Q. Both vulnerable, as South you hold:
Q. Both vulnerable, as South you hold:
x-10 9 8 7 u-7 5 4 v-A 6 5 2 w-8 4
Partner opens the bidding with one spade. What action do you take?
A. When you have four-card support for partner's major and a side ace, don't even bother to take other factors into consideration. Experience shows that if you do not raise immediately, you might miss a game. Besides, the preemptive value of a spade raise is important. Bid two spades.
Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:
x-7 u-K 8 6 2 v-8 7 2 w-K Q J 6 2
The bidding has proceeded:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1w 1x Pass ?
What action do you take?
A. One spade is most unlikely to be a comfortable spot for partner. If two clubs were natural, that might be the best spot, but partner is sure to treat it as a cue-bid in support of spades. Bid one no trump.
Q. Both vulnerable, as South you hold:
x-A 7 u-A 5 v-A K Q 9 8 3 w-Q 10 9
The bidding has proceeded
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1v Pass 1x Pass
?
What do you bid now?
A. It might seem that three diamonds is the logical choice, but give partner as little as a major-suit king and either the jack of diamonds or a three-card fragment, and you could have nine running tricks at no trump. Bid three no trump.
Q. North-South vulnerable, as South you hold:
x-6 u-10 5 v-6 w-A K Q 8 7 6 5 3 2
The bidding has proceeded:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1x 2x* ?
*two-suited takeout
What do you bid now?
A. You are not going to sell out to any contract short of slam with this hand. Under those circumstances, you might as well preempt to a level where you might not only buy the contract, but also make it. Bid five clubs.
Q. Both vulnerable, you hold:
x-6 4 3 u-J 6 2 v-9 6 5 w-A Q 10 2
Partner opens the bidding with one spade. What do you respond?
A. If you use forcing no trump responses, you are on the borderline of that action and a raise to two spades, and we don't mind which action you choose. If you don't have that weapon in your arsenal, don't respond one no trump with all your values in one suit. Raise to two spades.
Q. Nether vulnerable, as South you hold:
x-10 7 2 u-Q 7 6 v-A Q J 6 w-A 6 5
The bidding has proceeded:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1v Pass 1x Pass
?
What do you bid now?
A. Yes, we raise partner's major-suit response with only three-card support. No, this is not the hand for that. With a stopper in each unbid suit and a perfectly balanced hand, one no trump is a far more descriptive rebid. Bid it.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services
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