What has partner promised? by Bobby Wolff

A: 3♠: Three clubs here is a forcing call, asking you to assess your suitability for the suit game or no-trump. Your hand is minimum with no diamond stop so a simple rebid of three spades seems best to me. With ace-fourth of diamonds and a singleton club, a three-diamond bid would make sense, but not here.


Your result so far:

A: 3♣: Your partner's failure to raise spades denies four -- in some circles, where support doubles are used, it denies three. Since he clearly has relatively short spades and diamonds, he must have real clubs and a minimum hand, so compete to three clubs.


Your result so far:

A: Pass: Though your club honors are well placed, you are not really worth a game-try. Partner could have jumped to three spades with anything approaching extras, so he rates to be balanced and minimum (with only three spades on a really bad day). I could understand moving on with the spade 10 in addition to your assets, but here discretion looks to be the better part of valor -- so pass.

Your result so far:

A: 2NT: The aggressive two-no-trump call is my choice, while the rebid in diamonds would be an underbid, but both are better than rebidding the hearts, which would guarantee six or a better suit than this.


Your result so far:

A: Pass: The raise to two spades is a constructive game-try, not obstructive. Accordingly, it suggests around 16-17 high cards with four trump. Your balanced shape and apparently unattractive club holding probably argues that pass would be best. However, you are on the cusp of action (if the club queen were the diamond queen, you would be worth a try of three diamonds.)

Your result so far: