Bidding is not always easy by Bobby Wolff

A: 2♥: You could simply blast out three no-trump here, but there is a risk that you are off the whole club suit, or that your partner has a positional club stop and that game might be better played his way up. Temporize with two hearts, knowing that partner shouldn't raise to four hearts, since a simple raise would be forcing.


Your result so far:

A: Pass: You have the values to bid one no-trump, but you have a huge misfit (and the last thing you want to do is have partner run to his six-card heart suit). While one no-trump may work here, I'd be inclined to pass and back in later. Remember, an immediate call of two diamonds would be a raise of hearts here, but a delayed bid of two diamonds will be natural.

Your result so far:

A: Double: Double by you is card-showing with the emphasis on takeout. You hope partner will produce three-card heart support, but if he bids two spades or three clubs, you should probably pass and hope he can make it. You expect partner to have a minimum hand if he has any extra shape at all, since otherwise he would not have passed at his previous turn.


Your result so far:

A: Pass: Decisions of this sort can cause ulcers. Is partner cue-bidding or is he showing long diamonds? Fortunately, today the answer is simple; with a good hand partner has an unambiguous cue-bid of two hearts (a suit he had the opportunity to bid at his first turn). So two diamonds should be natural and you should pass.


Your result so far:

A: 2♥: You would like to balance with a double for the majors, but that seems too risky, since you would have no way of coping with a response in clubs. Since game your way might be easy if partner has a balanced opening bid, unsuitable for a double, just bid two hearts and hope to find your way back to spades if partner has decent values.


Your result so far: