The question is whether West is worth a bid over 2♠. The panel were divided which I guess shows it's close. If you are going to bid you are going to have to tell a bit of lie about the length of your Heart suit - 3♥ usually means six and if you Double that usually shows four. Most bid and most bid 3♥ and East then bid 4♥ - not a thing of beauty. 

One of the things I find interesting about doing this feature is that I get to see what regular partnerships do and the extent to which they agree or disagree. These hands are often selected as they are borderline and I hope some of the value is getting partnerships to discuss their auctions and especially where they are different. I hope that some of you are doing this with your regular partners - for example what do you bid first as West - DBLE, 3♥ or pass?

Over 2♠, Double seems reasonable and then its whether we play Lebensohl or not. If we do play Lebensohl we seem to be right on the border of 3♦ showing values and bidding 2NT as a way of scrambling somewhere. I’m in the 3♦ camp and then we’re going to get too high. And I’d love to say I’d find a way to pass 3♦ (as many of the panel did) but as I’ve said on two previous hands (including hand 3 of this set) - if 3NT is a possible spot and this is our last chance I’m going to bid it and this is a hand where I’d rather have done something else.

I thought this hand was tough and is from a recent club night at Ipswich. Most of the panel got to the reasonable 4♠ after an auction which is like the one I have given. The choice over 2♥ is between Double and 3♣ with the most of the panel Doubling (although I would have been in the 3♣ camp). In the auction I have given 3♥ is still looking for 3NT if West has a Heart stop. I know some pairs talk about showing and asking for half stops but I’m a bit old fashioned and I either have a stop or I don’t.

I have finally found a hand where I’m on my own. If I played more and wanted to get a reputation for being a bit crazy perhaps this is my chance. On the basis of the panel vote this is a very dull hand. The most common auction by some distance was West opens 2NT and East passes. 

Hands 7 and 8 come as a pair and I’m really doing something of a sales job for a bit of system - “fit jumps”. 

As you will have noticed, East has the same cards on both hands. On hand 7 you only have a fit in Spades and hand 8 you have a fit in Spades and Diamonds. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bid that shows the values to bid 4♠ and also a Diamond suit. This is where fit jumps come in. On both hands 7 and 8, East can bid 4♦ to show good Diamonds and primary Spade support. This puts West in a much stronger position when South bids 5♣. On hand 7 knowing that they “only” have a fit in Spades and that their side clearly has the balance of the points she can Double. On hand 8, knowing of the Double fit West can bid 5♠ with a fair degree of confidence it can make and also knowing that the opponents have a Double fit. E/W won’t get rich defending 5♣ Doubled and you can envisage hands where  both sides can make contracts at the 5 level. 

An area some partnerships may wish to discuss is after South bids 5♣ what would a pass by West show - is it forcing? And if it is what sort of hand does it show?