3rd Chair Openings


Contents:


Estimating HCP of Other Hands

In short, after two passes, assume that the two passed hands have a total of 16 HCP. Subtract your HCP from 24 to estimate the other player's HCP. This can be done in 3rd or 4th seat.

For complete details, See Marty Bergen's column on page 57 of the August 2023 issue of the ACBL Bridge Bulletin. Back issues can be read online by members at the ACBL's web site.  

Prepare To Pass

In Standard Bridge Bidding For The 21st Century, Max Hardy says that you should still have 10 HCPs to open light in 3rd seat, and that you should be prepared to pass any non-jump response by partner. This means having at least 3 cards in suits higher ranking than your own.

For example, Hardy says to pass with K6-Q973-KJ6-QT75 because: You are not prepared for a response of 1.

Robert Todd echoed these ideas in November 2022 Bridge Bulletin page 52.

We have adopted these ideas for 3rd seat 1-level openings in BidBase.  

Preempt Freely

Since your partner has already limited his hand by not opening, you don't have to worry much about missing game if you have more than a minimum opening bid.

Therefore, you can afford to preempt with hands which are STRONGER than normal in order to obstruct the opponents as much as possible.

For example, with 2-32-KQT2-KQJT32, you would usually open 1 in first seat, but in 3rd seat, it is correct to open 3.

In addition to jamming up the player who is likely to have the best hand, your bid is also lead directing for partner, since you would not make the bid without a good suit.

By the same reasoning, you can preempt with very weak hands. In the August 2023 Bridge Bulletin, p. 57, Marty Bergen says to open 3 with 32 JT87542 963 3 because the opponents very likely have game and may have a slam.

However, Bergen says not to bid 3H with IMG SRC="S.gif">Q2 JT87542 Q96 Q because your opponents having game is less of a sure thing,  

Responding To A 3rd Seat Opening

When you are a passed hand and partner opens 1 of a suit, you must stay aware that partner may be weak and prepared to pass any non-jump response by you. Even if you play that a 1N response is normally forcing, it is not forcing when you are a passed hand.

If partner opens a major, you can use a Drury 2C response to show support for his suit plus 10+ HCPs and to ask him to show if he made a weak opening bid.

If partner opens a minor in 3rd seat with a subminimum hand, he will pass a 1 or 1 response by you, so with a maximum (11-12 HCPs), you must jump to 2 or 2. With a flat 11-12 HCPs, jump to 2N.