For New Bridge players, this game is more like a video game than the traditional card room play. Most of us play and practice using Bridge Base (BBO) with it’s Robots.
BBO Robots follow their own convention called GIB (Ginsberg’s Intelligent Bridgeplayer). It’s largely inspired by Standard American : 2over1Game Forcing, Strong NT (15-17 HCP), Weak 2, Strong 2!c etc…
For all those BBO Robot aficionados, following table and it’s links can be useful in understanding bridge grammar, conventions and it’s colloquial laws (largely empirical)
It’s work in progress right now. But has sufficient data for this site to be useful as a ready reference.
Disclaimer: I have researched and written these articles for the benefit of Bridge community at large. I have no association with Bridge Base or commercial interest in writing this blog.
| Basic Bidding Construct | ||
| Opener’s 1st bid | ||
| Responder’s 1st bid | Also check conventions | |
| Opener’s 2nd bid (Rebid) | ||
| Responder’s 2nd Bid | ||
| Slam Investigations | Control bids post FIT, 3014RKBC, Quantitative 4NT, Gerber | |
| Declarer’s Play | Suit Promotion | |
| Opening Bids | Strong 2!c | |
| Weak 2 Preemptive | ||
| Strong No Trump-1NT or 2NT | Opening a balanced hand | |
| Doubles | Takeout Double | Covers Balancing Double, Second Double and Penalty Double |
| Negative Double | Also defines what is a free bid | |
| Support Double | ||
| Lead directing double | Double over alerts | |
| Double over 1NT | ||
| Double to show Stayman | Cappellette eats up 2!c. Double shows Stayman | |
| Redouble | ||
| Penalty Double | ||
| Balancing Double | ||
| Responsive Double | ||
| Second Double | ||
| Lightner Double | ||
| Bridge Grammar | Minimum, Invitational and Game Forcing hands | |
| Guidelines on Forcing and Non Forcing | ||
| Yarborough Hand | ||
| No trump ranges in bids and overcalls | ||
| Up The Line Bids | ||
| Reverse Rebid | useful for unbalanced strong hands | |
| Overcalls | Overcall a suit or NT | |
| Michael’s Cue Bid | ||
| Unusual 2NT | ||
| Cappellette | over 1NT opening | |
| Conventions–Game Forcing | 2 over 1 Game Forcing | |
| Jacoby 2NT | ||
| Splinter | ||
| 4th Suit Forcing | ||
| New Suit Post Transfers | After Jacoby transfer or successful Stayman | |
| Smolen | See 2!d failed Stayman response | |
| Texas Transfer | ||
| Responder’s Reverse | ||
| Minor Stayman | Over 1NT opening | |
| Conventions-One Round Forcing | Inverted Minors | Preference to 3NT over 5 Minors game |
| New Minor Forcing | 2nd bid of responder as invite when he bids Major in 1st bid. | |
| Forcing 1NT over a Major opening | ||
| Cue Bids | Cue Bids before trump FIT is agreed | |
| Truscott aka Jordan | Response post Double over Major opening 3+ cards support and Invitational hand. | |
| Stayman | Over 1NT opening | |
| Jacoby Transfer | Over 1NT opening | |
| Minor Transfer | Over 1NT opening | |
| Reverse Drury | Balancing seat opening response. | |
| 2NT response on weak preemptive opening | ||
| Two way game tries | ||
| Soloway Jump Shifts | 17+ TP responder hand | |
| Conventions-Slam | Control Bids aka Cue Bids post FIT | |
| 3014 Roman Keycard Blackwood Convention | ||
| Quantitative 4NT | ||
| Gerber | ||
| Hand Assessment | Suit Quality Assessment | useful in overcalling |
| Losing trick count | FIT in trump suit is mandatory | |
| Total Points vs HCP | ||
| Laws of Bridge-most empirical | Law of Total Tricks | useful in part scores |
| Rule of 20 | ||
| Rule of 2 or 3 or 4 | ||
| Rule of 11 | ||
Sunil Khanna 