Decision Time! by Bobby Wolff

A: 2NT: You have a dead minimum for the auction so far, but you do have a heart stopper. Should you bid two no-trump now, show your club feature or revert to three diamonds? I say that bidding two no-trump now makes sense, showing less than a jump to three no-trump. With better or longer clubs, you might do more, but I can't see how you can make game unless partner has more to offer.

Your result so far:

A: Pass: There are some sequences where a redouble has an artificial meaning, but this is not one of them. Here the redouble announces that North has long clubs and that West has made a mistake. You have no reason to disbelieve your partner. Pass, and be prepared to hear someone apologize after the deal. I hope it isn't you.

Your result so far:

A: 1NT: Without your opponent's double, you would normally bid one spade now. But after the double, I can see the argument for rebidding one no-trump and concealing the spades. Even if your side does have a spade fit, you may not wish to find it, and you may make the defenders' lives harder here by concealing your shape.

Your result so far:

A: 2NT: Although you have slightly more than a classical no-trump overcall, you should simply bid two no-trump and not worry about that extra jack. It is far more important to get the basic nature of your hand across as quickly as possible, rather than starting by doubling -- there is no reason to create a complex auction where you could have had a simple one.

Your result so far:

A: Pass: Facing a passed partner, you have only two viable options -- and doubling is not one of them. You can pass and hope to balance if the opponents find hearts -- and how bad could it be to pass throughout if they don't? Or you can take the very active position of overcalling one spade. I'd rather do that if my spade king were the queen-jack.

Your result so far: