With two suits, be more optimistic

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE® GARFIELD® BIG NATE® ARLO & JANIS® ZITS®

Don Marquis, a dramatist, humorist, journalist and poet who died in 1937, said, “I never think at all when I write. Nobody can do two things at the same time and do them both well.”

That is interesting — but how did he decide what words to put onto the paper?

At the bridge table, having two long suits is usually better than one. If you hit a fit with partner, you will win more tricks than the combined point-count would normally suggest — and doubly so if you have a double fit.

In this deal, do you agree with South’s one-diamond opening? What should East do over North’s two-heart cue-bid showing diamond support and at least gameinvitational strength?

Since I held the South hand, I agree with one diamond! Even though the hand had only 12 high-card points, it had a lot of winners, and I was happy to bid up to four spades next in the hope that partner would have some fit. Here, I immediately found out that partner had diamonds.

Over North’s two hearts, East jumped to four hearts. I prefer four clubs, a fitshowing jump in competition in principle announcing game values in hearts with at least 4=5 in those two suits.

Over four hearts, I rebid four spades, and partner corrected back to five diamonds.

West took two heart tricks, then shifted to a club, but I ruffed, drew trumps and claimed.

Interestingly, I said that East could have made a fit-jump in clubs; so could North! Over one heart, North might have bid three clubs, showing game-invitational values with at least 4=5 in the minors. Describing both suits helps partner to assess the fit.