- 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 22: Always bid the cheaper of two equal-length suits.
- 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 6: If Opener/Overcaller rebids his suit on the second round, this shows a suit longer than the five cards originally promised. A simple rebid — e.g. 1♥ then 2♥ — shows a 6-card suit. A jump rebid — e.g. 1♣ then 3♣ — shows a 7-card suit. (NB This principle is not enforced if responder showed a strong hand in the first round — i.e. 2NT, 3x, or 4NT.)
- 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 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 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 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 20: After opening/overcalling One of a Suit or 1NT or doubling on the first round, you can bid another 4+ card suit at the 2-level on the second round, even if responder passed.
- PRINCIPLE 21: If you had a hand worth opening at the 1-level and you have another 5+ card suit, you should bid it at the 3-level on the second round, even if responder passed.
- PRINCIPLE 27: Simplex is designed so that, as far as possible, responses follow the same guidelines as openings and overcalls. For example, the requirements of a suit-change response at the 1-level are identical to those of an opening bid of one of a suit. And a Simplex 2NT rebid by opener has the same requirements as a Simplex 2NT bid by responder.
- PRINCIPLE 32: If Opener has the choice, he should prefer to bid another 4+ card suit on the second round rather than rebid his long suit.
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