No Absolutely True/Wrong Answers by Bobby Wolff

A: Pass: Not all good hands are equal; some are more (or less) equal than others. I hate the high-card makeup of this hand, with the club honors not pulling their weight, the bad trump spots and the flat shape in the side suits. Since partner could have produced a cue-bid raise with any decent passed hand, I'm inclined to pass out two hearts and not look for more.

Your result so far:

A: Double: I recommend playing takeout doubles here, though the alternative of cue-bidding to show short diamonds and ask for a four-card major while denying a diamond stopper (if playing Lebensohl) is perfectly reasonable. The attraction of doubling is that, once in a while, you get to defend when it is right to do so. Also, you may occasionally find your way to clubs.

Your result so far:

A: 1NT: There is no reason to bid more than one no-trump here. A jump to two no-trump would suggest a full opener rather than a minimum one. With no fit for hearts, you have no reason to be optimistic. If partner can produce a second call, you may reassess the position.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: I know that this may cause some people heartburn, but in my view the first choice here is a simple raise to two spades -- and there are no second choices. Too many people are brought up on the idea that opener's raise of a major guarantees four trumps; it does not. Three trumps and an unbalanced hand (or a semi-balanced hand with moderate trumps) is more than sufficient reason to raise at once.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: When playing a forcing no-trump, you are often faced with the decision of whether to raise a major directly or go through one no-trump if you have a good 7-count or a bad 8-count. Here, your bad trumps are to some extent compensated for by the paired heart honors. So I would bid two spades -- but if the heart queen were the diamond queen, I might choose the low road.

Your result so far: