Notrump Openings

Notrump Is the Foundation. Notrump openings are the baseline for all bidding systems. It's the most important bid to make whenever the HCP and shape warrant because it's one of the few limited opening bids available. Limited bids help partner visualize your hand.

In addition, 1 NT and 2 NT are preemptive to the opponents -- few partnerships can bid accurately over an opening 1 NT and none can bid comfortably.

Responses Are Easy. Responses are simple as responder knows within a very narrow range what's in the opener's hand in both high card points and distribution.

Major suit contracts will almost always be located and bid with the use of Stayman and Jacoby Transfer conventions, so the opening 1 NT or 2 NT should not be thought of as determining the contract type.

Strength for 1 Notrump Opening

The Standard American HCP (High Card Point) range for opening 1 NT is 16 - 18 but almost all competitive players open with 15 - 17 HCP. You should too.

There are several reasons for this slightly lower point range for 1NT openings -- each is important at Duplicate . It lets you bid NT more often than with 16 - 18 point bids It's more preemptive to opponents because you bid it more often It makes the 2 NT opening and openers between 1 NT and 2 NT HCP ranges more specific.

Not Notrump? More than with other bids, the implications of not opening Notrump are important.

If opener opens 1 Club and later bids Notrump, can he have Notrump values with flat distribution? No, because he would have opened 1NT originally.

Remember this for defensive bidding also. Your opponents bid the same way you do, just not as well.

To play competitive bridge, first get your partnership Notrump bidding sequences down pat. Opening suit sequences will then make more sense and will be easier to determine.

Two Notrump. is treated exactly the same as One Notrump except for a higher HCP range.