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 |
Once again, too easy.
Cohen: “I can’t even guess what the alternative to 2♥ would be.”
“This round of the auction is not the problem, is it?” asks Rigal. “Unless you think 2♥ is nonforcing, in which case we send you back to bridge basics with a slap on the wrist and a request to clean the erasers after school.”
2♥ from Falk, who at least takes a minute to explore all the options. “As I do not have any forcing diamond bids other than 4♣, splinter – which is nuts – and possibly 4♦ , which is so unclear it rates to get me to a committee in a bad way, I have to bid something clearly forcing. I’m going to game and hoping for slam, but I might as well let partner take one more call with no particular pressure. His 2NT will dampen my ardor substantially. 2♠ will allow me to bid 3♦ forcing. A heart raise will just tell me partner had a hand unsuitable for a 1NT rebid – nothing in clubs (good!) or spade shortness, like a void (not so good). I’ll still try 4♦ over the heart raise. A 3♦ bid by partner will allow me to bid 4♦ forcing.”
Vandy champ Meckstroth, dryly, succinctly: “2♥. I assume this is forcing.”
Hampson explains that he plays 2♥ as forcing, but not necessarily natural. “You need to be able to force with just spades or a diamond fit. So I will probably need to repeat my hearts or possibly just raise diamonds and see if partner can offer a heart preference.”
Robinson bids 2♥. “Even though it might not be natural, it’s forcing. Later, I can decide whether to support diamonds or bid my hearts.”
Sanborn opines: “2♥ should be my force in this auction. It isn’t clear that we want to be playing in a major even if we find an eight-card fit. I am not excluding a diamond slam with these cards, so I don’t want to get too high by bidding 3♥ now. That would leave me poorly placed on the next round if partner bids 3NT – I couldn’t be sure whether to bid 4♦ or not.”
Korbel, too: “I like to play 2♥ as forcing for one round, and then a 3♦ follow-up as game forcing if partner bids 2♠, 2NT or 3♣.”
Stack believes slow is the way to go. “2♥ is forcing. This hand should be bid slowly because of the two big cards in partner’s suit. It is possible there is no major-suit game, but there may be a game or slam in diamonds. Going slow allows partner to give the best description of his hand.”
The Bridge Bulletin Standard system notes are silent on the nature of 3♥ in this auction – invitational or forcing? It is a topic worth partnership discussion.
“2♥ – keep it simple,” the Sutherlins urge. “3♥ intending to show a 5–5 major-suit hand with extras is more descriptive if it’s part of the partnership agreement. But many people would play this as a splinter for diamonds. Let’s go slow and avoid a partnership misunderstanding.”
“Going the slow route seems fine to me,” agrees Lee. “If 3♥ shows a gameforcing hand with 5–5 in the majors, I think that bid would be fine, but 2♥ should get us to the right strain anyway.”
Lawrence bids 2♥. “I can’t bid 3♥ since that shows invitational values. With some of my partners, 3♥ shows a singleton. Neither meaning works. My hope is to reach 6♦ , but it is premature to emphasize the ♦ KQ.”
Abdou bids 3♥, forcing. “We could have a nine-card heart fit. If partner raises to 4♥, I will complete my pattern description with 5♦ . I don’t care if pard thinks I am cuebidding or patterning out – he knows I am not showing shortness in his suit. That’s my best shot at slam.”
