Bridge Bidding Cheat Sheet
This cheat sheet condenses Standard American bidding onto one page: how to count points, what each opening bid promises, how responder answers, what opener rebids, and the handful of conventions most tables play.
Updated 13 October 2026
Many bidding mistakes at the club table are lapses of memory rather than judgment. Someone forgets how many points a 1NT response shows, or whether a two-level response forces. This bridge bidding cheat sheet puts the standard answers in one place. It follows Standard American with five-card majors and a 15 to 17 point 1NT, the same base as the Standard American Yellow Card. Each table stands on its own, so you can print the page or keep a screenshot of the part you need.
Bridge bidding cheat sheet: points and openings
| What | Count |
|---|---|
| Ace / King / Queen / Jack | 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 high-card points (HCP) |
| Length points (opener) | +1 for each card over four in a suit |
| Dummy points, four trumps | Void 5, singleton 3, doubleton 1 |
| Dummy points, three trumps | Void 3, singleton 2, doubleton 1 |
| Game in 3NT, 4♥ or 4♠ | About 25-26 combined |
| Game in 5♣ or 5♦ | About 29 combined |
| Small slam / grand slam | About 33 / 37 combined |
Open the bidding with 12 or more HCP, or with 11 and a shapely hand that passes the rule of 20. The hand evaluation guide goes into counting in more detail.
| Opening | Points | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| 1♣ | 12-21 | 3+ clubs; with 3-3 in the minors |
| 1♦ | 12-21 | 4+ diamonds; with 4-4 in the minors |
| 1♥ / 1♠ | 12-21 | 5+ cards; with 5-5, open the higher |
| 1NT | 15-17 | Balanced |
| 2♣ | 22+ | Strong and artificial, any shape |
| 2♦ / 2♥ / 2♠ | 5-11 | Weak two: a good six-card suit |
| 2NT | 20-21 | Balanced |
| 3 of a suit | Under 10 | Preempt: a seven-card suit |
| 3NT | 25-27 | Balanced (some pairs use it as gambling) |
Responses
| Response | Points | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | 0-5 | Too weak to respond |
| Raise to 2 | 6-10 | 3+ trumps |
| 1NT | 6-10 | No fit, nothing else to bid; not forcing |
| 1♠ over 1♥ | 6+ | 4+ spades; forcing |
| New suit at the 2 level | 10+ | 4+ cards (5+ hearts over 1♠); forcing |
| Jump raise to 3 | 10-11 | Limit raise, 3+ trumps |
| 2NT | 13+ | Jacoby 2NT: 4+ trumps, game forcing |
| Raise to 4 | Under 10 | 5+ trumps, shape: preemptive |
| Response | Points | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| New suit at the 1 level | 6+ | 4+ cards, bid up the line; forcing |
| 1NT | 6-10 | Balanced, no four-card major |
| Raise to 2 | 6-10 | 4+ clubs or 5+ diamonds |
| 2♣ over 1♦ | 10+ | 4+ clubs; forcing |
| Jump raise to 3 | 10-11 | Limit raise |
| 2NT | 13-15 | Balanced, game forcing |
| 3NT | 16-18 | Balanced |
| Response | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pass | 0-7, balanced |
| 2♣ | Stayman: asks for a four-card major, 8+ |
| 2♦ / 2♥ | Jacoby transfer to hearts / spades, any strength |
| 2NT | 8-9, invitational |
| 3NT | 10-15, to play |
| 4♦ / 4♥ | Texas transfer: 6+ hearts / spades, game |
| 4NT | 16-17, invites 6NT |
Opener's rebids and notrump ranges
| Opener has | Points | Rebids |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 12-15 | 1NT, simple raise, rebid own suit, new lower suit |
| Medium | 16-18 | Jump raise, jump rebid of own suit, reverse |
| Maximum | 19-21 | Jump to game, jump shift, jump to 2NT (18-19 balanced) |
| HCP | Bidding |
|---|---|
| 12-14 | Open one of a suit, rebid 1NT |
| 15-17 | Open 1NT |
| 18-19 | Open one of a suit, jump to 2NT |
| 20-21 | Open 2NT |
| 22-24 | Open 2♣, rebid 2NT |
| 25-27 | Open 2♣, rebid 3NT (or open 3NT) |
Overcalls and doubles
| Call | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Overcall | 8-16, usually a good five-card suit |
| 1NT overcall | 15-18, balanced, a stopper in their suit |
| Jump overcall | Weak: a six or seven-card suit |
| Cuebid of their suit | Michaels: 5-5 two-suiter |
| Jump to 2NT | Unusual 2NT: 5-5 in the two lowest unbid suits |
