What do you do?

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQ986
♥8742
♦
♣AK84

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1NT. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

2♣.

You do have a five card major so you might be tempted to transfer to your ♠ suit HOWEVER you also have a four card ♥ suit. If you transfer to ♠ you will never find your ♥ fit!

If you didn't have the values for Stayman you would just transfer to your 5 card major and "Pass" but here you do have the values for Stayman. If Partner responds 2♦ you can always jump to 3♠ to let them know you have a five card suit with a forcing to game hand.

What to Open?

Playing matchpoints. Neither you nor the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K96
♥QT
♦AKQ63
♣QT2

You are Dealer. What is your call?

Show Answer

1NT.

This shows a BALANCED hand with 15 to 17 High Card Points. Perfect!

The problem with opening 1♦ is that it is impossible later on to tell Partner you have a balanced hand with 15 to 17 points. You can't. If you did have that hand you would have opened the bidding 1NT!

If you open the bidding 1♦ then what are you going to bid over 1♥? A jump to 3♦ shows a SIX card suit.

What to do?

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠KJT
♥K98752
♦A
♣Q54

Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) is Dealer and opens the bidding 1NT. Your Left Hand Opponent says "15 to 17!" just like they should in duplicate.

What is your call?

Show Answer

Pass.

You've got nothing you really need to say on this hand. Did you really want to talk about that ♥ suit of yours?

For one thing, your LHO (Left Hand Opponent) has not bid yet. They could be sitting there with quite a few points still!

For another thing, your ♥ suit is really not that good.

I might feel a little different if your LHO opened the bidding 1NT and it went "Pass", "Pass" to you. Now you just want to get them out of their 1NT contract plus you know that RHO (Right Hand Opponent) doesn't have much or they would have made a bid.

A Rebid

Playing matchpoints. Neither you nor the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠T93
♥KQJT
♦A64
♣A96

You open the bidding 1♣. The Opponents are silent during the auction. Partner responds 1♥. What is your call and what are you telling Partner?

Show Answer

2♥

This shows a minimum opening hand (up to a bad 16 points) with four ♥.

Rebid Problem

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠QT7
♥54
♦AKQ
♣AK953

You are Dealer and open the bidding 1♣. The Opponents are silent during the bidding. Partner responds 1♥. What is your call?

Show Answer

2NT

This shows a balanced hand with 18 or 19 HCP (High Card Points). Perfect!

Don't rebid your ♣ suit. 3♣ shows a SIX card suit with 16 to 18 HCP.

What do you do?

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AQ9532
♥Q98
♦Q2
♣72

Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♠. (Yep, that's right. Your beautiful six card suit!)

What is your call?

Show Answer

Pass.

You've got nothing to bid on this hand. A "Double" would be take out saying "Partner, bid anything but ♠!"

If you "Pass" the Opponents get into trouble since they have no fit and only half the points in the deck.

Responding to 1NT

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K87
♥KJ9
♦KJ93
♣AT6

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1NT. You play that as 15 to 17 HCP. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

3NT

This tells Partner you have 10 to 15 HCP (High Card Points) and no four plus card major. Which describes your hand perfectly.

You DO have a VERY nice hand but Partner has 17 HCP AT MOST. Together you are off at least 8 and maybe 10 HCP. Not enough for a slam.

If you do bid 4NT to invite slam, Partner will accept. They have 17 HCP and a five card suit! Extras!

However, you are off one Ace and two Queen's. For Partner to make this slam they need to guess who has the Queen of Diamonds and also the Queen of Clubs! If they even guess one of the Queen's wrong they go down.

What to rebid?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠6
♥K9
♦AQJ86
♣AKQJ7

Partner is Dealer and says "Pass". Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) also says "Pass". Last post we decided to open the bidding 1♦. The Opponents do not bid at all. Partner responds 1♠. What is your call?

Show Answer

3♣.

Jump shift.

This shows an unbalanced hand with enough strength to go to game even if Responder has only 6 points. It also denies having a fit for Responder's major and denies having four ♥ (because with four ♥ you would have bid 2♥) -- all of which is true.

You don't want to rebid 2NT. That doesn't show the strength of your hand and also shows a balanced hand. Partner is allowed to "Pass" 2NT.

Partner is weak. If you don't make a jump shift they will "Pass". You can make game in either minor.

What to Open

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠6
♥K9
♦AQJ86
♣AKQJ7

Partner is Dealer and says "Pass". Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) also says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

1♦.

With two five card suits always bid the higher ranking suit first.

Even though you have 20 HCP (High Card Points) you cannot open the bidding 2NT. You are way too unbalanced.

You also don't want to make a reverse on this hand. Reverses show length in the first suit. (So if you open 1♣ and reverse into 2♦ you show longer ♣ than ♦.)