How high do you want to go? by Bobby Wolff

A: 2♥: Don't insist on playing no-trump here. Start by using the fourth suit, then raise diamonds once you have set up a game-force. You can always get to three no-trump later, but if you do not support diamonds at some point, you will never get to diamonds when it is right.

Your result so far:

A: 3NT: You don't have to agree with me, but I think when asked for a heart stopper, you must show one here by bidding no-trump now. That is the easy part; the real issue is that after this fourth-suit inquiry, which sets up a game force, you should jump to three no-trump since you have a strong no-trump equivalent.

Your result so far:

A: 4♦: At this moment, you cannot be sure whose hand it is. Regardless, though, you should jump to four diamonds, since with pure values (that is to say, so much of your hand in the minors and so little wasted in the majors), you want to bid more, not less. Switch your clubs and spades, and you might make the same call, but with far less conviction.


Your result so far:

A: 4♥: Even though your spade king may not be pulling its full weight, you can hardly do less than bid four hearts if you trust your partner's overcalls. The argument that you may be pushing the opponents into game won't wash. If they were going to bid game under their own steam, they would do so, and who is to say that they will make it just because they bid it?

Your result so far:

A: 3♦: You may not have many assets, but what you have is perfectly located. Raise to three diamonds, relatively confident that you will be offering partner three or more working cards (more than partner might expect on this auction). Your weak hearts are actually an asset on an auction where partner seems to be relatively short in that suit.

Your result so far: