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choose the right contract
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To be able to play a contract in No-Trumps you must have at least 20 DH points in the two hands; without that the opponents, having more points, could more often play the contract themselves
When you are the dealer you normally say "I open" if you have at least 12 honours points: you are then called the opener
| When you are the responder, you count your number of points and : | |
| if you have less than eight honours points you announce this number of points by simply saying: "I have … honours points". | |
| If you have at least eight honours points you take the little paper which is in front of you and you write in the gaps the number of cards which you have in each suit as well as the total number of honours points on the last line; then you give the paper to your partner. | |
When the opener finds that the total of honours points is less than 20 he says: "I pass" and the opponent sitting on his right fills in the little paper before giving it to his partner. This is normal since, if one pair has not got at least 20 honours points then the other pair must have and they will play a contract.
As soon as the opener confirms that the total of honours points is equal to or greater than 20, he asks his partner to fill in the little paper if he had simply announced his number of points (if he had less than 8); he then announces the suitable contract.
When you have a fit of eight in the two hands you avoid playing in No-Trumps because you must take advantage of the superiority that you have over your opponents in a suit where they have no more than five cards.
So you play in Hearts or Spades (in a major Suit) when you have eight cards. For reasons of scoring you wait until you have nine cards in Clubs or Diamonds to choose minor trumps.