BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

you open 1 ♥ , and partner raises to 2 ♥ . What next? OCCasIONaLLY, when players hold a strong hand and their partner responds with a simple raise, they have difficulty in knowing how to progress the auction.

First of all, you must make a further try with this hand, because you will be in the game zone when partner is maximum.

secondly, you must never just ‘punt’ a game hopefully out of ignorance of what else to do.

If partner is minimum, you should not make game.

Your best choice here is to bid 2Nt, which describes your balanced 18-point hand with only four hearts. this isn’t forcing and partner has the option of passing or bidding game in hearts or Nts; he could also convert to 3 ♥ , which you would pass. remember that partner may not have 4- card heart support, holding something like: ♠ xx ♥ axx ♦ Qx ♣ Jxxxxx.