Dear Peter*,

Recently I came up with this bidding problem:

I had 16 HCP and my distribution was 4-5-1-3. With 4-5 in spades and hearts I suppose I should have doubled. But I did not, I bid 1♥ and it really turned out disastrously! Despite having hardly anything at all, West raised his partner. My partner had four spades and bid 2♠. So far the bidding was:

I assumed my partner's 2♠ bid to be a reverse and therefore showing 16⁺ HCP. My minor suit holding was a singleton in diamonds and ♣AKx. Seeing 32 HCP in the combined hands and holding both major suit aces as well (three aces and a singleton in diamonds therefore), I cut things short and at once bid 6♠.

Alas, partner turned out to have 11 HCP and ended up with 11 tricks and a bottom score.

Do you agree with me that partner showed a stronger hand?

Best regards,

Stig Rune Ofstad

* Comment Peter van der Linden: My good friend Stig Rune mailed this question to my personal mail address. Since I thought the question very suited for Bridgevaria.com I asked him whether I could publish it and he consented. Therefore I will answer first, not Ed. After all I don't want my friends to have to read Ed's usual nonsense first and my 'to the point' reply later...

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

Dear Stig Rune,

I think your bidding was sound, both the 1♥ bid and your decision to bid a slam were correct.
Furthermore I agree partner's 2♠-bid was a reverse and showed a strong hand. Let's take a closer look:

You write: 'With 4-5 in spades and hearts I suppose I should have doubled.'
But you didn't. And rightly so, since doubling (negatively of course, showing both majors) is unpractical with your strong hand!
Let's explain that. Suppose you do double? If partner now bids a major suit, the rest is easy.
But what if he doesn't? Can you rebid 2♥? No!

¹ Not forcing (!): (6)7-11 HCP, 4-5⁺ in spades-hearts

...or:

¹ Not forcing (!): (6)7-11 HCP, 4-5⁺ in spades-hearts

This sequence is the best way to show a 7-11 hand with 4-5 in the majors. If you have 7-11 (especially 7-8) HCP, starting with a 1♥ bid is not ideal for if West raises to 3♦, you may miss a 4-4 spade fit and/or a 5-3 heart fit: you are not strong enough to bid again. So with 7-11 you start by doubling.

As a consequence: if you have started by doubling with your actual (16 HCP) hand, you cannot rebid 2♥ as in the two sequences above: partner may pass. That leaves only a 3♦ bid, a game forcing cue bid (bid in the opponents' suit). This bid is very unclear since it doesn't give partner a clue about your distribution.
We conclude that, holding 16 HCP, you do not start with a double. Your actual 1♥ bid was correct therefore. You plan the following stronger line of bidding:

¹ Reverse in responder's hand: game forcing (12⁺ HCP); 4-5⁺ in spades-hearts

...or:

¹ Reverse in responder's hand: game forcing (12⁺ HCP); 4-5⁺ in spades-hearts

A summing up of how to bid with 4-5 in spades hearts:
- If you have 7-11 HCP: double negatively first, bid hearts later: non forcing (your only forcing second bid after having doubled is a cuebid).
- If you have 12⁺ HCP: bid 1♥ first; if necessary bid spades (reverse) later.

So far so good. Now let's see what actually happened. Partner surprisingly made a strong bid: 

¹ Correct, as we have seen
² Reverse, 16⁺ HCP (after all: South may have as little as 6 HCP and four hearts; if he is short in spades and wants to give preference for clubs, he has to enter the three level — he is forced to do so by North's 2♠ bid; that bid has to be strong therefore).

It is absolutely right for South to head for a slam now. In fact, I would have investigated a grand slam!
(To be completely honest: there is one detail that worries South a bit: how many points are there in this deal? If we have 32⁺ HCP between us, how can they overcall and raise...? Still, in case of doubt always trust partner, not the opponents. Maybe East has overcalled very lightly and West has raised on nothing but a handful of diamonds).

Next question: so partner's reverse 2♠ bid over 2♦ was wrong. What should he have bid?

¹ According to plan: reverse in responder's hand: game forcing (12⁺ HCP); 4-5⁺ in spades-hearts
² A weak bid, North denies interest in a slam (according to the Principle of Fast Arrival: 3♠ would have been stronger since 2♠ made the bidding game forcing)
³ South might still consider a slam try, but holding 'only' 16 HCP passing is probably wisest.

Still more can be said about this deal: we have seen that with a strong hand and 4-5 in the majors, it is better to begin with a 1♥ bid rather than a double. The reason is that after doubling you are in trouble if partner does not bid a major.
In this particular case a double would not have caused any problems, since partner does bid a major:

¹ This time 2♠ is correct; South's double showed both major suits, so North's 2♠ bid is now a nonforcing minimal 'raise' of South's spade suit, establishing spades as trumps!
² This cuebid is a slam try in spades, the established suit (an alternative: 4♦, Splinter)
³ Sign-off (Principle of Fast Arrival); North might show a control here as well: after all his 2♠ bid has shown his minimum already; with some extra values he would have bid 3♠ — invitational! — instead of 2♠

A long but — I hope — instructive story!

En hils fra Orkanger

Reply from Ed Hoogenkamp ('South'):

Dear Stig Rune,

What's left to say here? As always Pete is very thorough. But that is not a problem to me. Far from it: I take another sangria on my favourite terrace and enjoy the sun!
And of course I agree with him completely. One question only: was there no way to bid more slowly, investigating some more? 7♠ for example? 4♦ (Splinter) looks like a good bid over 2♠ .

Un saludo desde Barcelona