What’s your call?
| 2♠ | 2NT | |||
| 3♣ | 3♦ | 3♥ | 3♠ | 3NT |
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT |
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Dbl |
Meckstroth cuebids 3♥, calling it the value bid. “I’m not thrilled to have only three trumps, though.”
Sanborn’s 3♥ is a little more upbeat. “I could have a very useful hand for partner. It would be nice to be playing a lead-directing transfer, but I need to get the raise in now.”
Weinstein calls the whole thing a pain before plopping 3♥ on the table. “I can see double, 2♠, 3♥ and 4♠ all being winning actions. I am sure Bobby will tell me how bad this bid is.”
Handley says 3♥ “looks like what the hand is worth. I’m not fond of a responsive double because of the possibility that partner might pass. A lead-directing 3♣ on the way to showing spadesupportis an interesting possibility. While not promising a spade fit, it would give him information that could prove to be useful later in the auction.”
Stack’s a 3♥ bidder. “This shows a limit raise in support of spades, and that is what this hand is worth. We could get fancy and make a responsive double followed by showing spade support, but why complicate things?”
Falk says he’d like to make a responsive double, planning to raise spades later to show the three-card support. “But partner might pass, and I do not want to defend 2♥ doubled with a void in trump and one defensive trick. So I’ll invoke the ubiquitous cuebid and hope partner can figure out what to do.”
Hampson, who bids 3♥, says he was tempted just to jump to 4♠. “But I decided that 3♥ will get us to 4♠ when we make it, and partner might want to double 4♥ if they bid it.”
There’s a quartet of 4♠ bidders. Meyers is one. “While I have only three spades, I want to take up a lot of room. I don’t know where a responsive double would take us.”
Robinson: “4♠, bidding what I hope to make. The void in hearts makes it likely that West might bid 5♥, which will make 4♠ the next-to-last bad bid.”
Lawrence is one of a trio of doublers. “I hope I have room to raise spades next, which I can do unless they bid 4♥. If they do bid 4♥, and if partner doubles, I will pass.”
Double by Rigal: “Minors and cards, planning to compete in spades unless partner lowers the boom on 4♥, and even then, maybe.”
