May 2018 - 49

Newer Players

Bidding Basics
BY LARRY COHEN

larryco.com

Responding to 2♣
Partner has opened 2♣, showing
either 22-plus high-card points balanced or some distributional (shapely),
powerful hand. Most of the time, your
side will reach game, but there are rare
exceptions.
There are several methods you might
come across (such as step- or controlshowing responses or using 2♥ to
show a "bust"), but I recommend the
most common - and I think best - response: 2♦ "waiting."
This means that on most hands, your
response to 2♣ will be 2♦. Before
we get to that, let me discuss the rare
exceptions.
When would you not respond 2♦
waiting?
You must have both a good five-card
or longer suit (three of the top five
honors) and 8 or more HCP. Each hand
below would qualify:
♠K Q 10 8 7 ♥A 4 3 ♦4 ♣8 7 6 5
Respond 2♠.
♠6 4 ♥3 2 ♦K 7 6 ♣A Q J 10 5 2
Respond 3♣.
If you don't meet that "5 and 8"
requirement, always (and I mean
always) respond 2♦ waiting. And don't
even consider an initial response in
notrump. Pretend that the 2NT and
3NT cards are not in your bid box.

♠J 8 7 3 2 ♥A 4 3 ♦4 ♣A 7 6 5
Respond 2♦. The spades aren't good
enough for 2♠.
♠6 4 ♥3 2 ♦J 7 6 2 ♣K J 10 8 6
Respond 2♦. Not enough high cards
for 3♣.
♠K J 7 ♥Q J 6 ♦Q 8 7 6 ♣9 3 2
Respond 2♦. Don't get in opener's way
by bidding notrump.
2♦ waiting
Probably more than 90 percent of the
time, your response to 2♣ will be 2♦.
If you don't meet the standards above,
you will "wait" with 2♦. This allows
opener to further describe his hand,
and it leaves him the most room to do
so.
Each hand below would start with a
2♦ response:
♠A 4 3 2 ♥A Q 7 6 ♦4 ♣J 7 6 5
♠4 3 2 ♥4 3 2 ♦5 4 3 2 ♣4 3 2
Sorry about that one.
♠K Q ♥10 8 7 6 5 ♦A 6 5 4 3 ♣2
No suit is good enough to show directly.
♠K Q 5 ♥A J 4 ♦J 3 ♣Q 7 6 5 4

West hands for the
May Bidding Box

Bid these hands with a partner.
The East hands are on pg. 51. The
North-South players are silent unless
otherwise noted. Scores on pgs. 37-39.
Problem 1. North deals. None vul.
North deals and passes, then bids 1♠
if possible.
♠A 7 5 ♥A J 9 8 7 6 3 ♦K 6 ♣10
Problem 2. East deals. N-S vul.
♠A 10 2 ♥K 9 5 3 2 ♦J 7 ♣K 6 4
Problem 3. South deals. E-W vul.
South opens 1NT (12-14 HCP). North
bids 2♠ (transfer to clubs) over pass
or double.
♠K J 10 ♥K Q 6 4 3 ♦K Q 10 ♣8 7
Problem 4. West deals. Both vul.
♠A 9 6 5 2 ♥J 8 5 3 ♦A 4 ♣A 6
Problem 5. North deals. N-S vul.
South bids spades at the one or two
level.
♠10 6 2 ♥J 10 9 4 ♦A K Q J 10 3 ♣-
Problem 6. East deals. E-W vul.
♠Q 6 ♥Q 10 8 ♦K Q J 4 ♣Q J 9 5

Yes, slam is likely, but can wait for now.

Problem 7. South deals. Both vul.
♠9 5 4 ♥Q J 10 3 ♦A Q J ♣K 9 7

After the 2♦ response
In this series, we generally discuss

Problem 8. West deals. None vul.
♠K J 10 ♥A 10 ♦Q J 7 ♣Q J 7 4 3
May 2018 Bridge Bulletin

49
http://www.larryco.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018
