Intended audience: Intermediate and up

Neither vul, matchpoints, as south you hold: ♠A4 ♥A1095 ♦KJ7 ♣AK62

2NT = 20-21

3♠ = Shows one or both minors. A 3NT response would show a hand not interested in slam, and four of a minor shows a four card suit.

What do you bid?

Another judgement hand. You have opened 2NT with only 19 HCPs, and there is a dangerous of going past 3NT playing matchpoints. Yet you have a four card minor and good high card structure.

This one is not close. 4♣ is the correct bid. You have an excellent hand. You have the major suit aces, good values in the minors, and a doubleton spade to boot.

Partner held a very good hand as well: ♠2 ♥KQ8 ♦AQ843 ♣Q954. The rest of our bidding went:

¹20-21

² Slam try with both minors

³ Four clubs encouraging

⁴ Key Card ask

⁵ 1 or 4

⁶ Queen of trump?

⁷ No

⁸ Kings?

⁹ K♦, no major suit king (5♥ would show K♥, and 5♠ would show K♠ and deny K♥)

Lessons to Learn

1.If you are minimum or even sub-minimum for your bid don’t automatically think you have a minimum, and later underbid.

For example, ♠x ♥xx ♦A10xxx ♣AQxx is a great minimum opening bid, especially if you and partner have a minor suit fit.

2.Ensure you and your partner have a set way to ask for key cards when the agreed suit is a minor.

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