Andrew:

How do I bid with a 4441 shape?

These are very awkward shapes to handle. Bidding has developed such that one-suited hands (six-card suits) and two-suited hands (five-fours) are easy to describe. You bid and repeat the six-card suit; you bid the five then the four. The 4441 shape cannot be described in two bids. A small lie has to be told.

First, the opening bid. There is no perfect solution, but best, on grounds of economy and simplicity, is “TAPS” where you open 1♥ with a black-suit singleton and 1♣ with a red-suit singleton. “H” and “C” – the taps.

Your problems are only just beginning! Say your partner responds in your singleton (they always do!). Best is this:

Point Count	Strategy
12	Pass – don’t open the bidding at all – then you won’t have to worry about your rebid.
13-14	Rebid your cheapest four-card suit. Lying about your (lack of) fifth card in your first suit is the lesser of evils.
15+	Rebid Notrumps at the appropriate level (15-16: at lowest level; 17-18: with a jump; 19: 3NT)

Exercise: Which suit would you open with these hands? What is your planned rebid if partner responds in your singleton?

Hand a)	Hand b)	Hand c)
♠ 4 ♥ K J 4 3 ♦ A K J 3 ♣ K J 9 6	♠ J 9 4 2 ♥ Q ♦ A Q 8 3 ♣ K 7 5 2	♠ Q 8 5 2 ♥ A Q 7 4 ♦ 5 ♣ A Q 5 2

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Andrew:

How do I bid with a 4441 shape?