GUMP: ACCURATE BIDDING AT BRIDGE FOR THE MILDLY DERANGED

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 possible5 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 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.