Responding to a Strong 2 Club bid

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠J96432
♥
♦652
♣T732

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 2♣ to show a very strong hand. The Opponents are silent during the bidding. You respond 2♦ which is just a waiting bid. You don't want to show a nice hand and any other bid would. Plus you are curious -- just WHY did Partner open the bidding 2♣? If they have a strong, balanced hand you probably can make 4♠. Partner now bids 2♥. This means they opened 2♣ because they have a very strong hand with a nice suit.

What is your call?

Show Answer

2♠?

If you play second negatives you can do that also. (If you do not know what they are you do not play them.)

But one bid you CANNOT make is "Pass". Yes, you have nothing. Yes, you don't even have trump but PARTNER opened 2♣ to tell you they have a strong enough hand they don't NEED anything from you in order to make a game.

If they needed a few values from you to make a game they would have opened the bidding 1♥. That way if you had to "Pass" because you had no values you would not have missed a game.

Believe it or not Partner can take 10 tricks if ♥ are trump. If you "Passed" 2♥ they will not get a chance to bid again.

If you bid (anything) they will bid 4♥. Now you can "Pass" and you have reached your game.