Q&A for How to Bid in Bridge

You shouldn't open the bid unless you have 13 or more HCP, or high-card points. Any less than that and you should pass. Before you make your decision, count up your high-card points. An ace is worth 4 points, a king is worth 3, a queen is worth 2, and a jack is worth 1. Count them all up to get your total points. If you have a balanced hand with 15 to 17 high-card points, it's a good idea to announce a no-trump bid, which means you will take a hand without placing an Ace. If you have 22 points or more, you can make a 2-suit bid. Whenever you do open your bid, choose a card from your high-card suit.

You can make a preemptive overcall, which has suit requirements similar to a preemptive opening. A preempt is a bid on contract bridge where the primary objective is stop an opponent's ability to bid their best contract and to show your hand to your partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid usually has the goal of a "save" which is where your partner bids a contract that they know can't be made, but assumes that the penalty will be smaller than the value of your opponent's bid and contract. It can be a risky gamble, but if it works, you and your partner can take a serious advantage over your opponents. It also requires a lot of trust and ability to work well with your partner.

They don't. You get 13 cards because otherwise you could not finish the game because someone has cards left.

A weak two bid is a preemptive opening bid in contract bridge that indicates a weak hand with a long suit. It's made by bidding two diamonds, two hearts, or two spades, typically showing 6–10 high-card points (HCP) and exactly six cards in the bid suit. This bid can be used in any system structure that allows for forcing artificial openings.