BriJ Conventions

Balanced

• 1NT (weak) shows 12–14 high card points (hcp) in a balanced hand (at most 1 doubleton , no singleton and no void)
• 2NT: 20-22 hcp, balanced (may have singleton ace)

Unbalanced (or balanced with too many hcp for 1NT)

• 1 of a suit: 12–19 high card points and losing trick count (ltc) of at most 7.
• BriJ may open with 2 fewer high card points depending on vulnerability, playing position and the aggression level you have specified (currently Medium)

Opening suit bids at the 2 level

Benji not chosen
• 2♣ is strong (the strongest bid, not necessarily specifying a good club suit) (23-40 high card points )
• 2♦ is strong (20-23 high card points )
• 2♥ is weak (high card points 5-10)
• 2♠ is weak (high card points 5-10)

Opening suit bids at the 3 and 4 level

• A 3-level opening bid in any suit is weak (5–10 high card points ) with a 7 card suit
• A 4-level opening bid in any suit is weak (5–10 high card points ) with an 8 card suit

5-Card Majors not chosen

Response Bids

Stayman

After 1NT with potential high card points for game and a 4-card major, bid 2♣ asking for majors


• With a major, the opener then bids 2♥ or 2♠ to show their lowest-ranked major or
• 2♦ to deny a major

Puppet Stayman after 2NT is a selected option

3♣ asks for 4 or 5 card majors with partnership strength for game
Responses:


• 3♦ shows no 5 card major but at least one 4 card major
• 3♥ or 3♠ shows a 5 card major
• 3NT denies a 4 card major
• After 3♦ response, 4♦ means both majors held
• Otherwise responder bids 3♥ to show 4 spades, 3♠ to show 4 hearts and 3NT to show neither 4-card major held

'Normal' Stayman after 2NT not chosen

Baron after 2NT opener asking for 4-card suit not chosen

Transfers

After 1NT, transfer to a major is a selected option:

With 5 cards in a major,


• 2♦ asks opener to transfer to 2♥
• 2♥ asks opener to bid 2♠
• After 1NT doubled, transfer to any suit, including:  redouble→ 2♣ and 2♣→ 2♦

After 1NT, transfer to a minor is a selected option

• with 6 cards in a minor, 2♠ asks opener to bid 3♣ and responder may correct to 3♦

After 2NT, direct opening or strong Benji rebid is a selected option

• 3♦ requests a transfer to 3♥
• 3♥requests a transfer to 3♠. 3♠ signifies a holding of 4 hearts and 5 spades

Truscott 2NT major suit support is a selected option

• 2NT after partner's 1-suit opener is doubled, signifies good suit support to the 3 level

Jacoby 2NT major suit support is a selected option

• A 2NT bid after partner's 1-suit opener is not overcalled or doubled signifies game-going suit support

Ogust is a selected option

A 2NT bid after partner's weak 2 opener (not overcalled or doubled) asks opener to describe the hand further.
Opener responds:


• 3♣ to show a weak hand with a poor quality suit
• 3♦ to show a weak hand with a good quality suit
• 3♥ to show a near maximum hand with a poor quality suit
• 3♠ to show a near maximum hand (8+ hcp) with a good quality suit (2 of the top 3 honours)

Splinter with a double jump showing singleton or void and suit support is a selected option

• A double jump bid after partner's 1-suit opener (not overcalled or doubled) signifies game-going suit support with a singleton or void in the suit bid

Inverted Minors is a selected option

Support partner's minor suit opener
• a 2-level bid of the minor suggests 10+ hcp looking for game in NT
• a 3-level call is weak, preemptive

Roman Key-card Blackwood (RKCB) is selected (alternative to standard Blackwood)

4NT asks for key-card count (aces and the King of trumps) (used after a suit fit is found, with fewer than a combined 13 losing trick count)


• respond 5♣ = 1 or 4; 5♦ = 3 or 0; 5♥ = 2 (without the Queen of trumps); 5♠ = 2 (with the Queen of trumps).
  
• After 5♦ or 5♥ initial response, bid 1 rank up to ask for Q trumps – “bid slam if you have it” (not currently implemented in BriJ)

Blackwood not chosen

Gerber is not chosen

Quantitative 4NT is selected

• 4NT asks partner to bid 6NT when holding a maximum NT opening hand (ensuring 33+ high card high card points for the partnership and therefore at most one ace in opposition hands); otherwise, pass with fewer hcp

Overcalls

Normal suit overcall

• Over 1 suit opener shows 5 good cards and 8 – 15 high card points (10 hcp or very good suit at the 2 level)
• Jump overcall if strong (12-16 high card points ) with a good 6+ card suit, but beware of 3 clubs if ELH is on your Convention Card!

Unassuming Cue Bids
• Bid the opponent's suit to show strong support for a suit overcall.
  This asks partner to jump bid to show strength (13-15 Hcp and/or few losers)

Normal suit overcall over 1NT

• 2♥ and 2♠ similar to suit overcall at the 2 level, i.e. 10+ hcp and a 6 or good 5- card suit
• Overcall with minors signifies ASPTRO

ELH (modified Ghestem) overcall is selected

Over 1 suit opener, ELH shows at least two 5 card suits
• Use with opening points and a losing trick count at most 7. Bid:-
• Opponents suit = Extreme (highest and lowest ranked) suits held
• 2NT = Lowest ranked of other suits held
• 3♣ = Highest ranked of other suits held

ASPTRO is a selected option

Overcall over 1NT, showing 2-suited hand in at least 9 cards
• Use with opening points and at most a 7 losing trick count
• 2♣ shows ♥and another unspecified suit
• 2♦ shows ♠ and another unspecified suit
• 2NT shows two 5-card minors

Doubles and redoubles

• Over 1NT with 15+ high card points double is for penalties. Partner should try to take out into a long suit with a very weak hand with fewer than 5 high card points
• Over suit openers, including weak preempts, double is for takeout. Later in the auction, double over a bid higher than 2♠ (Acol convention chosen) is for penalties
• A negative double or redouble denies partner's opening suit and (usually) offers major(s) (with balance of points)
• A responsive double may follow partner's takeout double, suggesting any suit will do

Finding NT contracts

• With enough high card points in the partnership (22 for 2NT, 25 for 3NT), BriJ bids suits to show cover. The contract ends with the 'least bad' suit if there is no cover from either partner in a particular suit

Showing a strong hand

• BriJ observes the usual conventions of reverses (bidding over the barrier corresponding to a simple raise of my last bid), jumps in the same suit (showing 6 cards), jump shifts (bidding over the barrier in a new suit).
  All these bids show extra strength beyond a normal opening hand, typically an additional count of 2 - 6 high card points and a reduction of 1 or 2 in the losing trick count

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Playing conventions

Defence leads (in rough order of preference)

• Top of touching honours: a sequence of 2 or more in a suit contract; a sequence of 3 or more in a NT contract
  (In BriJ, ‘touching’ takes account of cards already played and can also take account of cards seen in dummy)
• 4^th down from an honour card
• Singleton or Top of doubleton (in a suit contract)
• 3^rd down from an honour
• Middle-up-down or trump lead if nothing better

Signalling

• Count: high-low = even
• Count: low-high = odd

Discards

• No special methods as yet

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