Bridge Conventions - Classification

Classification

Bridge conventions can be classified according to their purpose:

• Opening bid conventions
  • Strong opening bids are used for hands stronger than the "normal" opening bid range (12-20 points in natural systems, 12-15/17 points in artificial systems)
    • Strong two clubs in natural systems denote hands of 22+ high card points
    • Strong one club in strong club systems denotes hands of 16-17+ points
  • Weak opening bids are used for hands weaker than the normal opening bid range, but with preemptive value:
    • Standard Preemptive Bids, including "Weak Two" Bids
    • Kamikaze 1NT
    • Ekren
    • Muiderberg
  • Other opening bid conventions:
    • Flannery
    • Multi 2 diamonds
    • Namyats

• Fit-seeking conventions are used in constructive bidding, in order to find a fit—a suit suitable for trumps
  • Baron
  • Checkback Stayman
  • Forcing notrump
  • Jacoby transfers
  • New minor forcing
  • Stayman
  • LTC

• Slam-seeking conventions are used in constructive bidding so that a partnership can investigate possibility of making a slam (Main article: Slam seeking conventions)
  • Asking bids
  • Blackwood
  • Cue bids
  • Gerber
  • Grand slam force
  • Jacoby 2NT
  • Last Train
  • Quantitative notrump bids
  • Relay bids
  • Splinter bid; Ingberman Convention: In this case, Monroe Ingberman uses a Three No Trump Response to force a Major Raise. Monroe Ingberman uses a conventional splinter or fragment bid.
  • Serious 3NT

• Defensive conventions or interventions are used to show a specific type of hand after opponents have opened a bidding
  • Takeout double
  • Defenses over 1 NT, like
    • Cappelletti
    • CoCa
    • CRASH
    • DONT
    • Hamilton
    • Landy
    • Lionel
    • Meckwell
    • Multi-Defense
    • Multi-Landy
    • Suction
  • Two-suited overcalls, like
    • Copenhagen convention
    • Ghestem
    • Leaping Michaels
    • Michaels cuebid
    • Raptor convention
    • Roman two-suiters
    • Unusual notrump

• Counter-interventions present a countermeasure after opponents' conventional and natural interventions:
  • Lebensohl
  • Negative double
  • Negative free bid
  • Rubensohl
  • Unusual vs. unusual

• Other:
  • Game trial bids
  • Lightner double