In the card gamecontract bridge, Gambling 3NT is a special treatment of an opening bid of 3NT. The bid is used to describe a hand containing a minor suit of at least seven cards in length and headed by the ace, king and queen, at minimum. The bid has the dual objectives of preempting the opponents' bidding should they hold the majors and trying for a game in notrump on the gamble that partner might hold adequate support.
Because this conventional bid replaces the standard use of opening 3NT (a hand with 25-27 high card points and a balanced distribution), partnerships must use other bids to show the standard 3NT hand. For partnerships which also employ the use of the strong two club convention, that bid can be used to describe a standard 3NT opening hand. For example, the following bidding sequence:
THE GAMBLING 3NT This shows a solid minor, 7 playing tricks, and little else. A typical hand looks like this: 6 72 AKQ9865 852. It is permissible to hold a queen outside the long suit but a king or ace would be too much.
Requirements for a Gambling 3NT Your suit must be solid – this means seven cards headed by the AKQJ. With eight cards in the suit you may drop the requirement for having the jack. Definition: A Gambling 3-NTis a pre-emptive opening bid. The bid is used to describe a hand containing a Minor suit of at least 7 cards in length headed by the AKQat minimum. The hand must not contain any more than an outside Queen or two Jacks, else it is strong enough for a standard opening bid of one-of-the-Minor. 'Standard' 3NT openings show 25 – 27 HCP and are so rare as to be virtually non-existent. Instead, use an opening 3NT call as 'Gambling, as follows: Opening Gambling 3NT. A 3NT opening shows a solid Ace-high 7-card minor suit and no outside Ace or King, i.e., 7 solid trick and nothing else – 9 or 10 HCP.
| North | East | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass |
| 3NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
replaces the traditional 3NT opening bid if gambling 3NT and strong two club is in use. That is, North's hand is best described as 25 to 27 high card points and a balanced distribution.
Responses[edit]
Responses vary depending on the partnership agreement for stoppers in the side suits.
For the strong 3NT variant, the responder will normally pass unless holding a strong enough hand to envision a possible slam.
For the weak 3NT variant responder will:[1]
- pass when holding a stopper in three suits or with two aces (3NT becomes the contract)
- bid 4♣, 5♣, 6♣, or 7♣. This bid should be passed by the opener if the minor is clubs or corrected to diamonds.
- bid 4♦ asking opener to
- bid their shortness (singleton or void) if it is a major
- bid 4NT with 7222 shape,
- bid their long minor suit with a singleton in the other minor.
- bid 4NT with four likely tricks, asking opener to continue to slam with an eight card suit.
Variations[edit]
Partnership agreements vary as to whether the 3NT opening bid shows a side-suit ace or king. Originally, the convention required the opener to have stoppers in at least two of the side suits, now known as the Strong Gambling 3NT. The common current treatment is that the 3NT bidder shows weakness in the other suits[2] and many play that it specifically denies any Aces or Kings in the side suits (in the first or second seat)[3] – the Weak Gambling 3NT. Other variants include having at least one ace in a side suit or exactly two aces in the side suits.
Some partnerships play the following response variations:
- bid 4♦ asking opener to
- bid their shortness (singleton or void) if it is a major
- bid 4NT with a minor suit singleton
- bid 5♣, with 7222 shape[4]
Or alternatively
- bid 4♣ as the Gerber convention asking opener to respond using their version of this convention (usually showing Aces)[4]
Defense[edit]
A double by either opponent shows a strong hand which can expect to defeat 3NT with moderate help from partner, and invites partner to take out with some shape if the opponents run to their long suit.
If 3NT, doubled or otherwise, becomes the final contract, it is recommended that the opening lead be an ace, in order to see the dummy. A typical reason not to lead aces against other contracts is that it may give away a trick when declarer holds the king; here that is not possible. The reason that the ace is led is that the offense may have nine top tricks, and the defense must take its five first, without losing the lead.
References[edit]
Gambling 3nt In Bridge
- ^Bridge Guys
- ^'Bridge World Standard'. Bridge World. Bridge World Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^'Gambling 3NT'. Bridge with Larry Cohen. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ ab'Gambling 3NT'(PDF). Bridgewebs. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
How To Beat Your Opponent By Mastering The Gambling 3NT
Posted 24 June 2009 by Ron
THE GAMBLING 3NT
This shows a solid minor, 7 playing tricks, and little else.
A typical hand looks like this : 6 72 AKQ9865 852. It is permissible to hold a queen outside the long suit but a king or ace would be too much. With that, start with a 1-bid.
Partner is expected to pass with stoppers in the outside suits and potential for two tricks or better. With a weaker hand or with no cover in one or more suits, bid 4. Opener will pass with clubs or correct to 4.
3NT : 4 asks opener to pass with diamonds or bid 5 if clubs is the suit held. Responder has good support for clubs but is not worth as much opposite diamonds. You will know which minor suit opener has when you hold a top honour in the other minor.
3NT : 5/5/6 asks opener to pass if holding the minor bid or correct to the other minor.
3NT : 4/4 = to play.
Defence against the Gambling 3NT
Double = Strong hand. Suggests doubling for penalties if they run to 4-minor.
4 = Takeout for the majors with preference for hearts.
4 = Takeout for the majors with preference for spades.
4/4 = to play
Defensive Play
Bridge Gambling 3nt
If their 3NT is passed out and you are on lead, it is often good to start by leading an ace. This is usually not a sound move against a no-trumps contract but it works well against the gambling 3NT. As the opener has little outside the long minor, the ace lead does not set up extra winners in declarer's hand. The ace lead allows you to see dummy and you can almost always then find the best continuation. Dummy's strengths and weaknesses will be revealed and declarer is known to have little outside the long minor. If it is clear that there is no value in continuing the suit led, partner should signal suit preference (high card = high suit, low card = low suit) on this trick.
Countermeasures by the Gambling 3NT side
After 3NT : (Double)
All actions have the same meaning including No Bid. Redouble does not ask partner to run. It indicates great confidence that 3NT will succeed and a desire to penalise them if they run.
After 3NT : (Suit bid)
Doubles are for penalties. Minor suit bids = Pass or correct.
