Bidding Question

Hi Heidi,

North opened 1♦. South responded with 1♠, then how should North bid? Should North have opened in 2♣??

NS vulnerable, W is dealer:

	North ♠AKQT ♥AKQ ♦QT875 ♣6
West ♠J6 ♥98762 ♦KJ6 ♣AQT		East ♠72 ♥JT53 ♦43 ♣K9874
	South ♠98543 ♥4 ♦A92 ♣J532

N	E	S	W
			Pass
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
???

Heidi's Answer

When I open up the bidding 2♣ (and I am unbalanced) I am telling Partner "Hey Buddy, my hand is SOOO strong we are going to game no matter how lousy your hand is! So you'd better not pass me below game!"

This hand isn't strong enough to go to game if Partner has nothing. I like the opening bid of 1♦.

But now what? What does North bid over 1♠ to show they have ♠ support and enough to get to a game? Hmmm.

Hey how about just bidding game in ♠? So 4♠.

4♠ in NOT a shut down bid in this auction -- Partner is unlimited. 4♠ is telling Partner -- "Hey, you have six points and four ♠? We've got enough for game!" So North should have four ♠ themselves (for the fit) and about 20 points that together with South's six make enough for a game.

South is very minimum and will "Pass" 4♠. But they should make a game for sure!

(Now some partnerships have a bid called a "Splinter" that they can use on this hand to show a hand strong enough for game with ♠ support and also a singleton ♣. But that's a pretty fancy bid that most players reading this blog do not play.)

The Final Auction

	North ♠AKQT ♥AKQ ♦QT875 ♣6
West ♠J6 ♥98762 ♦KJ6 ♣AQT		East ♠72 ♥JT53 ♦43 ♣K9874
	South ♠98543 ♥4 ♦A92 ♣J532

N	E	S	W
			Pass
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
4♠	Pass	Pass	Pass