How strong do you evaluate your hand? by Bobby Wolff

A: 2NT: An easy one, I hope. Your partner's two-heart call suggests a limited hand in the range of 6-9 HCP, but game your way is still very much in the picture. Your spectacular intermediates mean you can make an invitational call of two no-trump and let your partner decide where to go from here.


Your result so far:

A: 5♦: Your partner has shown extra values with short clubs, typically a 4-3-5-1 hand. Your hand is now spectacularly good -- too good for a jump to four diamonds. My choice would be to bid five diamonds. If a call of four clubs means (as it probably should) a perfect-fitting hand with no wasted values in clubs, sometimes called a Bluhmer, try that instead.


Your result so far:

A: 2♠: Your first thoughts should be to try to reach no-trump from your partner's hand, so cue-bid two spades, which initially focuses on the danger suit. If your partner has a stopper, he will bid no-trump; if not, he will make a natural rebid.

Your result so far:

A: 3♣: While you have limited values, you should nonetheless raise to three clubs as a two-way shot. In one way, you are competing to try for a possible game; in another, you are trying to make sure the opponents do not have a cheap way into the auction at the two-level.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: In this auction, a cue-bid of two spades might sound like it is based on heart support, but in practice the call is very unlikely to have primary heart support (since you might take stronger action with side-suit shortage). And since you might start with a double if playing support doubles, the cue-bid is likely in the first instance to be looking for a spade stopper.

Your result so far: