Notrump Bidding

No Trump is the baseline of any bidding system

• Opening or Overcalling in No Trump starts the bidding off at the best possible place -- with a limited bid.

(This is why some Duplicate players are going to a 13 or even a 10 HCP No Trump minimum opening range. However, at this time -- early 1998 -- the percentage is probably about 10% to 15% of Duplicate players.)

 

• Preferred Responses to opening NT are Stayman or Jacoby Transfer to find four- and five-card major suit fits.
  
• Responder is always in charge of placing the final contract.
  
• There is no lower limit of HCP for a response to a 1 NT or 2NT opening -- responder can do whatever is right to improve the contract.
  
• Regardless of the opening bid, Duplicate is a game about Major suits, and they should always be preferred to any other contract -- especially to Minor suit contracts.
  
• Don't cheat "a point here and there" -- your partner has to trust you time after time after time. Trust is far more important than the occasional good result from 'fudging a little'.