suit;

With 2 4-card suits, open lower ranking; With 2 5-card suits, open higher ranking

With 3 4-card suits, open middle ranking

20 - 22 pointsbid 2D, 2H, and 2S (BUT NOT 2C)

23 points or morebid 2C (artificial) to indicate your strength

Responding to an opening bid of a major suit (H or S)

Supporting partner’s

major suit

Balanced hand and no

interest in partner’s

major suit - bid NT

/ Bidding a new suit to
partner’s major

0-5 points

Pass

6-9

/ Raise to 2 level /

Bid 1 NT

bid a new suit only if

you can do so at one

level; otherwise bid

1 NT

10-12

/ Raise to 3 level /

Bid 2 NT

bid a new suit (even if

it is at two level)

13 to 19

Raise to 4 level

Bid 3 NT

Jump bid a new suit

More than 19

Go for a slam

Responding to an opening bid of a minor suit (C or D)

Supporting partner’s

minor suit

Balanced hand and no

interest in partner’s

minor suit - bid NT

/ Bidding a new suit to
partner’s minor

0-5 points

pass

6-9

/ raise to 2 level /

bid 1 NT

bid a new suit only if

you can do so at one

level; otherwise bid

1 NT

10-12

/ raise to 3 level /

bid 2 NT

bid a new suit (even if

it is at two level)

13 to 17

raise to 4 level

bid 3 NT

Ditto

18 to 19

Raise to 5 level

Ditto

More than 19

Go for a slam

Go for a lam

Rebids by the opener after he has opened 1 of a suit and the partner has supported his suit

Small(6 to 9)medium(10 – 12)large (>12)

After responder raises own suit to 2 levelpassmove to 3 levelbid game

After responder raises own suit to 3 levelpassbid gamebid game

Rebids after 1 NT response

Unbalanced hand

Smallbid a new suit or rebid your original suit at the two level

Mediumbid a new suit or rebid your original suit by jumping to three level

Largebid a new suit by jumping to 3 level or rebid your original suit by jumping to game level

Balanced hand

15-16 pointspass

17-18raise to 2 NT

19 or moreraise to 3 NT

Rebids after partner responds with a new suit

Unbalanced hand

Smallbid a new suit or rebid your original suit at the two level

Mediumbid a new suit at the two level or rebid your original suit by jumping to three level

Largebid a new suit by jumping to 3 level or rebid your original suit by jumping to game level

Balanced hand

15-16 pointsrebid NT at the cheapest available level

17-18rebid NT, jumping one level

19 or morerebid NT, jumping two levels

Overcalls and responses

Requirements for an overcall in a suit• a good five-card suit
• 8-15 HCPs for an overcall at one level
• 10-15 HCPs for an overcall at two level

Requirements for an overcall in 1 NT• a balanced hand with 16-18 points

Requirements for a jump overcall • a six-card or longer suit with 16-19 points

Requirements for a pre-emptive jump overcall • a good seven-card or longer suit with 6-10 points

Takeout double

Requirement for a takeout double• Opening hand (counting dummy points and support for unbid suits.

Responses to takeout double

0-9bid your suit as inexpensively as possible

10-12bid your suit jumping 1 level

13 or morebid to game zone

Pre-emptive bid and response

A good seven-card or longer suit and less than opening points (6-10)- bid 3 of that suit

Response is generally a pass unless you have 16 or more points.

Strong two bids

20-22 points - balanced hand- bid 2NT

20-22 points - unbalanced hand- bid 2D, 2H or 2S

23 or more points (balanced or unbalanced hand)- bid 2C (artificial bid) - forcing

Responding to a 2C opening

0-7 pointsbid 2D, the negative response

8 or morebid a good five card or longer suit

Responding to an ACOL two bid

0-7 pointsbid 2NT, the negative response

8 or moreraise with three card or longer suit, otherwise bid a new suit

Slam bidding

33-36 pointsbid a contract in the small slam zone

37 or more bid a contract in the grand slam zone

Responding to Blackwood (4NT) - after trump suit agreed and no trump has not been bid - and Gerber (4C) - after no trump suit agreed- conventions

BlackwoodGerber

No acesbid 5Cbid 4D

1 acebid 5Dbid 4H

2 acesbid 5Hbid 4S

3 acesbid 5Sbid 4NT

Kings could be enquired at 5NT level in Blackwoodand at 5C level in Gerber. Progressive Blackwood and Gerber convention could be used if agreed in advance with the partner.

07/11/2018109:56