| Double | When | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Takeout | Opponents open a suit, partner has not bid | Opening values, short in their suit, support for the others |
| Negative | Partner opens, RHO overcalls | Values and the unbid major(s) |
| Responsive | Partner doubles, RHO raises | Values, no clear suit to bid |
| Penalty | A notrump opening, or high-level contracts | Expects to defeat the contract |
Common conventions in one line
| Convention | Bid | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Stayman | 1NT - 2♣ | Asks for a four-card major |
| Jacoby transfers | 1NT - 2♦ / 2♥ | Five-card major in the next suit up |
| Texas | 1NT - 4♦ / 4♥ | Six-card major, game, no slam interest |
| Gerber | 1NT - 4♣ | Asks for aces |
| Blackwood | 4NT | Asks for aces |
| Roman Key Card | 4NT | Asks for keycards: four aces and the trump king |
| Jacoby 2NT | 1♥ / 1♠ - 2NT | Game-forcing raise, 4+ trumps |
| Bergen raises | 1♥ / 1♠ - 3♣ / 3♦ | Four-card raises by strength |
| Splinter | Double jump in a new suit | Game-forcing raise, shortness in that suit |
| Inverted minors | 1♣ - 2♣ | Strong raise; the jump raise is weak |
| New minor forcing | 1♣ - 1♥ - 1NT - 2♦ | Asks opener about responder's major |
| Fourth suit forcing | Bidding the fourth suit | Artificial, forcing |
| Drury | 1♥ / 1♠ - 2♣ by a passed hand | Passed hand with a limit raise |
| Lebensohl | 1NT - (overcall) - 2NT | Relay to 3♣ to sign off |
Every convention on this sheet has its own guide with examples. When you want to agree a full system with a partner, build it in the Bidding Architect, then drill it together in practice mode.
Frequently asked questions
- How many points do you need to open in bridge?
- Usually 12 high-card points, or 11 with a shapely hand. A 1NT opening needs 15 to 17 in Standard American.
- How many points do you need for game?
- About 25 or 26 combined points for 3NT, 4♥ or 4♠, and about 29 for five of a minor.
- Which convention should I learn first?
- Stayman, closely followed by Jacoby transfers. Together they cover most hands opposite a 1NT opening.
- Is a new suit response forcing?
- Yes. A new suit by an unpassed responder is forcing for one round. In two over one game force, a two-level new suit forces to game.
- Is this cheat sheet Standard American or Goren?
- It is Standard American with five-card majors, a 15 to 17 point 1NT, strong 2♣ and weak twos, and it matches the SAYC card closely. Goren's older style opened four-card majors and used a 16 to 18 1NT, though the high-card point count on this sheet is the one Goren made popular.
- Is there a PDF of this bridge bidding cheat sheet?
- There is no separate PDF file. Print the page from your browser and choose Save as PDF to keep a copy, or screenshot only the tables you need.
Put it into practice
Turn the cheat sheet into a living bidding system you and your partner can edit, practice and print as a convention card.
Build your own system in the Bidding ArchitectRelated guides
- Standard American Yellow CardSAYC is the ACBL's standard system: five-card majors, 15 to 17 notrump, strong 2 clubs, weak twos. Every opening, response and convention in the yellow card, with the full system tree.
- Two Over One Game ForceIn 2/1 game force a two-level response to a one-level suit opening forces to game. The forcing 1NT, opener's rebids, what changes from Standard American, and example auctions.
- Hand Evaluation in BridgeHow to count a bridge hand: high-card points, length and shortness points, quick tricks, the adjustments experts make, and how many points game and slam need.
- The Rule of 20The rule of 20 says open the bidding when your high-card points plus the lengths of your two longest suits reach 20. How it works, the rule of 22 refinement, and hands at the border.
- Bridge ConventionsEvery common bridge bidding convention in one list: what each bid means, when partnerships use it, and a full guide for Stayman, transfers, Blackwood, Michaels and more.