Bidding is not always easy by Bobby Wolff

A: 3♣: Since the opponents have found a low-level fit, your partner is doubling for takeout. I'd guess he has a shape like 2-2-4-5, and your best spot must be clubs. It is irrelevant that your RHO has opened the suit -- East could easily have a three-card suit. Even if he has four, your intermediates suggest you should be able to cope with any bad break easily enough.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: New suits are forcing in response to overcalls of weak bids. One must play that way, because otherwise the opponents can interfere fatally with your constructive bidding. It is a sound policy that one should never pre-empt against pre-empts, and equally, never reserve calls to show weak hands after they pre-empt against you. So here you can bid two spades and be confident that it is forcing.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: Your hand is certainly worth a try for game. I cannot bring myself to invite in no-trump. (My partner could have an opening bid and we could still be off the first nine tricks.) So my next call has to be in spades or diamonds. A simple raise to three diamonds looks safest, but I prefer a call of two spades since this seems the most likely game.

Your result so far:

A: 3NT: Your hand probably belongs in three no-trump, and it seems sensible to make that call. Is it possible you are off the whole heart suit? Yes, but it is very unlikely, since your partner either has a really good hand or both red suits. And if your partner has clubs, you will hear about it on the next round of the auction.

Your result so far:

A: 4♠: That two-spade call should be natural -- you cannot afford to have the opponents stealing your suits for no reason. You do not really care if your RHO is playing silly games; you should raise to four spades and let your partner worry about that.

Your result so far: