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!