How is your (high-level) competitive bidding? by Bobby Wolff

How is your (high-level) competitive bidding?

Do you feel comfortable in these situations?

Or should you talk about them with your partner(s)?

See how you fare!

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A 8 5
♥ K 8 7 4
♦ K 6 3
♣ J 4 2

Q: 1 - What do you answer as South?

South	West	North	East
Pass	1♣	2♠	Pass
?

A: 3♠: Even though the opponents seem prepared to go quietly, it is worthwhile to invest a small amount to make their lives more difficult in case West plans to re-open the bidding. You should raise to three spades to force his next action to come at a more uncomfortable level. This may turn a plus score into a minus, but overall, the investment looks sound to me.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ J 3 2
♥ A K 9 8 2
♦ 7 2
♣ J 9 8

Q: 2 - What do you answer as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	Double	Pass
?

A: 2♥: It is worth emphasizing why your response may be different after a balancing double than after a direct-seat double. A direct double shows opening values or more; a balancing double may be as much as a king less than that. So, responder to the balancing double bids as if he has transferred a king to his partner. Here, responder jumps to two hearts; he would not do so facing a balancing double.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

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

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

A: 3♣: I am torn here between bidding no-trump and raising clubs; if the latter, I wonder what level to raise to. The problem is that if North is short in hearts, we might make game in clubs (and would go down in three no-trump), but my partner will not know his cards are fitting. Still, a raise to three clubs is the value bid, and with no side-suit aces, part-score is likely to be the limit if partner holds a minimum.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - What is your next call as South?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	3♥
Double	Pass	4♣	Pass
?

A: 4♠: I can see the attraction of heading for six clubs, but with so many holes to fill, this hand seems more about game than slam. Four spades may be considerably easier to make than five clubs, so I would simply bid four spades now. For slam to make, you would need partner to have an ace and either long clubs or the diamond king.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ J 10 8 5 3
♥ Q J
♦ 9 3
♣ Q 7 4 2

Q: 5 - What do you bid next as South?

South	West	North	East
-	3♦	Double	Pass
3♠	Pass	4♦	Pass
?

A: 5♠: You may not have a great hand, but you already denied any real values when you bid only three spades at your first turn. That said, do you trust your partner enough to play him for the slam-try he has already shown? If you do, then I think you must bid more than four spades now. Inventing a four-heart cue-bid or jumping to five spades might be best now.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

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

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Overall Results

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What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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