ACBL25 – Bidding: Finger Bidding                Ward Trumbull

                                                                                                                   May 10, 2004

                                                                                                                   Page 1 of 3

Reference

        ACBL03 - Weak 2s and the OGUST Convention

        ACBL05 - Strong 2s and Jacoby Step Response

        ACBL08 - Gerber and Blackwood....Ace Asking Conventions

        ACBL09 - Roman Key Card....Gerber and Blackwood

Commonality

      All of these asking bidding conventions have sequential suit/notrump responses that tend to be difficult to learn and remember.

      Convention                      Asking Bid       Response Options

      ---------------------              --------------        --------------------------------------------------------

      Strong 2/Jacoby              2 Clubs            2 diamonds thru 3 Clubs   (or more)

      Ogust                              2 Notrump        3 clubs thru 3 notrump

      Gerber                            4 Clubs             4 diamonds thru 4 notrump

      Roman Key Gerber        4 Clubs             4 diamonds thru 4 notrump

      Blackwood                      4 Notrump        5 clubs thru 5 spades

      R. K. Blackwood             4 Notrump        5 clubs thru 5 spades

Common Thought Process

      1. What do you want to tell your partner?

              Strong 2/Jacoby              High card points

              Ogust                              High card points (minimum/maximum) and whether or         

                                                            not you have 2 of the top 3 honors in your bid suit

              Gerber                            The number of aces

              Roman Key Gerber         The number of controls and maybe your suit queen

              Blackwood                      The number of aces

              Roman Key Blackwood   The number of controls and maybe your suit queen

               ACBL25 – Bidding: Finger Bidding                   May 10, 2004

                                                                                                                   Page 2 of 3

Common Thought Process (continued)

      2. What are the convention options?

              Strong 2/Jacoby              HCP in increments of three

              Ogust                              Miny-1, Miny-2, Maxy-1, Maxy-2 and BINGO

              Gerber                             Zero-or-four, one, two or three

              Roman Key Gerber         Zero-or-three, one-or-four, two-no, two yes

              Blackwood                      Zero-or-four, one, two or three

              Roman Key Blackwood   Zero-or-three, one-or-four, two-no, two-yes

      3. Which option corresponds to my holding?

              Is it the first, second, third.........?

      4. Which suit/notrump bid corresponds to that option?

             It depends on which convention is being used, of course.

Let’s Make It a Little Easier - Finger Bidding

      Put your cards down.  Put your hands below the table.  Figure it out on your fingers.

          That’s the way I learned and most every other good bridge

          player did too.

Finger Bidding

      1. What do you want to tell your partner........HCP, Honors, Aces, Controls?

                ACBL25 – Bidding: Finger Bidding                 May 10, 2004

                                                                                                                   Page 3 of 3

Finger Bidding (continued)

      2. Use the following table on your fingers and stop at the correct option.

      Convention        1st Finger      2nd Finger      3rd Finger      4th Finger      5th Finger

      ---------------        -------------      --------------      --------------      -------------      --------------

      Jacoby Step       0 to 3            4 to 6              7 to 9              10 to 12          and so on

      Ogust                 Miny-1          Miny-2             Maxy-1             Maxy-2           Bingo

      Gerber               0 or 4            1                      2                     3

      RK Gerber         0 or 3            1 or 4               Two no           Two yes

      Blackwood         0 or 4            1                      2                     3

      RK Blackwood   0 or 3            1 or 4               Two no           Two yes

      3. Squeeze the last finger touched (it helps).

      4. Use that finger to determine the correct bid

      Convention        1st Finger      2nd Finger      3rd Finger      4th Finger      5th Finger

      ---------------        ---------------    --------------      --------------      -------------      --------------

      Jacoby Step       2 diamonds   2 hearts          2 spades        2 notrump      and so on

      Ogust                 3 clubs          3 diamonds     3 hearts          3 spades       3 notrump

      Gerber (either)   4 diamonds   4 hearts           4 spades        4 notrump

      Blckwd (either)   5 clubs          5 diamonds     5 hearts          5 spades

      5. Pick up your cards and make the correct bid.

          ----------------------------------------------------------