Bidding Question

Hi Heidi,

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

EW vulnerable, N is dealer:

	North ♠AT832 ♥754 ♦J653 ♣K
West ♠74 ♥KJ ♦QT742 ♣J753		East ♠QJ5 ♥AT832 ♦98 ♣864
	South ♠K96 ♥Q96 ♦AK ♣AQT94

N	E	S	W
Pass	Pass	1♣	Pass
1♠	Pass	2NT	Pass
???

Question 1: If NS plays Stayman and Jacob Transfer, do they apply to North's next bid? or North's next bid is natural?

Heidi's Answer 1

Stayman and Jacoby Transfer's ONLY apply when Partner has OPENED the bidding some number of NT. You can also use they if Partner OVERCALLED a natural strong NT.

But here South did not open 1NT or 2NT.

Neither Stayman nor Jacoby Tranfers will apply on this auction.



Question 2: How to bid this hand to find out if it is better for NS to play in a ♠ or NT contract?

Heidi's Answer 2

On this hand North will take South out of their NT bid and bid 3♦. This should show an unbalanced hand since they took South out of their NT bid.

(If you play something called checkback Stayman you can do that but most readers will not know what that is!)

Therefore North should have a five card ♠ suit. That is the only way they can be unbalanced.

South can now bid 3♠. They can't have four ♠ or they would have supported North earlier. So South must have three ♠.

North can now bid 4♠.

Major's tend to play better than NT so most people prefer to play in a major suit fit if they can.

Final Auction

	North ♠AT832 ♥754 ♦J653 ♣K
West ♠74 ♥KJ ♦QT742 ♣J753		East ♠QJ5 ♥AT832 ♦98 ♣864
	South ♠K96 ♥Q96 ♦AK ♣AQT94

N	E	S	W
Pass	Pass	1♣	Pass
1♠	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♦	Pass	3♠	Pass
4♠	Pass	Pass	Pass