Never Put Down an 8-Card Suit in Dummy

Partner opens 1, your right-hand-opponent passes, and you hold   Q  104  KQJ98654  102.   
What’s your plan for the bidding?

This hand was dealt in the Life Master Pairs at the 1997 ACBL summer championships in Albuquerque NM, and it generated some lively discussions after the game. Some players responded 2, planning to continue bidding diamonds until partner got the message. Others, many of whom were playing a system where a 2-over-1 response is forcing to game, chose a Forcing 1NT to limit their high-card strength. This conventional response forces opener to bid one more time so you can continue describing your hand.

Whether you choose 1NT or 2, the real problem comes at your second turn after partner jumps to 3. What now?

Even though this was an “expert” event, the players varied widely in their approaches with this hand, and the final scores were all over the map. The most frequent choice was a raise to Click here to continue reading. 

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