contract bridge Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions o ...

, a single suiter (or single-suited hand) is a hand containing at least six cards in one

suit A suit, lounge suit, or business suit is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit is similar, but with a matching skirt instead of tr ...

and with all other suits being at least two cards shorter than this longest suit. Many hand patterns can be classified as single suiters. Typical examples are 6-3-2-2, 6-3-3-1 and 7-3-2-1 distribution. Single-suiters form the cornerstone of preemptive bidding. Weak single-suiters with six card length are traditionally opened preemptively at the two level, whilst seven carders are used to preempt at the three level. The modern trend is to lower these minimum length requirements, especially when non-vulnerable. Conventional preemptive openings used to introduce a weak single-suited hand include the

multi 2 diamonds Multi-coloured 2 diamonds, is a contract bridge bridge convention, convention whereby the opening bid of 2D shows a defined range of hand types. These always include a Weak two bid, weak-two bid in a major suit, and the second option, that must be ...

and the

gambling 3NT In the card game contract bridge, Gambling 3NT is a special of an opening of 3NT. The bid is used to describe a hand containing a minor suit of at least seven cards in length and headed by the ace, king and queen, at minimum. The bid has the dual ...

conventions. Over an opposing opening, single suiters are usually introduced via a natural

overcall In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A ''direct'' overcall is such a bid made by the player seated immediately to the left of the opener, i.e ...

. But see also

list of defenses to 1NT This is a list of defensive conventions used in the game of contract bridge to compete in the bidding after the opponents have opened with a one notrump (1NT) bid. * ANTI * Aspro * Asptro, a hybrid of Astro and Aspro * Astro, Modified Astro, ...

See also