RESPONDING OPPOSITE A STRONG HAND [PART 3]
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Your partner has chosen to bid West’s hands.
1.
♠83
♥Q8654
♦K
♣Q10852
Dealer East. All Vul
2.
♠AKQJ10963
♥–
♦A4
♣AQJ
Dealer West. E/W Vul.
North overcalls 2♥ and South raises to 3♥.
3.
♠Q84
♥7
♦98765
♣J1064
Dealer East. N/S Vul.
4.
♠–
♥AKQJ1064
♦AJ6
♣KJ3
Dealer South. None Vul. North overcalls 4♠
5.
♠J106
♥A742
♦10952
♣Q2
Dealer West. All Vul.
6.
♠AK9
♥AKQJ10
♦A9
♣K104
Dealer West. All Vul
1.
♠KQJ5
♥A2
♦AJ2
♣AKJ4
Dealer East. All Vul.
2.
♠85
♥A53
♦KQ932
♣532
Dealer West. E/W Vul. North overcalls 2♥ and South raises to 3♥.
3.
♠AKJ106532
♥AJ2
♦2
♣A
Dealer East. N/S Vul.
4.
♠98732
♥3
♦Q1085
♣A62
Dealer South. None Vul. North overcalls 4♠.
5.
♠AK
♥KQ1085
♦8
♣AK974
Dealer West. All Vul.
6.
♠Q1032
♥8532
♦532
♣J7
Dealer West. All Vul.
RESPONDING OPPOSITE A STRONG HAND
1.
WEST
Dealer East.
EAST
♠83
♥Q8654
♦K
♣Q10852
♠KQJ5
♥A2
♦AJ2
♣AKJ4
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | Pass | ||
| 2♦ | Dble | 2NT | Pass |
| 3♦ | Pass | 3♥ | Pass |
| 4♣ | Pass | 4NT | Pass |
| 5♦ | Pass | 6♣ |
When declarer indicates a balanced hand with 23-24 points, West transfers to Hearts and then introduces his second suit. That is enough for East to ask for keycards and settle for 6♣ when West denies any.
2.
WEST
Dealer West.
EAST
♠AKQJ10963
♥–
♦A4
♣AQJ
♠85
♥A53
♦KQ932
♣532
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | 2♥ | 3♦ | 3♥ |
| 3♠ | Pass | 4♥ | Pass |
| 5♣ | Pass | 5♦ | Pass |
| 7♠ |
When East shows a positive hand with 3♦ and then cue-bids 4♥, West shows his Club control. When East cue bids in Diamonds, West bids the Grand Slam that cannot be worse than the Club finesse.
3.
WEST
Dealer East.
EAST
♠Q84
♥7
♦98765
♣J1064
♠AKJ106532
♥AJ2
♦2
♣A
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | Pass | ||
| 2♦ | Pass | 2♠ | Pass |
| 3♠ | Pass | 4♣ | Pass |
| 4♥ | Pass | 6♠ |
After West raises Spades, East cue-bids. When West can show a Heart Control, East jumps to the slam that cannot be worse than a finesse.
4.
WEST
Dealer South.
EAST
♠–
♥AKQJ1064
♦AJ6
♣KJ3
♠98732
♥3
♦Q1085
♣A62
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | |||
| 2♣ | 4♠ | Pass | Pass |
| 5♥ | Pass | 6♥ |
When West can bid 5♥ over North’s 4♠, East has enough to raise.
5.
WEST
Dealer West.
EAST
♠J106
♥A742
♦10952
♣Q2
♠AK
♥KQ1085
♦8
♣AK974
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | 2♣ | Pass |
| 2♦ | Pass | 2♥ | Pass |
| 3♥ | Pass | 3♠ | Pass |
| 3NT | Pass | 4♣ | Pass |
| 4♥ | Pass | 5♣ | Pass |
| 6♥ |
East was not really strong enough to open 2♣ but when West raised in Hearts, East cue-bid in Spades. When West showed some scattered values with 3NT, East cue-bid Clubs twice and West decided his ♥A and ♣Q justified a jump to slam.
6.
WEST
Dealer West.
EAST
♠AK9
♥AKQJ10
♦A9
♣K104
♠Q1032
♥8532
♦532
♣J7
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♦ | Pass |
| 2♥ | Pass | 2♠ | Pass |
| 2NT | Pass | 3♣ | Pass |
| 3♥ | Pass | 4♥ | Pass |
After East’s negative response, West’s 2♥ was either natural or a balanced 24+. East’s reply of 2♠ was forced and when West rebid showed the balanced type East looked for a major suit fit and then raised his partner to game.
Pete Hollands started playing when he was 14 and is now a professional bridge player & teacher (www. bridgevid.com) who has represented the Australian open team. He runs a popular YouTube channel (Pete Hollands Bridge) where you can play tournaments and compare with him. He won two silver medals in the 2013 World Junior Championships.
