How Do I Ask?

Hi Heidi,

South opened with 1♦, North could have responded with 2♥, but decided to bid 1♥ to leave more bidding room. South rebid 1♠, then North didn't know how to rebid to show the big hand and game force. What do you suggest?

NS vulnerable, E is dealer:

	North ♠K3 ♥K9854 ♦KQ63 ♣A7
West ♠97 ♥AT ♦T97 ♣K98654		East ♠JT542 ♥J32 ♦2 ♣QJ32
	South ♠AQ86 ♥Q76 ♦AJ854 ♣T

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

Heidi's Answer

I like North's original bid of 1♥. This is good thinking. With a strong hand you can jump but why bother? (Besides the hand is supposed to be a little stronger to bid 2♥ with at least a six card suit! Plus nowadays most players play 2♥ as a WEAK hand. Up to you and your Partner but if you show a WEAK hand you need to ALERT.)

Things are good in the bidding until now. You are right. North doesn't KNOW what to do after South's 1♠ rebid.

North can't rebid ♥ -- that shows six of them.

North also knows the partnership has enough for game -- but what game? North might not want to play in 3NT with only one stopper in the unbid suit (♣) but how to ask Partner for another stopper? Plus Partner could have three ♥ in their hand! North wants to play in a major suit fit if they can. How can they ask Partner if Partner has three ♥? Can you ask BOTH these questions at the same time?

YES! You can!

Let's go back to some basic principals. A new suit by RESPONDER is forcing for at least one round if they are not an original passed hand and 1NT has not been bid in the auction.

PERFECT!

A new suit by North is FORCING at this point in the auction!

So North can bid a new suit. In this case the suit would be ♣. They can bid 2♣.

Note that they do NOT have to have any ♣. (In fact on this hand they don't have much in the ♣ suit.) This is not a NATURAL bid saying "I have ♣" this is a forcing bid saying "Please describe your hand more."

So what does South do? They describe their hand more.

On this hand they will bid 2♥ saying "I have three ♥ for you!"

Now North knows they have a ♥ fit and enough for game so they will bid 4♥.

(If South had a different hand without three card ♥ support other bidding options would be to bid 2NT with a ♣ stopper.)

Is the 2♣ bid alertable?

Depends. If you play this bid as forcing to game it is called "Fourth Suit Forcing" and it IS ALERTABLE and you must get to game.

Playing normal Standard American it is NOT ALERTABLE and you are NOT forced to game.

The Final Auction

	North ♠K3 ♥K9854 ♦KQ63 ♣A7
West ♠97 ♥AT ♦T97 ♣K98654		East ♠JT542 ♥J32 ♦2 ♣QJ32
	South ♠AQ86 ♥Q76 ♦AJ854 ♣T

N	E	S	W
	Pass	1♦	Pass
1♥	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♥	Pass
4♥	Pass	Pass	Pass