- PRINCIPLE 0: Almost always open, overcall and respond with your clearly longest suit. (That is, except when responding to an opening/overcall of Three of a Suit, when it is often better to bid one's cheapest 4+ card suit.)
- PRINCIPLE 1: An opening bid, overcall or response of One of a Suit always guarantees five or more cards and 8-16 HCP, except when responding to a double. The hand must also satisfy the Rule of 18 — i.e. total HCP plus the combined length of the two longest suits must equal or exceed 18. (One important corollary is that you cannot respond one of a new suit with a four-card suit.)
- PRINCIPLE 2: An opening bid, overcall or response of Two of a Suit always guarantees six or more cards and 3-16 HCP, except when responding to a double. (So, for example, you cannot respond to 1NT with 2 of a suit, part from 2♣, unless you have six cards in that suit. And you cannot bid a natural overcall over 1NT with just five cards in the suit.)
- PRINCIPLE 3: A 6+ card suit can also be opened at the one-level if it satisfies the criteria for such a bid. (This overlap in the ranges for an opening bid helps to keep the bidding low while the partners search for a fit. In practice this means that a two-level opening bid will contain 3-8 HCP, because on any more, the hand would satisfy the criteria for a one-level opening. Two-level overcalls, on the other hand, occupy the full range 3-16 HCP, because opposition bidding will often force a two-level bid.)
- PRINCIPLE 4: There is no difference in the requirements for opening bids and overcalls. They share the same point-count range and the same suit-length requirements.
- PRINCIPLE 5: 1NT, whether bid as an opening, overcall or response, does not claim a stopper in any suit bid by the opponents.
- PRINCIPLE 8: If you have 11-16 HCP and no suit longer than four cards, always open or overcall 1NT, even with a 4-4-4-1 shape. 1NT as a response promises the same distributional restrictions but, on the other hand, contains a wider point range: 8-16 HCP.
- PRINCIPLE 9: Simplex is a fundamentally natural bidding system. The only gadgets used are 2♣ Redshift, 4NT Blackwood, and the Simplex 2NT.
- PRINCIPLE 10: Responding hands with trump support but less than 10 HCP bid immediately to their total trump level. (For example, after a 1♥ opening by partner, a hand containing 6 HCP and four cards in the heart suit would immediately raise to 3♥. Partner is known to have at least five hearts. Add those five to the four that responder has makes nine. Take six from nine means a raise to the 3-level.) Equally if opener has less than 10 HCP but support for responder's suit, he will bid to the total trump level on the second round.
- PRINCIPLE 11: If a bidder cannot make the first-round bid his hand merits (because the opposition have already taken the auction too high), the bidder simply doubles, with an implied message to partner: "RHO has just taken my opening bid away, and I believe it is safe for you to bid at this or one level higher."
- PRINCIPLE 13: Ignore first-round doubles by the opponents. Carry on and make the bid you would have made if the opponents had passed.
- PRINCIPLE 15: There are no suit quality requirements for opening bids and overcalls.
- PRINCIPLE 16: In response to an opening of One or Two of a Suit, responder shows a hand worth a good raise to at least Three of the Suit — i.e. 10+ HCP and 9+ trumps between them — by bidding the Simplex 2NT. If Responder bids a suit on the 1st round, a rebid by opener of 2NT shows that opener has 10+ HCP and that the pair have at least nine cards in responder's suit. And if Opener changes suit on the second round, Responder can bid the Simplex 2NT in reply, showing 10-16 HCP and 4+ card support for Opener's second suit — e.g. 1♥:1♠, 2♣:2NT.
- PRINCIPLE 17: Be very wary about doubling when both opener and responder have taken your bid away. You are usually too weak. (For example, you have a hand worth opening 1♣ but the bidding has already gone (1♦):Pass:(1♠).) Exceptionally you can double at the one and two levels when you have 11+ HCP and you are distributional (e.g. a 5-5 shape or a 6+ card suit).
- PRINCIPLE 18: An opening bid, overcall or response of Three of a new Suit guarantees four or more cards in the suit and 17-22 HCP.
- PRINCIPLE 19: Responder's first-round responses to an opening of one or two of a suit should be:
- Show support for partner's major.
- If you are weak (0-9 HCP), show support for partner's minor.
- Make the bid you would have made, had you been opener.
- If you are strong (10+ HCP), show support for partner's minor.
- Show support for partner's minor.
- Double the opposition's bid if it has taken away your opening bid.
- Bid 1NT with 8-16 HCP and no biddable suit.
- PRINCIPLE 22: Always bid the cheaper of two equal-length suits.
- PRINCIPLE 23: Except for strong (17+ HCP) hands and responses to doubles, four-card suits are never explicitly bid in the first round.
- PRINCIPLE 30: Do not double their strong (i.e. 16+ HCP), natural bids.
- PRINCIPLE 31: The responses to a double of One of a Suit are the same as the responses to an opening bid of One of a Suit, except that 1NT shows 0-9 HCP.
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