How strong do you evaluate your hand? by Bobby Wolff

A: 2♠: Do you bid two spades or three spades? (Go to the back of the class if you did more.) Your partner normally has a balanced 12-14, relatively short in hearts, so your honors in that suit won't be working. On that basis, it seems clear that you should make a simple raise to two spades. Anytime partner has extras, he will be unbalanced and will bid on, so you ought to be able to reach game whenever it is making.

Your result so far:

A: 2♥: You have enough to issue a game invitation, and a simple raise of diamonds ignores other possible strains. (The hand could play better in spades, clubs or no-trump.) Cue-bid two hearts to show a good hand and await partner's rebid to help you decide whether to play game or part-score.

Your result so far:

A: 3♥: Having found a heart fit, are you going to play in two hearts, drive to game or invite game? Of the three positions, the invitation seems like the middle-of-the-road action. It looks logical because one of your minor-suit queens will surely be wasted. Partner will be short in one suit or the other. Give me an ace in a minor instead of the queens, and I'd bid game.

Your result so far:

A: Double: You have a little too much to pass here. It feels as if a double should be card-showing, and you will be happy to play in whatever strain your partner chooses (or to defend, if your partner has a balanced hand with three clubs). There is no need to rebid the spades; partner knows you have at least four of them.


Your result so far:

A: 2♦: I'd be inclined to bid two diamonds now, mainly to try to keep the auction open in case partner has a good hand or can produce delayed heart support. I'd guess the 5-2 heart fit might be our most likely game, but if partner has a singleton heart, two diamonds feels like the safest part-score.

Your result so far: