October 2022 - 48

Newer Players
Reasoning with Robert
Third-seat opening bids
T
hird-seat opening bids are
a bit of an art form. When
partner and RHO are passed
hands, then we may choose to open
in third seat for a variety of reasons
- some different than we normally
consider.
When we open the bidding at the
one level in the first or second seat,
we tend to do so with good values. We
are focused on letting partner know
that we have " more than our fair
share " of the values. (10 HCP is your
statistical average, and an opening
bid generally shows that you hold a bit
more than this). We can still open the
bidding in third seat with the hands
we would in first or second seat, but
there are more options!
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48 | Bridge Bulletin | October 2022
Lead-directing openings
It is common to open the bidding
in third seat with fewer high-card
points than normal, called opening
" light. " When we do open light in
third seat, we do so for a reason - not
just because it is our turn to bid.
There are a variety of reasons we may
choose to do so, but one of the most
common is to get our partner off to a
good opening lead.
5 4 3 kJ 9 4 lK Q J 9 4 'K 4
Here we have only 10 HCP, but
with such a strong diamond suit, it is
reasonable to open 1l in third seat.
We may win the final contract, but
with only 10 HCP and partner being
a passed hand, it is likely that the opponents
have more high-card points
than we do. By opening the bidding
1l, we hope to get partner off to a
good opening lead if the opponents
win the contract.
10 9 2 kA K J 9 lK 2 '9 8 7 2
When we hold a hand like this
in third seat, then we may want
to stretch to open the bidding - a
balanced hand with only 11 HCP.
Our normal opening bid with this
distribution would be 1'. But if we
are going to open the bidding in this
position, we are not interested in
game (partner is a passed hand and
we have a balanced 11 HCP). That
means we should open our best suit
- 1k. In third seat we can open the
bidding with a four-card major - if it
is a good one. If partner raises and we
end up playing in a 4-3 fit, it is likely
to play reasonably well because of the
strength of our four-card suit. If the
opponents win the contract, we much
prefer to have partner lead a heart
BY ROBERT S. TODD
robert@advinbridge.com
advinbridge.com
than a club, so a 1k opening bid is a
good lead-directing action.
Preemptive openings
Another benefit of third-seat opening
bids after two passes is to make
LHO's (the fourth-seat player) life
more difficult. If we stretch to open
the bidding in the third seat with this
purpose, then it pays to bid a higher-ranking
suit. Opening 1', or even
1l, does not obstruct LHO's bidding
much. Opening with a major suit
takes away more of the opponent's
bidding space.
K J 9 5 4 k4 lA J 9 3 'J 5 2
Here you should always stretch to
open 1 in third seat. By opening
1, you force the opponents to the
two level in any suit they want to bid
(likely hearts here). Another consideration
for this type of opening bid is
the vulnerability - the better the vulnerability
for your side (favorable or
no one vulnerable are best), the more
aggressive you can be in stretching to
open the bidding in third seat. Some
players will open this 2 at favorable
vulnerability!
Of course, there are many other
things to consider after opening light.
Responding to third-seat opening
bids should be done carefully, and rebids
after opening light can be tricky.
Make sure that you are taking
advantage of everything you can do
to both help partner and make the
opponent's life difficult when you
have a chance to open the bidding in
the third seat.
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October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
