Bidding Question

Hi Heidi,

We came across a few hands that we don't know how to bid today:

All non-vulnerable, S is dealer:

	North ♠76543 ♥AT86 ♦J ♣AK6
West ♠QJ8 ♥J7 ♦964 ♣QT952		East ♠KT2 ♥K943 ♦K832 ♣J4
	South ♠A9 ♥Q52 ♦AQT75 ♣873

N	E	S	W
		1♦	Pass
1♠	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♥	Pass	???

Question: With North bidding a new suit, does South has to bid and not Pass? If so, what should they bid? Is there a way for South to ask North to bid NT if they have a ♣ control?

Heidi's Answer

Yes a new suit by Responder is forcing so South does have to bid after North 2♥ bid.

For more information on this click here: How does Responder Force if 1NT has NOT been bid?

They do not have to ask for a ♣ stopper. When they show North they do not have support for any of North's suits, North will bid NT if they have a stopper.

So South is kinda stuck bidding 3♦ right now.

Then North can bid 3NT.

Just a Note

Rather than 2♦, a better rebid by South would be 1NT. I know you don't have the ♣ stopped but you are minimum and balanced. If North raises you to game they likely have something in the ♣ suit. In any case the Opponents are not bidding ♣ so you should be fine.

The bidding then would go:

N	E	S	W
		1♦	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
3♥*	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

This would be the auction if the partnership is playing good old fashioned nothing fancy Standard American. If the partnership was playing something fancy like New Minor Forcing the auction would be different.

* For information on that 3♥ bid click here: How Does Responder Force Over 1NT?