Following are Ben’s answers to questions which came up on two interesting hands played over the summer break:

Q:     Does West bid 2NT (using the NT raise structure), given that West is passed hand and East might have opened light)?

A:     2NT is good using the NT raise structure.

East needs to be careful not to get excited about the club shortage as it is trumping with the long trumps and signoff in 3H. If you are inclined to open light in 3rd seat with a major suit holding a convention called Drury is useful.

Drury is defined as a 2C by the passed hand as a conventional 10-11 raise for opener's major suit. If opener has a sub minimum opening and/or no interest in game they retreat back to 2 of the major. If they have aspirations for game or beyond they call something more interesting.

Q:     Should East open 1D (and finish up playing 3NT), or does East treat as 5/5 in the red suits and finish up in a doomed heart slam?

A:     6/5 hands can be difficult. The best way to handle them is on a case by case basis and it largely depends on if you are happy to bid out your shape or not. With this hand if you are happy to open 1D then reverse into 2H, then bid hearts again if needed then sure open 1D.

         When you are not happy to do this (I wouldn't be) then compromise by showing it as a 5/4+, at least you will get the 5M out straight away. This way will never show 6D but majority of the time you can live with that.

         When you open 1H you will be bound for slam and go down on the 4-1 break (only with South having 4). Importantly the correct way to play the suit is K or Q from the touching honours (unblocking the T in dummy), then small to the A and back again creating a finesse for the J between the H9 combo when the break is 4-1 with North holding 4.

         Given that slam makes on trumps 3-2 or 4-1 with North having Jxxx slam rates to be over 80% chance of making.