April 2016 - 46

Newer Players

Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS

Hi Jerry,
It seems to me that Jonathan's
hand in your February 2016 article
(pg. 46) doesn't quite meet your
Suggestion of 22 requirement. The
hand adds up to only 19 according to
your scale: 10 high-card points plus
6 (spades) plus 3 (hearts).
Marsha
Hi Jerry,
My partner and I have been discussing the whens and whys of Rule
of 20 openings. Regarding your Suggestion of 22 in the February 2016
Bridge Bulletin, Jonathan's hand in
the second example does not meet
the Rule of 20 or your Suggestion of
22.
Gina
Hi Marsha, Gina and a host of others,
Years ago, I was asked to speak to
a group of bridge players and nonplayers as part of an enrichment series
lecture program. I attempted to relate
some Jerry-isms to aspects of real life.
At one point I said, "If you ever hope to
be successful, you must learn how to
color outside the lines."
My non-bridge-playing wife, Gini,
was in attendance, and she gave me an
incredulous look. Afterwards, I asked
her why the look. She said, "How could
you possibly tell people to color outside
the lines when you've never seen a line
in your life?"

46 Bridge Bulletin April 2016

jerryhelms.com

Online dictionaries define rule as
"what is or is not allowed in a particular game, situation, etc."
A suggestion is "an idea ... put forward for consideration."
The Rule of 20, as attributed to
Marty Bergen, was intended as a
method to determine whether to
open hands with marginal highcard strength in first or second
position. Using the Rule of 20, add
your high-card points to the number of cards you hold in the two longest suits, and if the total equals 20
or more, you have an opening bid.
My mantra for opening the bidding is
the Suggestion of 22, which is an embellishment on the Rule of 20: If highcard points plus length of two longest
suits equals at least 20, a hand qualifies
as a one-level opening bid provided it
contains at least two quick tricks.
I believe that blind adherence to
rules does not make one a very good
bridge player. For example, you hold:
♠Q J ♥Q J ♦Q J 6 5 ♣Q J 4 3 2.
Using the Rule of 20, your 12 HCP
plus nine cards in your two longest
suits adds up to 21; so therefore, this is
an opening hand?! You have no aces or
kings - zero quick tricks!
By the same token, Jonathan's hand:
♠K 9 7 6 4 3 ♥A K 5 ♦7 5 4 ♣10,
was a tad short of my suggestion, but
then again, that's why I prefer suggestions to rules.

I tell my students that they must
open the bidding if their values meet
or exceed "22." When their judgment is
limited because of lack of experience, I
urge them to think about reasons to bid
rather than excuses to pass.
Holding Jonathan's hand, you can
count 10 HCP, six spades and three
hearts. You also have two and a half
quick tricks. Pass??
If you pass, do you hope to overcall
later holding this less-than-solid suit?
Are you happy about the prospects of
allowing the opponents to begin their
exchange of information at the lowest
possible level? Will your partner really
play you to have this much defensive
strength after your original pass?
In my opinion, Alvin Roth's greatest contribution to bridge theory was
this aphorism: "Always plan a second
bid before you choose a first." On this
hand, plan to open 1♠ and rebid your
six-card suit at the lowest available
level to convey the information that
you have more than five spades and
minimum values.
Relax. If your crayon crosses over a
line, you don't have to tear the page out
of the coloring book and throw it away.
To me, a rule in bridge is just another
line I've never seen.
◾
Send your questions to
askjerry@jerryhelms.com

http://www.jerryhelms.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2016