Real Life Hand

Hi Heidi,

In the hand below, how should West bid? 1♠ or 1NT? What is your analysis and recommendation?

All vulnerable, East is dealer:

	North ♠T8543 ♥83 ♦982 ♣K64
West ♠AKJ9 ♥A752 ♦J6 ♣QT7		East ♠762 ♥94 ♦AQT54 ♣J52
	South ♠Q ♥KQJT6 ♦K73 ♣A983

N	E	S	W
	Pass	1♥	???

Heidi's Answer

I don't hate overcalling on a strong four card suit but I do try to avoid it so on this hand I probably would overcall 1NT to show my 15 to 18 HCP with a balanced hand. 1NT just gets across my strength and balanced shape. I would bid 1♠ with a much worse, much more distributional hand. So that would be my choice on this hand.

The Result?

On this hand North/South can take 7 tricks in ♥ and ♣.

East/West can take 9 tricks in ♦ and 7 tricks in ♠.

If West makes a 1♠ overcall North will "Pass" and East will raise to 2♠. The auction will likely end there. If North/South want to try to bid they will get too high and go down too many!

If West makes a 1NT overcall North will "Pass" and East will "Pass". Will South let them play in 1NT? They should at these colours.

East/West can go down 1 trick in 1NT. I think they will. North will lead a ♥. West will try the ♦ finesse which will lose. After South takes all their ♥ winners they will switch to their next best suit -- ♣ -- and take the next two tricks. Down 1.

Hard for East to bid ♦ on this hand.

So unless South does something crazy when vulnerable, E/W will get the contract and go down no matter what West bids.