Answer to Beginners Exercise

Exercise: Partner opens 1♠. What would be your response holding these?

Hand a)	Hand b)	Hand c)	Hand d)
♠ Q 6 4 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ K 93 ♣ 9 6 4	♠ Q 9 4 2 ♥ 9 4 ♦ A Q J 3 ♣ 10 5 2	♠ K J 5 2 ♥ Q J 7 4 ♦ 5 ♣ 9 85 2	♠ A 9 8 5 2 ♥ - - ♦ K 6 3 2 ♣ 7 6 5 2

Answers:
(a). Respond 2♠. 6-9 points. Opener may bid higher with a really good hand, but he shouldn’t get too excited, for “One-Two, that’ll do”.
(b). Respond 3♠. Just worth 3♠, because the doubleton heart is worth about one extra point. Further, you like holding all your high cards in your long suits. You have a far better hand than, say, ♠ 9432, ♥ QJ, ♦ 9532, ♣ AQ2.
(c). Respond 3♠. The singleton diamond is worth about three extra points.
(d). Respond 4♠. The void is worth about five extra points, and the fifth spade is also huge. To bid less than 4♠ would be feeble.

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