Partly about conventions, partly about agreements by Bobby Wolff

Bidding in Bridge is partly about conventions, partly about agreements.

See what you would do with today's five hands and if you firmly disagree, make sure you are on the same page as your partner.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ K 9 4 3
♥ A Q J 9 6
♦ 4
♣ J 9 6

Q: 1 - What do you rebid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	-	Pass	Pass
1♥	Pass	1♠	Pass
?

A: 2♠: While you have a very minimum opening bid, are you supposed to pass out one spade or raise to two as a sort of two-way shot, in case you can make game, or need to keep the opponents out of the fray? I'd raise to two spades and wouldn't worry too much about what comes next.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A Q 7 2
♥ Q 10 8 7 2
♦ 7
♣ J 6 2

Q: 2 - What do you answer as South?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	Pass
?

A: 3♠: Neither a limit raise nor a pre-emptive jump to four hearts does justice to this hand. There are two possible treatments you might consider. The simpler is to play a jump to three no-trump as showing a raise to game with some defense. The second is to use the first step higher than the limit raise (three spades here) as showing a limited hand with unspecified shortness. Partner can ask where, if interested.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ Q 8 4 3
♥ A Q 9 5 4
♦ 10
♣ 8 6 2

Q: 3 - What do you bid next as South?

South	West	North	East
-	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
?

A: 2♥: If you wanted to drive this hand to game, you could bid three spades now. This is the Smolen convention, showing four spades and five or more hearts, game forcing. This transfers declarership to partner if you end up in hearts. But I think this hand is closer to a signoff in two hearts once it is clear that your side does not have a real fit. So I would bid two hearts, allowing my partner to choose a major at the two-level.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ Q 6 3
♥ Q 8
♦ K 9 8 5 3
♣ K 9 4

Q: 4 - What do you bid next as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Double	Pass
2♦	Pass	2♠	Pass
?

A: 4♠: Your hand has great spade support, and the fact that you may be offering partner heart ruffs suggests that playing spades must be right. While you could cue-bid here, that would only muddy the waters. To me, it feels best to make the simple jump to four spades to suggest trump support, but no slam suitability. Three spades would suggest a better hand, I believe.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ 6
♥ Q 6 4 2
♦ Q J 9 6 4
♣ A K Q

Q: 5 - What do you rebid as South?

South	West	North	East
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
?

A: 1NT: Some people would have to choose between rebidding two clubs or two diamonds with this hand, because they have a phobia about rebidding one no-trump with a singleton in partner's suit. I fall firmly in the opposite camp; I raise partner freely with three trumps and a semi-balanced hand, so having a singleton is neither here nor there, to me. My hand suggests no-trump; I bid no-trump.

Your result so far:

Open Question

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Now that you've bid five hands, let's see how your play goes.

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