ACBL28 – Bidding: Distributional Hands Ward Trumbull
Jan 18, 2009
Page 1 of 3
In the Standard American bidding system there very specific rules to
follow when bidding distributional hands. By “distributional’, we mean
two-suited hands with 5-5, 5-6, 6-6, etc.. Before explaining these rules,
we must point out the problem players have with bidding “normal” hands.
Quiz
Spades - x x x
Hearts - A K Q 10
Diams - K x x x
Clubs - x x
As dealer you open 1 diamond and partner responds 1 spade.
What is your next bid?
Answer: Wrong Rebids
Two spades assumes/hopes partner has 5+ spades.
Two hearts pays no attention to the fact that partner denied 4 hearts.
Answer: Correct Rebid
One notrump.
Explanation
1. Support partner’s suit only when you are sure there are 8+ cards
between the two hands in that suit.
2. If partner passes up bidding a major (implying he/she doesn’t have
4 cards in that major), believe it! Don’t come back and bid a 4
card suit in that major.
DO YOU GET IT?
ACBL28 – Bidding: Distributional Hands Jan 18, 2009
Page 2 of 3
5/5 Distribution and 6/6 Distribution
ALWAYS bid the higher ranking suit when you have a 5/5 or 6/6 hand.
That is: spades before hearts, majors before minors and diamonds
before clubs. Point count in the suits is immaterial. That applies:
1. When opening the bidding
2. When overcalling
3. When responding
5/5 and 6/6 Reasons
There are two reasons for the higher-suit-first rule.
1. If partner has to pick between the two suits, he/she can
choose either at the same level.
Example: You Partner
----------------- --------------------------------------
GOOD 1 spade 1 notrump
2 hearts pass (prefer hearts) OR
2 spades (prefer spades)
BAD
1 heart 1 notrump
2 spades pass or 3 hearts (next level)
2. When you rebid the second suit again, you tell partner the extended length in both suits.
Example: You Partner Comment
----------------- -------------- ------------------------
GOOD 1 spade 1 notrump
2 hearts 5 spades & 4 hearts
2 notrump
3 hearts 5 spades & 5 hearts
or 6 spades & 5 hearts
ACBL28 – Bidding: Distributional Hands Jan 18, 2009
Page 3 of 3
6/5 Distribution
Always bid the six card suit first, including a minor suit over a major
suit. Note that point count in the suits is immaterial.
Again that applies:
1. When opening the bidding
2. When overcalling
3. When responding
6/5 Distribution Problem
If you failed the opening quiz and choose not to change your ways,
then you’ll always have trouble bidding 6/5 hands. More correctly,
your partner will have trouble. Here’s how you bid a 6/5 hand and how not
to incorrectly bid something else.
Bad Bidding From Quiz Correct Bidding for 6/5 Hand
-------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------
You Partner You Partner
---------------- ----------------------- ----------------- ---------------------
1 diamond 1 spade 1 diamond 1 spade
* 2 hearts * 2 hearts
* a 4 card suit * describes a 6/5 hand
Think about it……. How else can you describe a 6 diamonds and 5 hearts hand? If you bid the hearts first, it will take 3 diamond rebids to tell of the 6 diamonds. Also (per the rules above), the third diamond bid says you have 6+ hearts.