Two suits are great with a good fit

Wendell Johnson, a psychologist, actor and author who was a proponent of general semantics, said, “Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.”

Never forget that that always applies to bridge ... most of the time!

Look at the South hand in the diagram. You are at unfavorable vulnerability. After a pass on your right, would you open or pass? Assuming you pass, lefty opens one heart, partner passes, and righty jumps to four hearts. Would you enter the auction now, and if so, how?

In the old days, everyone passed with that South hand, especially in second seat. There, you were expected to have a textbook pre-empt because partner rated to have a good hand. Now, though, the approach is to bid with any excuse. Many experts would open two spades. Then, West would probably double, and North would raise to four spades. The five times that happened at Bridge Base Online, everyone passed over four spades, which surprised me. West ought to have doubled again, over which East might have passed (and collected 200 points, the defenders taking one heart, one diamond and two clubs). Or, if East moved to the five-level, that would have been one too high.

Now for the auction after South passes and four hearts comes back to him. Interestingly, a bid of four spades shows a twosuiter. With a one-suiter, South would have opened (or passed throughout). So, if North is very short in spades, he can continue with four no-trump to ask for his partner’s minor. Discuss that with your partner.