(This hand was slightly modified from a hand played in IntoBridge’s Daily Challenge on Tuesday, March 11th. If you don’t know IntoBridge yet, give it a try!)
Vul versus not, you are the dealer and pick up:
♠️ 72 / ♥️ Q63 / ♦️ AK98 / ♣️ K852
Not the greatest opening bid ever, but you do have the expected 12 hcp, and most people will open it. You try 1♦️ (which minor to open is an interesting question, which would lead us far astray). Partner responds 1♠️, and you rebid the obvious 1NT.
Partner now bids 2♣️, an artificial exploratory bid (IntoBridge’s robot describes it as “Third Suit Forcing”). You deny three cards in spades, or four cards in hearts, but rebidding 2NT (I would prefer 2♦️, but this is how our robotic friend bid the hand). Partner raises you to game in notrump, ending the auction:
West leads the ♥️J, and this is your dummy:
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