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Bridge is a complex game, full of the mystique of the playing cards. We use all 52 cards, except the Jokers. We understand the power and nature of the Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens and even Nines. We differentiate between the odd and even cards, as well as the high and low little ones. Each suite has 13 soldiers. We differentiate between the suites who themselves have their rank and understand the value of being short, or long in a particular suites. The players and the scoring put it all together. But the mystique, when combined with pure logic is undoubtedly part of the intrigue of the game. When I put Control Precision together many years ago, the mystique started coming together, like the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. I started seeing things no one ever saw before. By the process of elimination, Control Precision can reveal hands so efficiently, that an alert and astute bidder or defender will be able to exploit it profitably. A lot of this elimination does occur, and with some extraordinary results.
One polite lady once asked me how I always knew to lead my partner’s singleton or void. “I listen to the bidding.” I answered with a chuckle. Control Precision is a complex system. Its complexity is revealed in the complication of the game. However, once this complexity has been understood, it becomes quite simple to play. A little like E=MC squared, that once the intricacy has been revealed, the logic becomes quite simple and straightforward. After all, is it not all about beating your opponents, and getting the best results on the score sheet? Mix the mystique of bridge with that of Control Precision, and it reveals some unexpected results, that when combined with logic, will give you an astonishing insight into the game.
I strongly advise against deviating from the system, primarily because a process of elimination has placed into many of my bids. I will explain this elimination, and perhaps you will see these new concepts for yourself. By adding or subtracting a point, or by, say bidding with a 5 cards major, where you should not have, or by choosing 1♦ over 1NT opening, you disregard these eliminated bids and no doubt this will cause you problems when you have a special type of hand to show. If you follow my set of rules, and get your partner to do the same, then I will present you with an entire outline for Control Bidding. I also hope to standardise Precision, so that any 2 players coming together, and have read this book, know exactly what they are playing. I have therefore called this method of playing Precision, Control Precision.
Control Precision has absolutely nothing to do with how many card controls one has. It is about who controls the bidding. I have written this book so that any good approach based player can learn to play Precision well, and can progress into it slowly. However for those of you who already play Precision, you will find a lot of good ideas here, especially with Control Bidding. New ideas have also been introduced, with new overcalls and Slam convention.
Precision was originally designed by CC Wei and used by the “Chinese” national team, so successfully for many years. The Americans, Italians and others also adopted it successfully from time to time. I have modified and enhanced it to allow for more bids. CC Wei had a very limited 2♦ opening, so we modified it to the Multi 2♦ in order to fit it into the whole system. We have also modified the 1 ♦ openings to make it more efficient. This has allowed us to change the other 2 level openings such as 2♥, 2♠ and 2NT giving us more options and chances to open the bidding first, with weak distributional hands.
I have set out this system in the way that I like to teach Precision. I will first show you how to bid the weak hands, and how it may, or may not, differ from the system you may currently be using. I assume the reader has had very little experience with a strong club system, and so I deal with the weaker hands first. After understanding all these weak bids, we may then proceed to learn how to bid the strong 1♣ Opening. Everything inside this complex labyrinth is new and different as well as the bidding style. This is because control reverts to the opener when strong, and so our bidding structure has to change.
I have also integrated a set of overcall bids that fit into the Control Bidding system too. So now you are not only playing Precision when you open the bidding but when you overcall too. Many of these overcalls may be very different to what you are used to, but use them with an open mind. Sometimes bidding will not be as familiar as your older methods. More often than not these bids will give you more control over the table, more accurate contracts, and great saves and sacrifices, as well as great leads and defence plays. There is much more to the game of bridge than just the bidding, so I will show you how to integrate this bidding system into your leads and signals too.
I prefer to defend using Roman Attitude Leads and Signals. That shows partner from the lead, the attitude and line the defence should take. I should remind you that Control Bidder also becomes Control Defender as soon as you start to defend. This is because he has the best view of both your cards, and usually has a very complete picture of declarer’s hand. He therefore uses these attitude signals to guide the Blind Bidder.
Those of you already playing Precision will already know that CC Wei taught us the value of knowing the combined High Card Point count of both hands early. In Precision we only count High Card Points (referred from now on as Hcp) and not distributional points. Distribution is bid separately and is only combined by the Control Bidder when a final decision is to be made. When you open the bidding, your partner will quickly have a good idea of the Total Point Count (40) and will now be in a perfect position to place the contract.
We open the bidding, as often as we can, with only 5 or 6 Hcp’s when the hand is distributional and with 11/12 Hcp’s when it is not. Because we open light, we open more often, to our best advantage. We also limit the opening bids to a restricted 15Hcp’s (we open 1♣ with 16+). There has to be no allowance for any strong 19 point hand when making a 1♥ or 1♠ opening bid. Partner can pass safely when quite weak. We bid our points and distribution separately so there is no need to adjust for distributional points. Opener may jump bid with as little 14 or 15 Hcp’s and even these bids are limited bids, while still imparting with the critical marginal information.
