Test your knowledge
Responding to 1NT, with 19+ HCP
- Question 1
Your partner opens 1NT. You have a very strong balanced hand, with 21 HCP, and Hearts is your best and longest suit. What should you bid ?
1. 2 No Trumps
2. 3 Hearts
3. 3 No Trumps
4. 4 Hearts
5. 4 No Trumps
6. 6 No Trumps
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- Question 1
( 6 ). 6 No Trumps
Since you are both balanced, you need to be in NT. Your partner has 12-14 HCP, so in total you have 33 to 35 HCP. Enough for a NT Small Slam, but not more.
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- Question 2
You have 14 HCP, balanced hand, Spades is your best suit, so you open 1NT. You hand includes the Ace of Spades but no other Aces. Your partner responds 4NT. Is your partner asking for Aces ? And if so, why, and what should you bid ?
1. yes
2. no
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- Question 2
( 2 . no
A bid of 4NT sounds like a Blackwood "how many aces do you have", but that only applies to suit contracts. In No Trumps it does not mean that AT ALL. It's a question purely about BRUTE STRENGTH, i.e. total point count, which is very important in NT.
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- Question 3
You have 14 HCP, balanced hand, Spades is your best suit, so you open 1NT. You hand includes the Ace of Spades but no other Aces. Your partner responds 4NT. What should you bid ?
1. 5 Diamonds
2. 5 Spades
3. 5 No Trumps
4. 6 Spades
5. 6 No Trumps
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- Question 3
( 5 ). 6 No Trumps
This is an invitation from your partner to bid a Small Slam if you hold the maximum number of points implied by your first bid (14 HCP). Since you ARE on maximum, you should bid 6NT.
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- Question 4
Your partner opens 1NT. You have a very strong UNbalanced hand, with 19 HCP, and Hearts is your best and longest suit. What should you bid ?
1. 2 No Trumps
2. 3 Hearts
3. 3 No Trumps
4. 4 Hearts
5. 4 No Trumps
6. 6 No Trumps
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- Question 4
( 2 . 3 Hearts
4 Hearts is a weaker bid, calling an end to the auction at the "game" level, i.e. 4 Hearts. Bidding three tells your partner not only that game is certain in hearts, but that you are interested in Slam.
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- Question 5
What is the minimum number of HCP you and your partner need for a Grand Slam in NT ?
1. 30
2. 31
3. 32
4. 33
5. 34
6. 35
7. 36
8. 37
9. 38
10. 39
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- Question 5
( 8 ). 37
Think about it this way: Only with 37 HCP can you be certain they don't have any Aces.
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- Question 6
After you opening bid of 1NT, which is the stronger reply ?
1. 4NT
2. 5NT
3. 6NT
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- Question 6
( 2 . 5NT
You knew this was a trick question from the way it was asked ! 5NT is inviting for a Grand Slam, it says "if you are on Maximum, raise to 7 NT". Whereas 6NT means OK, Small Slam is certain, and we also certainly DON'T have enough for a Grand Slam
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- Question 7
You have the hand shown. How should you respond to your partner's opening bid of 1NT ?
1. 3 Spades
2. 4 Spades
3. 3 NT
4. 4 NT
5. 5 NT
6. 6 NT
7. 7 NT
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- Question 7
( 6 ). 6 NT
You have 21 HCP. That means 33 HCP is guaranteed, enough for a Small Slam in NT. You certainly don’t have the 37 your need for a Grand Slam.
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