Tough Rebids

Here is your hand:

♠5
♥T43
♦AQ5
♣AKJ952

Playing matchpoints and everyone is vulnerable. The Opponents are silent during the auction.

Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♠. You decide to bid 2♣. Partner rebids 2♠.

What is your call now?

Show Answer

I hope you didn't bid 3♣. That would be a NON-FORCING bid. Partner is allowed to say "Pass" and they will on this hand. You just missed a game.

Talk about tough rebids though! What SHOULD you bid?

You've got a choice of a few (not great) bids.

First of all 3NT is a choice. You might be worried about the ♥ situation though. Partner doesn't have to have any ♥ honours for their bid. But you can always hold your breath and try. At least you got to game.

4♠ is another choice. You hate to support Partner with only a singleton but you did get the partnership to game and now you don't have to worry about ♥ stoppers.

If you want to get Partner to choose between 3NT and 4♠ you could try 3♦. It is a FORCING bid. Now if Partner bids 3NT you can "Pass" and if Partner goes back to their ♠ suit (again!) you can raise then to 4♠.

I would probably bid 3♦ on the hand. Partner doesn't want to go by 3NT by raising the 3♦ suit any more than you do. But that's my style. As long as you didn't rebid 3 (only) ♣ and got the Partnership to game you will do fine on this board.