What to open?

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

Here is your hand:
♠AKJ2
♥AQ84
♦6
♣KQJ8

You are Dealer. What is your call?

Show Answer

1♣.

Even though you have the values to open the bidding 2NT, you cannot open the bidding 2NT because you have a singleton ♦.

What to Open?

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

Here is your hand:
♠73
♥AKJ6
♦AT98
♣QJ9

Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) just "Passed". It is your bid. What is your call?

Show Answer

1NT.

This shows 15 to 17 HCP (High Card Points) with a balanced hand. Perfect! Don't worry about these two small ♠. You don't have to have high cards in every suit!

Respond

Playing matchpoints. You are not vulnerable but the Opponents are. You and your Partner are playing SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) so nothing fancy.

Here is your hand:
♠Q853
♥643
♦Q3
♣A852

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

Show Answer

2♥

This shows a minimum raise -- about six to a bad ten points with at least three ♥

If you bid 1♠ (which is also an option) then what do you do when Partner rebids 2♣?

If you bid 2♥ now it doesn't look like you have a fit -- otherwise you would have supported Partner right away.

Generally with a one bid hand raise your Partner's major instead of trying to find a better fit.

Responder must decide

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

Here is your hand:
♠KQ9
♥KQT863
♦KT
♣KJ

Partner opens the bidding 1♣. The Opponents do not bid. You decide to bid 1♥. You are very strong for this bid but it IS a forcing bid. Partner MUST bid again.

Over 1♥ Partner bids 4♥.

We decided last post that Partner is showing a VERY strong hand and that you were going to bid 4NT. This is Blackwood and asks Partner just how many Aces they have.

Partner bids 5♣. You play just regular plain old-fashioned Blackwood.

What does Partner have? What is your call?

Show Answer

Partner has either zero or all four Aces. I think from the auction we can agree they CAN'T have zero Aces. That means they have ALL FOUR!

Count your winners.

You have three ♠ winners since Partner has the A♠.

You have six ♥ winners since Partner has the A♥.

You have two ♦ winners since Partner has the A♦.

You have two ♣ winners since Partner has the A♣.

That's 13 tricks. You should have bid 7NT right away. I hope you didn't bother wasting people's time with 5NT. That asks for Kings but YOU have them all!

I hope no one wimped out on me!

In case you are curious Partner had:
♠A52
♥AJ74
♦A43
♣AQ3

What should Responder do?

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

Here is your hand:
♠KQ9
♥KQT863
♦KT
♣KJ

Partner opens the bidding 1♣. The Opponents do not bid. You decide to bid 1♥. You are very strong for this bid but it IS a forcing bid. Partner MUST bid again.

Over 1♥ Partner bids 4♥.

What is Partner showing for their bid? What is your call?

Show Answer

The bid I would choose is 4NT. Ask Partner how many Aces they have.

Partner is showing a STRONG hand. You said you had only six points and only four ♥. They need at least four ♥ to make a trump fit with you and at least 19 points if all you have is six.

You have 17 HCP plus extra trump! You've got to take further action!

Stay tuned to see what happens!

Responder Rebids

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable. You and your Partner are playing SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) so nothing fancy.

Here is your hand:
♠7
♥AK9873
♦763
♣K86

Partner opens the bidding 1♠. Your Opponents do not bid. We decided last post that you would respond 2♥ which would show at least FIVE ♥ and at least 10 HCP (High Card Points).

Now Partner bids 3NT.

What does Partner have?

What is your call?

Show Answer

4♥

Partner should have a BALANCED hand -- which means that they have a doubleton ♥. They probably don't have three ♥ because they know you have five and they didn't support. But they are balanced so should not have a singleton ♥. If they did have a singleton they would probably bid a new suit. They have enough points to force to game (since they jumped to 3NT) so they wouldn't have been worried about not having enough points to bid a new suit.

If you passed 3NT don't worry. You can take 10 tricks playing in 3NT if Partner guesses everything right. However, you can take 11 tricks playing in 4♥ if you guess everything right!

What to Respond?

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable. You and your Partner are playing SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) so nothing fancy.

Here is your hand:
♠7
♥AK9873
♦763
♣K86

Partner opens the bidding 1♠. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass".

What is your call? What specifically does this call show?

Show Answer

2♥

This shows at least FIVE ♥ (NOT four) and at least a good ten HCP (High Card Points).