PLAY BRIDGE
probably have game. You send this
message to partner with a cuebid.
Suppose you have:
A 6 Q J 5 3 K Q 7 4 J 10 5 3.
Should you play game in 3NT or
4? If partner has a four-card heart
suit, you would want to play 4.
Responding to a 2. Bid 1NT with a relatively If partner only has three-card heart
balanced hand and 7–10 HCP. Here support, then you want to play 3NT.
takeout double is an example: Since you are not sure, cuebid 2.
The use of a low-level double is a K 10 3 Q 4 Q 10 4 3 J 7 5 4. If partner rebids 2, you can raise
request to partner to bid an unbid Although 7–10 HCP is recom- to 4. If partner bids something
suit. The most common instance is mended here, the exact strength is a else, you can bid 3NT.
after a one-level bid by an oppo- matter of style, and expert opinions
nent. The double normally indicates vary. The conservative view is to 6. Jump to the three-level with a
a hand worth an opening bid with at use the bid for 7–10 or 8–10, but long suit with good playing strength,
least three-card support for all unbid others recommend 6–9 or even but less than game values. You hold:
suits. 5–10. As with many bidding situ- K J 10 8 7 4 9 5 4 Q 10 9 4.
Knowing the proper responses ations, this is something you and Bid 3. Your hand has too much
after partner doubles is crucial. You your partner should discuss. potential for a simple 1 bid, but
should look first to play in one of doesn’t qualify for a 2 bid with
the major suits. The second choice 3. Make a jump response in your only 6 HCP. Bidding one more than
is notrump. If either of these is not suit with 9–11 HCP, or a good 8 a single jump shows you have a
a good option, then you should play HCP and some distribution. Suppose long suit and some useful points.
in a minor suit. you hold: Partner can evaluate his hand to
Suppose the bidding is: K 10 3 Q J 7 4 3 10 4 3 A 3. decide whether to continue to 4.
You should not bid 1 — you Here are some more examples. In
West North East South are too strong. You should jump each case, suppose your LHO opens
1 Dbl Pass ? to 2, a bid that is invitational. 1 and partner doubles.
Partner can pass if he has a Example #1:
Partner is asking you to bid. How minimum takeout double. If he has 8 5 3 K Q 3 9 4 3 2 7 4 3?
do you respond? 13 points and you have 10, that’s Answer: Bid 1. Yes, your suit is
not enough for game. If he has weak, but you are forced to bid and
1. Make a minimum suit extra, he can bid again. it’s the only four-card suit you have.
response with 0–8 high-card Example #2:
points. Suppose you hold this hand 4. Bid 2NT with 11 to 12 HCP 8 4 Q 8 4 3 10 8 3 A K 4 3.
and the bidding has proceeded as and at least one stopper in the Answer: Bid 2. It’s true your
above (all the following examples opponent’s suit. With this hand: hearts are only four cards long and
presume left-hand opponent A 3 J 5 3 K Q 10 4 J 10 7 4, not very strong, but bidding 1
opened 1 and partner doubled you should bid 2NT. The hand is does not show the strength of your
and RHO passes): too strong for 1NT and you don’t hand. Partner usually has four-card
K 10 4 3 Q 4 10 4 3 J 7 6 4 have a four-card or longer major. heart support, so jump to 2 and
With this hand, you should Try to play notrump instead of hope for the best.
respond 1. You are lucky to have a minor suit when you have a Example #3:
a useful hand, but you are not hand this strong. 2NT shows your 10 7 K 8 3 K Q J 10 7 9 7 5.
strong enough to do more than bid strength and approximate pattern Answer: Bid 2. You don’t have
at the one level. Notice that you and allows partner to make a good a four-card major to bid. You don’t
would also have to bid 1 with: decision. have a club stopper. That leaves
10 8 4 3 Q 4 10 4 3 J 7 6 4. bidding diamonds. Jumping to 2
Bidding 1 doesn’t promise 5. Cuebid the opponent’s suit with promises diamonds and 9–11 (or
values since partner forced you to 12 or more HCP. If you and partner a good 8) points, which is a good
bid. both have opening bid values, you description of your hand. r
44 Bridge Bulletin
