Quiz on Responses to weak two bids.

Try the following hands with pard opening two spades.

1. ♠ A6 ♥ KJ43 ♦ A65 ♣ K1092

Bid 2NT. You don’t know if you should be in a NT game, a ♠ game, or a ♠ partial. If pard bids 3 ♠ showing a minimum hand, you will pass. Over 3♥, 3♦, or 3♣ showing an outside feature and a good weak two, you will be in a better position to make a final decision.

If pard bids 3♦, you have 2 probable stoppers in all suits, so try 3NT. If pard bids 3♥ or 3♣, you have only 1♦ stopper and should try 4♠.

No guarantee that you will make game. But the odds are with you.

2. ♠ A106 ♥ 742 ♦ A6542 ♣ 86

Bid 3♠. You don’t really know if the opponents can make game, but they certainly can make a three level partscore. Don’t greedily hope to buy the contract in 2♠, it is too much to hope for!

3. ♠ 6 ♥ KJ6 ♦ KQ73 ♣ KQ652

Pass! It is conceivable that you have a game, but you need a perfect maximum from pard like.

♠ KQJ1074 ♥ 43 ♦ 73 ♣ A82

And some good luck in ♥ as well. This is not worth trying for, so take your plus score in 2♠. If pard has any kind of minimum or medium hands, you will go down at the three level.

4. ♠ K85 ♥ 75 ♦ AKJ62 ♣ A76

Bid 4♠. Game must have a play opposite these controls, no need to beat around the bushes and give information to the opponents.

5. ♠ KJ75 ♥ 75 ♦ 108432 ♣ 43

Bid 4♠. You have no defense at all, so preempt to the limit and sock it to them! This hand is a VERY IMPORTANT example of what good bridge is. Do not let the lack of points scare you from making the good 4♠ bid. This is not about what you can make, but about what THEY can make. They have from 26 to 30 HCP. Let them find their fit at the 5 level. They will land in the wrong contract often if you make them guess at the 5 level.

(With one less spade you would bid only 3♠.)

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