Recently a fellow columnist recommended a bid that I considered second-best. However, I was unable to construct a deal using his hand to make my point, so today's North hand will have to suffice. Partner opens one spade, you raise to two spades, and he rebids three clubs. What does that mean, and what would you do now?
As we covered yesterday, when one of a major is raised to two of that major, the one-major bidder usually passes or jumps to game. If he does anything else, he is assumed to be making a help-suit game-try. Partner is being asked to look primarily at his holding in the suit just named and to jump to game unless he is weak in that suit.
In this case, North has good clubs and a maximum, making four spades seem clear. But ... sometimes partner will be thinking about a slam. Just in case he is, when you have a super hand for your sequence so far, convey that to partner. Here, raise to four clubs. This announces a four-spade rebid with good club support too.
Now partner can take control with Blackwood, then bid seven clubs.
Note that in spades or no-trump, there are only 12 tricks. However, after West leads the heart king against seven clubs, South wins with his ace, cashes the club king, and plays a low club to dummy. When the bad break comes to light, declarer ruffs a heart high in his hand, draws trumps, pitching his low diamond, and claims. He takes six spades, one heart, one diamond, four clubs and the heart ruff.
As we covered yesterday, when one of a major is raised to two of that major, the one-major bidder usually passes or jumps to game. If he does anything else, he is assumed to be making a help-suit game-try. Partner is being asked to look primarily at his holding in the suit just named and to jump to game unless he is weak in that suit.
In this case, North has good clubs and a maximum, making four spades seem clear. But ... sometimes partner will be thinking about a slam. Just in case he is, when you have a super hand for your sequence so far, convey that to partner. Here, raise to four clubs. This announces a four-spade rebid with good club support too.
Now partner can take control with Blackwood, then bid seven clubs.
Note that in spades or no-trump, there are only 12 tricks. However, after West leads the heart king against seven clubs, South wins with his ace, cashes the club king, and plays a low club to dummy. When the bad break comes to light, declarer ruffs a heart high in his hand, draws trumps, pitching his low diamond, and claims. He takes six spades, one heart, one diamond, four clubs and the heart ruff.