What’s your call?
| 1NT | ||||
| 2♣ | 2♦ | 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 |
The top score goes to panelists who rocket to 4♥ without a backward glance.
Lee says, “I play this as sort of a gambling bid and that many strong hands with hearts go through a jump shift. I think 3♥ is OK, but there are too many hands with which partner will pass game when game is good. I’m not that worried about missing spades. This is the sort of hand where hearts should usually be trump.”
Korbel agrees. “4♥. I’m probably a little bit light, but there are too many hands that partner would pass 3♥ where 4♥ is excellent. If partner held:
♠A J x x ♥x x ♦ x x x x ♣x x x,
4♥ would have good play. (They might not lead a diamond in time, or the ♥Q might come home.) I will go all the way.”
Stack bids 4♥, emphasizing the trick-taking potential of the hand. “Even if partner has five or more spades, hearts is still the correct strain in which to play.”
Hampson held back at his first call, but not this time. “I was too strong to preempt game initially, but I am worth bashing one now.”
Boehm calls 4♥ “my gamble to take. Over 3♥, partner won’t know which minor-suit honors are helpful. 3♠ seems misdirected.”
Ditto Lawrence: “No tools to look for a spade contract.”
Meyers suggests a tool that, unfortunately, is not on our convention card. “If I could bid 3NT showing a 4♥ bid with three spades, I would do that. But I don’t think that is Bridge Bulletin Standard, so I will bid 4♥.”
Sanborn wants a super-precise precision (lowercase “p”) system. “It would be great if I had a bid that showed three good spades and seven good hearts and a minor-suit void.” She settles for 4♥.
Vacillating between 3♥ and 4♥. Weinstein prefers 3♥. “3♥ could miss a game if partner has the right minimum, Three-only hearts by Meckstroth. “I’m risking missing a game, but I want to leave room for pard to bid spades.”
Confirming that the hand is a perfect three-and-a-half-heart bid, Kennedy also takes the under with 3♥. “With such concentrated values in our two suits, it’s almost an underbid.”
Cohen agrees. “3♥. Worth at least this, maybe four. No need to complicate matters by trying to get spades into the picture at this point.”
Three-only hearts by Meckstroth. “I’m risking missing a game, but I want to leave room for pard to bid spades.”
3♥, Rigal agrees. “Nothing is perfect. Whereas in Acol, a 4♥ jump showed this hand, there are too many strong hands without spades where you have to bid 4♥. If partner bids 3NT, you won’t sit for it, though whether you dare risk 4♣ or not may depend on how much you trust yourself … or partner.”
The Sutherlins call it “very unlikely” that their 3♥ will be passed. “This hand needs to play in hearts. On a good day, partner will cuebid 4♦ and we can move toward slam.”
All alone in the jump-shift camp, Robinson bids 3♦ to set up a game force. “I’ll see what partner does. Maybe 3♦ will stop a diamond lead.”
