What’s your call?
| 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 |
Meckstroth, on behalf of the majority: “3♥. I want partner to play notrump if he can bid it. He will think I have six hearts, but a 5–2 fit should be OK here.”
The Sutherlins, 3♥: “We show our good hearts. Partner can support with ♥Q x or better, try for notrump via 3♠, bid 3NT or rebid a minor with a very unbalanced hand. We don’t rate to miss 3NT when it is a good spot.”
3♥ by Cohen, who says it’s close between 3♥ and 3NT. “Yes, I should have a sixth heart, but I have very good ones and this is not as final as 3NT. Picture partner holding: ♠x ♥Q x ♦A K 10 9 x ♣A K Q J x.”
3♥ is Sanborn’s call, too. “I am OK with short-suit preferences, but not at the expense of a better descriptive bid. Ditto 3NT – too may other possibilities. We easily could belong in a 5–2 heart fit. I’ll bid 3NT should partner bid 3♠.”
Korbel is a 3♥ bidder. “It’s tempting to preference back to the singleton jack to save space, but I think my hearts are good enough to rebid. 3NT is out because of the shaky spade stopper opposite what could be a low singleton.”
Meyers, too: “I would rather have six hearts to bid 3♥. I think 3♦ is a very good second choice, but I think 3♥ is most likely to get us to the correct contract.”
Lawrence’s 3♥. “My heart suit is too good for a Kokish 3♦ bid” – which segues nicely to… the 3♦ bidders, who credit (blame) Eric Kokish. They support partner’s first-bid suit holding a singleton as a waiting measure.
Falk: “I’m a follower of Eric Kokish on this problem – find any excuse to take a preference to partner’s first suit, leaving partner room to finish describing his hand. Here, I hope partner can bid 3♥, in which case I will bid 5♥. By bidding 3NT now, I take away partner’s heart raise and leave him in a quandary with 1=3=5=4 or anything of the sort.”
Colchamiro, 3♦: “A first for me, taking a false preference on a singleton – but it leaves the most room and besides, EOK will be proud of me for spreading the gospel. Over 3♥ I’ll bid 4♥; over 3♠ I’ll bid 3NT. Over 4♣, 5♣ and 5♦, medic!”
Lee: “3♦. It’s normally not my choice to take a preference with a singleton, but if partner has long diamonds, the jack is a big card, plus it gives partner wiggle room.”
Pavlicek thinks 3♠ seems routine, “implying five hearts, since I can hardly select a strain at this point. If partner bids 4♥, I’ll feel comfortable in bidding again, whereas, if I rebid 3♥ and partner raises, bidding again would be treacherous.”
The 3NT bidder is Stack. “Although 3♥ is forcing showing at least a fivecard suit, let’s bid the most probable game based on our points and stoppers.”
