Bidding Question -

Here is your hand:

♠5
♥Q5
♦KJT93
♣AK876

You are up and decide to open the bidding 1♦. (With two five card suits always bid the higher ranking suit first!)

The auction proceeds as follows:

RHO	You!	LHO	Partner
	1♦	Pass	1♠
2♥	???

Question is: What will you bid now?

If you are wondering about the vulnerability the answer is you and your partner are vulnerable and the opponents are not vulnerable.

Show Answer

This is a pretty easy bid.

You should PASS.

Quite a few people like to bid on this hand. After all you have two five card suits.

This is true. However your PARTNER bid your singleton. They are interested in ♠ and you don't have any. If Partner has long ♠ they will probably bid them again and you will not be happy.

The opponents bid your doubleton Q♥. Do you really think your Q♥ is worth 2 points now? Not likely. You are now down to an 11 point hand.

Partner cannot Pass 3♣ -- even with a fit. You could have a BIG hand.

At the table, this hand choose to bid 3♣. No one bid after that.

I hear you saying "HEY! You told me that 3♣ was a forcing bid! Partner should have bid again!"

This is true. Partner should have bid again. Partner made a mistake. It happens. In any case you are down two so it was probably lucky Partner passed.

What happens if you PASS 2♥?

The Opponents go down 2.

Neither partnership has a fit and you both got too high in the bidding.

Remember if Partner has a nice hand they get to make another bid! Then you can show your ♣ suit.