Competitive Bidding in Pairs Tournaments

by Michel Bessis, Philippe Cronier & Jean-Christophe Quantin

Contents

Competitive Bidding in Pairs Tournaments
Strategy Through Examples
Key Principles to Remember
Practical Exercises

Competitive Bidding in Pairs Tournaments

When you play in a pairs tournament, the best strategy is not always the one used in other forms of bridge, especially when it comes to competitive low-level bidding. The feature we are devoting to this topic begins with a look at the scoring method specific to this format.

Understanding Pairs Scoring

Pairs scoring is highly specific. What matters is the rank your score achieves compared with the others. A quick look at a pairs score sheet, known as a traveller, helps make this clearer.

The score sheet is easy to read: the first two columns show who played against whom over the course of the session. The next columns list, in order, the contract, the declarer, the opening lead, the result, and the score earned—either by North–South or East–West, depending on the case. The last column is more intriguing: it shows the number of “pairs points” scored by the North–South pair on the board. What does that mean?