A question of style by Frank Stewart

A: 1♣: Most players use "five-card majors": A major-suit opening promises five or more cards. That style improves bidding accuracy (a trump fit is often found quickly), but hands such as this one must be opened one club. If you're a four-card majorite or if you judge to treat that chunky heart suit as a five-carder and open one heart, more power to you.

Your result so far:

A: 3NT: The opposing preempt has made life difficult: You must choose a contract with no room for investigation. Bid 3NT on the assumption that partner has a few values. If his hand is distributional, he can correct to a suit contract. With K 10 7 4 2, Q 3 2, 8 3, J 6 3, he'll bid four spades.


Your result so far:

A: 1♠: Anticipate. Say you bid one heart. If the opponents compete in clubs (not unlikely), you will want to act again, but if you bid two spades, you can't play at two hearts. Bid one spade. If the opponents bid, you can continue with two hearts and play at the major suit partner prefers.


Your result so far:

A: 1♥: A double used to be a mandatory action on this type of hand, but no longer. Bid one heart. In modern bidding, overcalls may range (depending on a player's personal style) from a meager six-point hand to a sound 17-pointer. If you double, partner might bid too many spades, expecting you to have better support for that suit.

Your result so far:

A: 3♥: To bid 3NT might be right. Partner might hold a hand such as 2, K Q J 8 7, A K 6 5, J 8 3. A more flexible call is three hearts. Partner won't expect any better heart support than you hold since you would have raised directly to three hearts on most hands with three-card support.

Your result so far: