Friday, July 22, 2016

Responding with two five card suits

Here's a hand that came up a previous game. Partner opens the bidding 1♣. RHO Passes. Your turn to bid and you hold this hand:

You hold this hand:
♠Q9843
QJ862
T75


Do you bid? You don't have 6 HCP.

True but bridge players these days are pretty aggressive. Nothing wrong with responding on this hand. The question is WHAT do you respond?

Most players responded 1 on this hand. Which is incorrect. If you are going to respond on this hand you need to respond 1♠. With two five card suits you always bid your HIGHER ranking suit first. ♠ are ranked higher than . Respond 1♠. That way when Partner makes the inevitable NT response you can rebid some number of . If Partner puts you back to your first bid suit you are still at the SAME level.

So on this hand you respond 1♠. Partner bids 1NT. You can now rebid 2. Partner can either Pass 2 OR bid 2♠. Either way you are playing at the 2 level. Which is fine by you. You don't want to get any higher!

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