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Trial bid

Question 1 (of 6 on this page)
You are South and you open the bidding at one Heart. Your partner at North replies 2 Hearts. You have this 17-HCP 6-loser hand

A 10 9
A K 10 8
K 2
K 4 3 2

What should you bid ?

1. pass
2. 2 Spades
3. 2 NT
4. 3 Clubs
5. 3 Diamonds
6. 3 Hearts
7. 3 Spades
8. 3 NT
9. 4 Hearts

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Answer 1 (of 6 on this page)
You are South and you open the bidding at one Heart. Your partner at North replies 2 Hearts. You have this 17-HCP 6-loser hand

A 10 9
A K 10 8
K 2
K 4 3 2

What should you bid ?
( 4 ). 3 Clubs

Your partner's weak support in Hearts promised a weak 9-loser hand, 6-9 points including distribution. Given that your combined losing trick count is 15, perhaps you might consider bidding 3 Hearts, an invitation to game, since you have too many losers to bid 4 if your partner's hand is on minimum. But if your partner has 6-7HCP, even 8, he will pass, since you only promised 16. The trouble is you have 17 or 18 including distribution, and there is a risk you will miss a game. Your main problem is your weak Club suit, with 3 losers. So, a bid of 3 Clubs asks your partner for some help in Clubs, and to put it into game if he can help.

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Question 2 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

9 8 7
Q 9 3 2
9 8 7 6
A 2

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 3 Diamonds
3. 3 Hearts
4. 3 NT
5. 4 Hearts

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Answer 2 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

9 8 7
Q 9 3 2
9 8 7 6
A 2

What should you bid ?
( 5 ). 4 Hearts

You have immediate control of your partner's long weak side suit - clubs, and at the worst you will lose only one trick in this suit. Even though you are on minimum points, one loser is all your partner wanted to hear. Bid game.

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Question 3 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

9 8 7
Q 9 3 2
A 7 4 3
9 8

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 3 Diamonds
3. 3 Hearts
4. 3 NT
5. 4 Hearts

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Answer 3 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

9 8 7
Q 9 3 2
A 7 4 3
9 8

What should you bid ?
( 2 ). 3 Diamonds

You have control of clubs, but only after two losers. With only 6-HCP that's not good enough. Maybe time to give up at 3 Hearts? Hang on a minute…what if partner has control of your long suit - diamonds - after only one loser ? Bit diamonds to find out.

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Question 4 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

K 8
Q J 3 2
9 7 4 3
9 8 7

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 3 Diamonds
3. 3 Hearts
4. 3 Spades
5. 3 NT
6. 4 Hearts

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Answer 4 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand

K 8
Q J 3 2
9 7 4 3
9 8 7

What should you bid ?
( 3 ). 3 Hearts

You have no help in Clubs. Maybe time to give up at 3 Hearts? Yes, I think so, because you have no other suit you can offer as a "counter try". Your King in Spades will cannot be helped much by your partner, since you only have one Spade loser.

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Question 5 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 8-HCP 9-loser hand

Q 8 7 2
Q 9 7 3
A 9 7
9 8

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 3 Diamonds
3. 3 Hearts
4. 3 Spades
5. 3 NT
6. 4 Hearts

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Answer 5 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is South and he opened the bidding at one Heart. You are North and you replied 2 Hearts. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 8-HCP 9-loser hand

Q 8 7 2
Q 9 7 3
A 9 7
9 8

What should you bid ?
( 6 ). 4 Hearts

Your partner has asked for help in Clubs, but you can only control Clubs after TWO losers. In this case that's good enough, because you have maximum 8/9 HCP. Bid game.

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Question 6 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is West and he opened the bidding at one diamond. You are East and you replied 2 diamonds. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand.

K 10 8 4
A 9 2
Q 10 9 8
8 2

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 3 Diamonds
3. 3 Hearts
4. 3 Spades
5. 3 NT
6. 4 Diamonds
7. 5 Diamonds

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Answer 6 (of 6 on this page)
Your partner is West and he opened the bidding at one diamond. You are East and you replied 2 diamonds. Your partner then rebid 3 clubs. You have this 6-HCP 9-loser hand.

K 10 8 4
A 9 2
Q 10 9 8
8 2

What should you bid ?
( 3 ). 3 Hearts

Your partner is NOT asking for help in Clubs. That would only be the case if you have Major suit agreement, but in this case your suit agreement is in a minor. Getting to game in a minor is too hard after your initial weak reply of 2 Diamonds. Instead your partner is showing his stopper. He knows you are weak, and is asking you to bid NT if you can plug the gap. Which in this case you can, so bid game in NT.

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