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Responder 1st bids - After 1NT, Weak

Question 1 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO passes. You have this 9-HCP 9-loser hand

8 7 4
K 5 4 3
J 10 3
K Q 4

What should you bid ?

1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 NT
6. 3 NT

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Answer 1 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO passes. You have this 9-HCP 9-loser hand

8 7 4
K 5 4 3
J 10 3
K Q 4

What should you bid ?
( 1 ). pass

You have 23 HCP, at the most, with balanced hands. No chance of Game in 3NT, or in anything else for that matter with your flat hand. Best to leave it at 1 NT.

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Question 2 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO passes. You have this 4-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
J 8 7 6 2
K 7 6
9

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 diamonds or hearts
6. 2 spades
7. 2 NT

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Answer 2 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO passes. You have this 4-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
J 8 7 6 2
K 7 6
9

What should you bid ?
( 5 ). 2 diamonds or hearts

You have 18 HCP between you, at the most, with a singleton in Clubs. You are likely to lose heavily in NT, so it's best to take it out of NT. So let's get it into your 5-card suit of Hearts. Given that he bid No Trumps, you are at least guaranteed 7 trump cards in Hearts.

Beginners: Bid your 5-card suit, 2 Hearts. Your partner will understand that a bid at the two level is weak, and will say nothing.

If you use transfers, then bid 2 Diamonds and partner will transfer to Hearts.

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Question 3 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

What does the double mean ?
1. double for take out
2. penalty

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Answer 3 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

What does the double mean ?
( 2 ). penalty

Doubling 1NT is always for penalties. RHO has 16 points or more, and is sitting on top of your partner's points. You have only 13-15 HCP between you and a singleton in Clubs. This is a disaster - you could easily go down 3 or 4 tricks, which when doubled is very very expensive!

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Question 4 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 spades
6. 2 NT
7. redoubled

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Answer 4 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

What should you bid ?
( 7 ). redoubled

Having no 5-card suit, you cannot take-out the double. In that case, and having at least two 4-card suits, you should re-double, to tell your partner to start going through his 3-plus-card suits, starting with the lowest denomination. Some people who re-redouble in this way actually want their partner to start at 2 clubs, irrespective of their shape, which we don't really understand. Do you?

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Question 5 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

You re-double, and your partner replies with 2 Clubs. What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 spades
6. 2 NT

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Answer 5 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

You re-double, and your partner replies with 2 Clubs. What should you bid ?
( 3 ). 2 diamonds

Your partner has promised you 3 clubs, but a total of 4 cards in Clubs is hopeless!! So bid your lowest denomination 4-card suit.

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Question 6 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

You re-double, and your partner replies with 2 Diamonds. What should you bid ?
1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 spades
6. 2 NT

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Answer 6 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner is dealer and opens 1NT. Your RHO doubles. You have this 1-HCP 10-loser hand

10 6 5 2
8 7 6 2
J 8 7 6
9

You re-double, and your partner replies with 2 Diamonds. What should you bid ?
( 1 ). pass

As soon as he mentions one of your 4-card suits, you've found a 7-card match, so you can pass. She might even have more than 3-cards in diamonds - let's hope so!

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Question 7 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner West opens the bidding with 1NT. Your RHO, North, doubles for penalties. You are East in the deal number 40033, shown on the right

Assuming that E and W use Stayman and Transfers, whatever should you (East) do, having only 1 point ?
1. pass
2. 2 clubs
3. 2 diamonds
4. 2 hearts
5. 2 spades
6. 2 NT

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Answer 7 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner West opens the bidding with 1NT. Your RHO, North, doubles for penalties. You are East in the deal number 40033, shown on the right

Assuming that E and W use Stayman and Transfers, whatever should you (East) do, having only 1 point ?
( 4 ). 2 hearts

Ha ha! Stayman and Transfers are cancelled after an intervening bid, thank goodness. Bid a good old-fashioned weakness takeout in your 5-card suit, 2 Hearts. Partner, being awake, will pass - or die later.

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Question 8 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner opens 1NT, and the enemy to your right doubles. You have this 6-HCP 10.5-loser hand

K 8 4 3
Q 7 4
J 8 2
8 4 2

What should you bid?
1. pass
2. redouble
3. 2 clubs
4. 2 diamonds
5. 2 hearts
6. 2 spades
7. 2 NT

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Answer 8 (of 8 on this page)
Your partner opens 1NT, and the enemy to your right doubles. You have this 6-HCP 10.5-loser hand

K 8 4 3
Q 7 4
J 8 2
8 4 2

What should you bid?
( 1 ). pass

You are weak, with only 6 HCP, meaning you have 18-20 between you. 1NT could be unpleasant. How can you get out of it? Unfortunately, you don't have a 5-card suit, so no weakness takeout into a guaranteed 7-card fit is possible. You don't have two 4-card suits, so you can't try to wriggle out and find a 7-card fit. Your hand has flat shape nor does it have nice joined honours nor several 10s or 9s. Oh dear, you'll just have to pass, (and hope either that the enemy DO bid a suit, or that you don't go down by too many).

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