Their bidding helps your bidding

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

The column a few days ago about hand evaluation made me think of this hand: A-x-x-x, Q-x-x-x, x-x, K-x-x. Would you prefer partner to open one heart or one spade?

Once you have decided, look at the South hand in today’s deal and the first round of the auction. What should South rebid?

Back to my hypothetical hand. It is far preferable for partner to open one heart. Then the hand’s three honors should be pulling their weight. Opposite a onespade opening, though, the heart queen might be waste paper. It is so important that I would raise one spade only to two spades, but over one heart would jump to three hearts, game-invitational.

Now to the South hand in the diagram. When East raises spades, South’s hand becomes much stronger because partner is marked with at most a singleton spade. South could jump to game, but in case partner has wastage in clubs, it is better to rebid three diamonds. (This bid is forcing to three hearts.) Now North, despite his minimum count, should accept the game-invitation because of his great red-suit holdings and spade singleton. Brilliant bidding judgment!

West leads the spade ace and shifts to a trump. There is little to the play. South has nine top red-suit tricks, so needs only one spade ruff in the dummy for a 10th winner. (If feeling greedy, he can get two ruffs for an overtrick.)

Finally, note that because North-south have a red-suit double fit, East-west must have one in the black suits. Four spades doubled costs at worst 500.