Wikipedia:WikiProject Contract bridge/Manual of Style/Appendix 3: Bidding table examples

Inline text auctions

This Appendix relates to auctions displayed in tables. For treatment of auctions inline with text, see here.

Nomenclature for tables

When used in a bidding table

use Dbl and Rdbl rather than double, Double, redouble or Redouble
use Pass rather than pass, No bid, or P

Simple table

The table format may be abbreviated for an uncontested auction as follows:

Code

Gives

{| class=wikitable
!width="50%"|West
!width="50%"|East
|- align=center
| 1{{Hearts}} || 1{{Spades}}
|- align=center
| 2{{Diams}} || 3{{Spades}}
|- align=center
| 4{{Spades}} || Pass
|}

West	East
1♥	1♠
2♦	3♠
4♠	Pass

Competitive table

West should always be in the first column, regardless of who is the dealer. In this way, the layout of the table better corresponds with the layout of the diagram.
Optionally, add captions for (a) deal or board number, (b) scoring method, and (c) vulnerability. The dealer is known by the auction sequence illustrated. Do not duplicate this information if provided in the deal diagram.
For a competitive auction, the table would be as follows:

Code

Gives

{| class=wikitable
!width="25%"|West
!width="25%"|North
!width="25%"|East
!width="25%"|South
|- align=center
| || 1{{Hearts}} || Pass || 1{{Spades}}
|- align=center
| Pass || 2{{Diams}} || Dbl || 3{{Spades}}
|- align=center
| Pass || 4{{Spades}} || Pass ||Pass
|- align=center
| Pass || || || 
|}

West	North	East	South
	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♦	Dbl	3♠
Pass	4♠	Pass	Pass
Pass

Annotated table

A table may be annotated with footnotes to describe the meaning of calls, as follows:

Code

Gives

{| class=wikitable
|+Roman Key Card Blackwood<br>IMPs      Vul:None
!width="25%"|West
!width="25%"|North
!width="25%"|East
!width="25%"|South
|- align=center
| || 1{{Diams}} || Pass || 1{{Spades}}
|- align=center
| Pass || 4{{Spades}} || Pass || 4NT<sup>1</sup>
|- align=center
| Pass || 5{{Hearts}}<sup>2</sup>
|| Dbl<sup>3</sup> || 5{{Spades}}<sup>4</sup>
|- align=center
| Pass || Pass || Pass || 
|}
<sup>1 RKCB 3014</sup><br>
<sup>2 Two keycards without the queen of trump</sup><br>
<sup>3 Lead directing</sup><br>
<sup>4 Two keycards missing</sup>

Roman Key Card Blackwood
IMPs Vul:None
West	North	East	South
	1♦	Pass	1♠
Pass	4♠	Pass	4NT¹
Pass	5♥²	Dbl³	5♠⁴
Pass	Pass	Pass

^{1 RKCB 3014}

^{2 Two keycards without the queen of trump}

^{3 Lead directing}

^{4 Two keycards missing}

Bidding explanation table

Example 1

Opener	Overcaller	Responder
Opener	Overcaller	Response	Meaning and Subsequent Bidding
1NT	2 in a suit	2 in a higher ranking suit	natural and non-forcing
		2NT	a relay bid forcing the opener to bid 3♣; after that: – 3 in suit of lower rank than overcalled – natural, to play – 3 in suit of higher rank than overcalled – natural, invitational – 3 in the overcalled suit – a cuebid, artificial, akin to Stayman, asking partner to bid a 4-card major suit and showing a stopper in the overcalled suit – 3NT – to play, showing a stopper
		3 in any suit except that overcalled	natural, forcing to game
		3 in the overcalled suit	a direct cuebid, artificial, akin to Stayman, asking the partner to bid a 4-card major suit and denying a stopper in the overcalled suit
		3NT	to play, denying a stopper

Example 2

Opener	Overcaller
Opener	Call	Meaning
1NT	2♣	diamonds, or hearts and spades
	2♦	hearts, or spades and clubs
	2♥	spades, or clubs and diamonds
	2♠	clubs, or diamonds and hearts

Example 3

The following summarises the balancing agreements made by competitive bridge players:

West	North	East	South (in the balancing position)
			Call	Meaning
1♦	Pass	Pass	Double	8+ HCP
			1♥/♠	normal overcall
			1NT	10-14 HCP, does not guarantee a stopper
			2♣	normal overcall
			2♦	unknown two-suiter (see Michaels cuebid)
			2♥/♠	good 6+ card, 12-16 hcp
			2NT	18-19 HCP, balanced

West	North	East	South (in the balancing position)
			Call	Meaning
1♦	Pass	Pass	Double	8+ HCP
			1♠	normal overcall
			1NT	12-16 HCP, does not guarantee a stopper
			2♣/♦	normal overcall
			2♥	unknown two-suiter
			2♠	good 6+ card, 12-16 hcp
			2NT	17-19 HCP, balanced

Colors

Table header colors

Background color: #F4F4FC

Standard header background color: #EFEFEF

Background color: #EAEAFC

Background color: #E0FFFF

Olympic colors

style="background: gold"	bgcolor="gold"

style="background: silver"	bgcolor="silver"

style="background: #CD7F32"	bgcolor="cc9966"