October 2024 - 67

Special Contributor
Dear Billy
BY BILLY MILLER
dearbilly@aol.com
dearbilly.org
Dear Billy,
In a recent club game, South
opened the bidding with 2d.
My partner, having five spades
and about 18 HCP, doubled.
North passed, and I bid 2h. My
partner bid 2s. I bid 3c, while
the opponents remained silent,
and we ended up in 3NT. By
doubling and then bidding a different
suit, my partner thought
she was showcasing her strong
hand. Meanwhile, I thought that
strategy was out of place when
the opponents preempt. Please
advise, before we turn our next
game into a comedy of errors!
Jean Valjean
Dear Tony Award Winner,
It sounds as if your bridge partnership
is headlining a Broadway show!
Had your partner overcalled 2s to
begin with, she would have been
limiting her hand to 16-17 HCP.
The same would have been true had
your opponent opened 1d and she
overcalled 1s. Doubling and bidding
a suit always shows a stronger hand
than overcalling first. That principle
applies whether the double is of an
opening one-bid or a preempt.
My advice: better sign your partner
up to a long-term extension. She
knows what she is talking about!
Hi, Billy,
Playing with most of my partners,
we are quite disciplined
in first and second seat for
weak two-bids. Another partner
opened this hand 2h in first
seat vulnerable:
sK 4 hJ 9 8 6 3 2 d7 5 cA Q 4.
I would pass with this hand,
but if I was going to open, it
would be at the one level(?). The
same partner, in second seat
vul, opened this hand 1NT:
sK 8 hJ 7 5 dA K Q J 10 7 cJ 5.
When I bid 2h as a transfer,
he bid 3d, and I bid 3NT,
as I had other suits stopped. I
would open 1NT with a weaker
six-card suit, not good enough
to jump to three of the minor.
What would you open?
In the Boat
Dear Swimmer,
I have a good guideline that might help
you make better future decisions. Here
goes: A normal weak-two should not
have more than one outside feature
(ace or king). The anchor suit should
be the primary essence of the hand.
I emphasize a suit with good texture
versus strictly top honors. I
will gladly open a weak-two with
Q-J-10-9-4-3 or even the occasional
J-10-9-8-7-2 but almost
never Q-8-5-4-3-2, J-7-6-4-3-2
or K-8-6-5-4-3. It's not a perfect
guideline, and, yes, I have violated it!
With that in mind, I would not have
opened your partner's hand with a
weak 2h, and passing it seems very
reasonable.
On your second question, if choosing
to open 1NT with a good six-card
minor, I do not deviate from the
expected course of action for the rest
of the auction. If partner transfers to
two of a major, I accept the transfer.
Business as usual. I have no issue
with the 1NT opening bid. 2
continued from page 66
Vic's Views
Quiz
Assume that you have adopted
dual-range splinters. Partner opens
1h. What should you bid with each of
the following?
1. sA 3 2 hK Q 6 2 d3 cK 10 8 4 2
2. sA 3 2 hQ 9 6 2 d3 cK 10 8 4 2
3. s2 hK Q 9 6 dA 7 6 c K 10 8 4 2
You open 1h and partner bids 3s
(9-11 HCP with unspecified shortness).
What would you do with each
of the following?
4. s8 2 hK Q 9 7 6 dA 7 6 cK 4 2
5. sA 3 2 hA Q 9 7 6 dK Q cA 4 2
6. sA 8 2 hA K 9 7 6 dA 7 2 cA 4
Answers
1. 4d. A classic splinter with 12-14
HCP.
2. 3s. 9-11 HCP with unspecified
shortness. If partner asks with 3NT,
you'll bid 4d.
3. 3NT. This is the tricky one.
Because 3s would show a 9-11
splinter, we use 3NT to show spade
shortness and 12-14.
4. 4h. You're not interested in slam,
so just sign off.
5. 3NT, asking. If partner bids 4d
to show shortness, sign off at 4h.
Otherwise, bid 4NT RKCB; you're
probably on your way to 6h or even
7h!
6. Bid 3NT. A singleton spade or diamond
in partner's hand would be
more useful than a singleton club
(two ruffs in dummy rather than
one), and then proceed from there. 2
October 2024 | Bridge Bulletin |
67
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October 2024

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