Hand Question 4
Should have been in 7NT?
Have a look at this hand from our club duplicate last night. S opens 1S, N replies 2H, S rebids 4S and there the auction ends. What should have happened?
Bernard's Answer
Opening 1S and rebidding 4S shows a hand a little stronger than a pre-empt so is not a good-description of South's hand. That being said I might still go for more with the North hand. The key thing to note is that because of the 2H response a jump to 3S is forcing to game: 16+ opposite 10+, so South can afford to bid just 3S and now North takes control. With 33+ points between the two hands, it is tempting just to blast Blackwood here and skip the cuebidding phase. The answers is to key card and subsequent 5NT bid, give North the choice between six and seven. I might well have opened the South hand with a strong two - opening 2C in Benji and rebidding 2S - it is surely worth 8 playing tricks (or 20+). After the 2S rebid once again the North hand will now bid 4NT but this time, knowing of South's '8 tricks' North can comfortably bid to the Grand Slam.