Experts in majority voted for Pass as the best bid but never ruled out 5S, though, in their opinion, with equal colours (i.e. vulnerability) Pass is a forcing bid comparatively as opposed to favourable vulnerability. It may be prepping for a sacrifice in six spades if they bid Six hearts. Also partner has forced us to Five Spades, as there is no assurance that opponents will now go further high.

Marks: Pass 10, 5S 10, 6S 7, 6C 6, 5NT5, Double 4, 6D 3.

The choice is almost 50/50 between Four Hearts and Double. Eight panelists prefer the flexible “responsive double”. You may have that agreement in this situation but majority of them suggests that the more standard approach for Double is extra values and less shape. Partner is not obliged to sit the double but will usually do so unless he has shape himself. So Double is not that flexible. We guess 9 time out of 10 you will defend especially in pairs. With a six-card suit albeit not great, heart suit, and a singleton spade you have to bite the bullet yourself and bid 4 Hearts.

Marks: 4H 10, Double 7, Pass 2.

Obviously Four Club. With this playing strength it is totally obvious to make a ‘fit-jump’. Even if such methods are not part of American Standard, we can hardly hold any other hand type when it is a passed hand. Even if we did not have the playing strength to go to the four level (4-1-3-5 shape for example), it would still be worth risking 3C on such a good suit, rather than raising to Three Diamonds. Armstrong adds, “4C If I raise diamonds then partner will find it difficult to judge. Four clubs is a slight overbid but is so descriptive that I can live with that.”

Marks: 4C 10, 3H 8, 2H 6, 3C 4, 3D 2.

Panelists were almost equally divided for 3D and 4D, so Bep Vriend concluded, “ Six votes for 3D and six votes for 4D, I have downgraded the mark for 3D, because most panelists want to do more, but their solutions differ. If the opponents had not overcalled for sure everybody would have bid a forcing Three Diamonds. So it surprises me that there are so many votes for a 3D bid that now could be so much weaker. Even if you play good/bad 2NT, in this situation (which is not mentioned by the 3D bidders), In my opinion 3D would be a grave underbid.

Marks: 4D 10, 3D 7, 3S 6, 4H 4, 2NT 2.

It was considered the toughest problem of the set. There was a strong case for Pass, however, majority of the panelists discarded “Pass” and voted for 3C as the best bid. They argued. “ Generally we hate to support partner’s second suit with only 3 trumps. But, according to the majority, we have to make a bid. 2NT has the big disadvantage that partner will raise to 3NT on any 14 count which gets us far too high on a misfit hand. Three clubs has the advantage that, if partner has a distributional hand with five clubs it may lead to a high club contract which looks much better prospect than 3NT given our good honours and ruffing values.

Marks: 3C 10, 2D 7, Pass 5, 2NT 4, 2H 2.