Author Description

"It has been said that the beginning is half of any trip. Bidding is surely half. To be effective, bidding must be comprehensive and therefore complicated; without hierarchical organization, bidding is hard to remember. What can't be remembered can't be used effectively. A system is easier to remember than a disconnected group of rules. This system is just that--a system. Bidding sequences and responses outlined herein are as natural and as simple as possible. An attempt is made to discern general principles that are useful in a variety of situations. Gump divides opening bids into several category types and each type of opening bid is a system unto itself. Categories include 1C which is forcing and shows 16-22 hcp, one of a major shows 11-15 hcp and a 5+ card suit, 1D shows the bids remaining hands that have 11-15 hcp, 1NT shows a 19-21 hcp balanced hcp hand with a possible 5 card major suit, 2C shows a strong forcing opening with 23+ hcp, 2NT shows a balanced 22-24 hcp and 3NT shows a huge hand with a balanced 31-33 hcp. This system features negative free bids and negative free bid doubles, making these bids into general principles that are a part of many defensive and competitive situations. Slam bidding features Q bids that tell about a control in a suit and ask for control of another specific suit as a a prelude to a variety of Roman Keycard--type asks. Kickback and Baby Roman Keycard Blackwood are ways of making asks at levels lower than 4NT. Learning and playing this system will move a player and his partner to a higher level and introduce new ideas to all but the well-rounded expert student of the game of bridge. Even then, the expert will have food for thought."--Back cover