If you answered 'Three', then you are wrong. You can hope for three, but what does partner do with these type of hands?
Hand i) | Hand ii) |
♠ A 9 8 2 ♥ 7 3 ♦ 8 2 ♣ Q 5 4 3 2 |
♠ A 8 5 2 ♥ J 3 ♦ J 4 2 ♣ J 7 3 2 |
Take (i). Partner has no choice but to put you back to 2 ♥. Passing 2 ♦ and leaving you in a likely 4-2 fit is clearly inferior. And any other bid (eg 2 NT, 3 ♣) is pie in the sky, with six measly points.
With Hand (ii), partner could sensibly pass 2 ♦. But there are good reasons for partner to put you back to 2 ♥. (a) a 5-2 fit plays better than a 4-3 fit. (b) partner's bid of 2 ♥ gives you another turn if you have a really good hand (your 2 ♦ rebid did not really limit your hand, as you'd almost never bid 3 ♦).
The bottom line is: if partner puts you back to your first suit, you should (until further notice) treat it as a begrudging preference, rather than actual support.
So after you have opened 1 ♥ and the bidding has proceeded l♥-1 ♠-2 ♦-2 ♥, you should only go on to 3 ♥/4 ♥ with six hearts. Holding a good hand (and you'd need a good hand to proceed, as partner has shown only 6-9 pts), but without the sixth heart, you should find another forward-going bid.
South Deals None Vul |
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West | North | East | South |
1 ♥ | |||
Pass | 1 ♠1 | Pass | 2 ♦2 |
Pass | 2 ♥3 | Pass | 2 N4 |
Pass | 3 N | All pass |
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Declarer won ♣ 4 lead (to East's ♣ J) with ♣ K. Counting just five top tricks, at trick two he led ♠ Q East ducked, won ♠ 5 to ♠ 10 with ♠ A and led ♣ 8 to ♣ 10, ♣ Q and ♣ A
Up to eight tricks, declarer cashed ♠ KJ then led ♦ 5 to ♦ Q Phew - the finesse succeeded and declarer quickly cashed ♥ AK and ♦ A. Nine tricks.