Dear Ed & Peter,

How would you bid these? Methods are 2/1 GF, 15-17 NT, Reverse Bergen Raises, Roman Key Card 1430.
(Steve gives us three hands. We moved the diagrams to our answers for convenience -Ed. Bridgevaria.com)
All of these occurred in a recent local duplicate. If you like, I'll be happy to provide full hands and our results.
Thanks in advance for you reply.

Steve Fama

Reply from Ed Hoogenkamp ('South'):

Dear Steve,

I put your hands in diagrams and I will give my bidding under each of them.

E/-
♠	J 10 4 3			♠	A 5 2
♥	K Q 6 5			♥	J 10 9
♦	K 9 8 7 4			♦	A J
♣	-			♣	K Q 10 5 4

Maybe 2NT in West in matchpoints. To my knowledge there is no way to check on the quality of the clubs after Stayman. So I bid the most logical contract.

E/All
♠	8			♠	9 6 5 2
♥	10			♥	A Q 7 5 3
♦	A 6 5			♦	Q 10
♣	A K Q J 6 5 4 2			♣	8 3

Difficult to find out in the bidding what's best.
Popular in Netherlands is a two opening by East, showing a weak hand with both majors. After that 3NT would be reached in two bids :-)

S/All		♠	A K 10 9 3 2
		♥	K 9 6 3
		♦	9 5
		♣	3
		♠	Q
		♥	A Q J 10 7
		♦	-
		♣	A J 10 9 8 4 2

West bids diamonds one time at cheapest level after South opens, no further opposing bidding.

Before we discuss South's next bid:
- I don't think South should open a strong 2♣, since usually this will only make it harder to show the distribution.
- In view of North's space consuming 4♥ bid: my recommendation is that a 2NT bid by North over South's 2♥ reverse bid should show a weak hand; a Good/Bad or Lebensohl spin-off (and of course 2♠ would be weak as well). After 2NT South bids 3♣ (unless he is very strong). North then passes holding clubs or bids 3♥ with that suit and, as mentioned, a weak hand.
Thanks to this method North can show a good hand by bidding 3♥ directly over 2♥, thus saving bidding space.

Ok, having said this, South has a problem in the situation shown above. If you play 5♦ in this situation as Exclusion Blackwood ('Show your aces but ignore the ♦A') that's your bid. North shows two key cards with 5NT and there's just room for a grand slam try with 6♣.

So far the theory... I think I would just bid 6♥. Without detailed agreements it's almost impossible to find out whether seven is on.

Un saludo desde Barcelona

Reply from Peter van der Linden ('North'):

Dear Steve,

On most points I agree with Ed. A few remarks though:

Deal 1: Agree with Ed's bidding. At first sight the 3NT does not look like much of a contract but after any lead by South it will look quite a bit better.

Deal 2: I am not happy opening 2♣ on a hand so poor in defence. Suppose North, the left hand opponent, jumps to 4♠ and partner doubles? He does not need much to do so: such a double is mostly used to warn West against further bidding. Fearing 4♠ might be made (with an overtrick?) West might just do that...
But also without interfering opponents 2♣ has its disadvantages: West has nine tricks, not a lot for a game forcing opening. And even if the partnership can in principle stop below game: there is no way of doing so if East has something like the ♠KQxxx and the odd jack, .
On the other hand: what alternative does West have? A 1♣ opening would give NS a free ride in the majors.
Thinking along these lines, more and more I am beginning to think of opening 3NT. After all, that is the most obvious game.

Deal 3: Firstly, I doubt whether 5♦ would be Exclusion Blackwood, Ed. 5♦ should be bid with a jump.
Then: after opening 1♣ South would be in serious trouble - he might lose the heart suit - after high level intervention in spades by West. The solution is a bit (too?) extreme perhaps but how about opening 1♥? In this case the fit would have been found immediately. West now overcalls 2♦ and whether the grand can be bid, depends on partnership agreements:
- If NS play 'fit bids', it will be difficult. North will bid 3♠ over 2♦, showing a good spade suit and a heart fit. In order to be able to bid 7♥ responsibly South would still have to find out about North's sixth spade or singleton club, whereas North would still have to find out about South's ♠Q and diamond void.
- If NS do not play 'fit bids' North would bid 4♣, Splinter. Now South could settle for the grand, after finding out about the ♠A and the ♥K, which should be possible.

By the way, I am not quite sure whether 7♥ is a good enough contract to bid it. A 4-1 split in clubs might be embarrassing (and that split is a little more likely than normal in view of west's overcall) while setting up the spades might be difficult since South then has to ruff two diamonds and maybe a spade as well.

En hils fra Orkanger