Responding to Partner

Here is your hand:
♠AQT4
♥AQ42
♦K962
♣8

You decide to open the bidding 1♦. The opponents passed throughout the bidding. Partner responds 1♠.

What is your bid? You are playing match points.

Show Answer

First thing to think about is "Do you have a fit for Partner?"

When Partner responds they are only showing a four card suit. But you have a four card suit. You have a fit. You need to support Partner.

Bidding:
2♠ would show about 13 to 16 points with four ♠
3♠ would show about 17 or 18 points with four ♠
4♠ would show about 19 to 21 points with four ♠

So now the question is "How many points do you have?"

If you answered 15 points you were only counting your High Card Points. Since you have a fit you can also count Dummy points.

So the question (again) is "How many points do you have?"

You have 18 points. 15 HCP and 3 Dummy points.

Therefore your bid is 3♠.

This is actually the hand that goes with the hand from the last two posts.

Here is the other hand:
♠K752
♥3
♦AQJT
♣AQ32

♠AQT4
♥AQ42
♦K962
♣8

In the game only two pairs managed to reach the small slam. Good for you if you were one of them!