What’s your call?
| 2♥ | 2♠ | 2NT | ||
| 3♣ | 3♦ | 3♥ | 3♠ | 3NT |
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT |
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Dbl |
How do we love partner’s 1♠? Let us count the ways.
The Sutherlins like 4♠ “because it sends the message that we have game values but no diamond control. We expect partner to make a move with two aces, including a diamond control.”
Colchamiro likes 4♠ because of its save-discouraging nature. “I realize we might have slam. 3♠ is just plain wrong since
♠A x x x x ♥x x ♦ x x ♣x x x x
would make game. A 4♣ splinter is a possibility, but that could get doubled and lead to five-level complications. If partner moves over my 4♠, expecting more high cards and less shape, I don’t think he will be disappointed. I lose only when partner has five spades to the ace, either the ♦ A or a diamond singleton, and he conservatively passes.”
Hampson says, “I would hate to miss game by bidding only 3♠ when partner has:
♠J x x x x ♥x x ♦A x ♣x x x x.
Anything stronger is a big overbid.”
4♠ from Korbel, who says, “My instinct is to bid 4♣, but I am not sure whether that would be natural or a splinter. Sure, we make slam opposite:
♠A x x x x ♥x x ♦ A x x ♣x x x,
but I don’t know how to find out.”
Kennedy bids 4♠ saying, “This shows more playing strength than high-card points. If I had more HCP, I would cuebid diamonds.”
Falk notes that in competition, “4♠ doesn’t promise the world’s fair. I have play for 4♠ opposite ♠Axxx and out, so I bid it. If I were to bid only 3♠ and watch it go pass, pass with a shrug by partner, pass, I’d be sick.”
Lee chooses 4♠. “3♠ just doesn’t seem like enough when just the ♠A makes game pretty good.”
Weinstein says he would like to use 4♣ as a splinter, “but I think it would be natural. I don’t like splinters in offsuits unless it’s 100% clear. In competitive auctions, a jump to 3♠ can be a little light, so 4♠ it is.”
Robinson, too, thinks 4♣ would be natural, “showing something like:
♠x x ♥A K Q x x ♦ x ♣A K Q x.”
He bids 4♠. “The hand is too strong for 3♠.”
Meckstroth, also unsure of whether 4♣ is a splinter, keeps it simple with 4♠.
Lawrence is quite sure. “4♣. Splinter. Automatic. Especially since it leaves partner well placed to cuebid a diamond control.”
Abdou splinters using 4♣. “I will use Blackwood over a diamond cuebid and respect 4♠ if partner bids it.”
Meyers’s splinter bid translated: “I have a lot of trick-taking potential.”
4♣ by Sanborn, too. “Can’t think of another bid.”
Cohen wimps out with 3♠, which even he admits feels like an underbid. “But who is to say partner doesn’t have something like:
♠10 x x x ♥x ♦ Q x x ♣K Q x x x?
Even if he does have ♠AJxx, we will likely need good major-suit splits to make game. If you switched my minor-suit shape, I’d bid more.”
Rigal also looks at his doubleton diamond and his singleton club and settles for 3♠. “With a singleton diamond and a doubleton club, I might do more, but as it is, I’ll let my partner make the final decision and explain why he did the wrong thing later.”
