Partner will frequently scrape up a raise with a five-count. And with nine, she may go a stronger route: nine-point hands with four-card support are normally 3 ♥/♠ bids (unless 4333); nine-point hands with a side-five-card suit are worth a new-suit response at the Two-level (using the rule of 14). In practice, the oft-quoted 6-9 is more like 5-8.

So rein it in. The sayings, “One- Two, that’ll do” and “One up, shut up” are there for a reason. If you have a balanced hand with only four cards in the major, pass with 15-16. Move with 2 NT, holding 17-18; bid 3 NT only with 19 (partner will pass or correct, according to whether she has a fourth card).

However, you can be much bolder with a shapely hand and a fifth trump, especially the treasured 5431 shape.

The bidding has started 1 ♥-2 ♥ What now with these?

With the first, pass. Less experienced players bid 2 NT here, not adjusting their bidding plan. Yes, you were expecting to rebid notrumps. However, that was assuming a new-suit response from partner, not the weak raise.

Bid 2 NT with the second, showing 17-18 with only four hearts. Note, there’s no need to bid 2 ♠, for if partner has raised to 2 ♥ with three cards, she will not have four spades (she’d have responded 1 ♠).

The third is much lovelier and I’d probably punt 4 ♥. “You can all shut up because I’m bidding Four!”

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