Control Precision goes one step further. I will show you when you are in control of the bidding and when control passes over to your partner. If both partners know who is in control, the right partner will make the right decisions at the right time. You will not be left with your partner making overbids in front of you, while you knew exactly what to do. If partner knows that you are in control, then he must leave those vital final decisions to you, and when you not in control, leave them to him.
I have placed hands into an auction situation in order to show you how to use the additional bids you will need, when the opponents interfere with your bidding, as they usually will. These tables do not need to be learned, except the asking bids maybe,and they are there for reference only.
Bridge is still a competitive game and your opponents will still be trying to outbid you.
Finally I will set out an outline on how to bid those awkward 4441(any order) hands, that out system seems to have so much difficulty in dealing with.
The entire system is based on the idea that both partners do not have to know exactly what is going on. We always have a Control Partner and a Blind Partner. The Blind Bidder describes exactly what he holds, while the Control Bidder guides him safely through the bidding, by letting him know if it is Safe To Bid or Unsafe To Bid or even if he wants to explore slam with an Omega Bid. Control Partner knows when to stop and relays that information to the Blind Partner without the need to describe his hand. Rather than relay information to one another, you simply describe what you have to the Control Partner, who places that information received against his own cards (which he can see) and makes a final and accurate decision. When the final contract is known bid directly to it, as soon as possible. Use the principle of fast arrival as soon as you have decided on the final contract. If an overbid or a double is required, the Control Bidder will know exactly what to do.
If there is any extra information that you need to relay, I will show you how to do this. This can be done, no matter whether you open the bidding or overcall, and even goes on into the play, where you will have a Control defender and a Blind defender.
Many of you will be familiar with these methods, just not realising you are already using them. For example when you open 1NT in an approach system you have described a balanced hand with 15-17 Hcp with no 5-card major, no singletons and not more than one doubleton. You are the Blind Bidder and your partner, armed with this information, takes control of the bidding. He may use Staymen or a transfer or invites a game or places a game. From your first opening bid he knows what he is going to do. He will choose the best method of finding out more information (Staymen has nothing to do with clubs and is forcing for one round) and ultimately Control Bidder decides where the contract will finally be placed. We do the same in Control Precision, but for other openings and overcalls, and not only for our NT openings.
Use Control Precision effectively, bid accurately and soon you will find that you always have a perfect picture of your partner’s hand, or he will have a perfect picture of yours. Either way, you and your partner will now be able to accurately place contracts. You will know when to retreat from the bidding and defend for good scores, and when to bid on. You will even be able to lead and defend better.
This system follows a simple and straightforward logic. Its exceptions are rare, but necessary, in order to describe certain unbiddable hands. As is in all conventions, many pages have to be written on rare exceptions, while the run of the mill hands, which come up so often gets less mention, as they are so much more straightforward.
Every hand has its opening bid and its follow up bid. I can assure you that every combination of distribution and points has been placed into an opening bid category, and your job is to find it. There are no unbiddable combinations. Each hand has only one opening, and I do not advice making or choosing an alternative bid, or creating new bids while playing. There are never two bids for any combination so find the correct one with your first bid. I will show you how to identify your hand. Your first bid limits your hand, while the second bid reveals the exact holding. The major task you have, when you open and count your cards and points, is to identify exactly which Opening Bid these cards belong to. Identify this accurately, if you don’t, your partner will not get the picture of your cards that he expects, and you will find no escape from your sequence and are sure to land up in the wrong contracts doubled.
I expect the reader to have a full understanding of Bridge scoring methods, to understand Vulnerability and the values of a save and one down bridge. I also expect the reader to fully understand the nature of the tournament he is playing in, whether it is Match Point Bridge, Imp, Rubber, Board a match, or Total points etc. Many good books have been written on these subjects, and so I will not go into that, any further.
Bridge is a competitive game. It is not a perfect science. Your bidding is only as good as your ability to play and defend the hand. This system is designed to help improve your bidding, but there is no point in bidding incredibly well if you cannot play out your contract. I also wish to point out that no system can tell you what cards your opponents are holding and how to deal with bad breaks. Ultimately you still have to rely on your skills to deal with these bad breaks as you would in any form of bridge.
Try Control Bidding using Precision and I can assure you more bidding accuracy. I promise you will be bidding and making more slams, since we have outstanding methods to reach the good slams, especially with minors. If you bid all your contracts accurately, play and defend well, I am sure your bridge results will improve rapidly.
