The Bridge Fairy

HNY❤️HNY❤️HNY

2♣️ - Pass - 2♦️ - Pass
2NT - Pass - ???

What does this hand bid next?

🔶🟢🔷🔶🟢🔷🔶🟢🔷

💥💥💥💥💥💥3♥️💥💥💥💥💥💥

1♦️ - Pass - 1♥️ - Pass
1♠️ - Pass - 3♦️ - Pass
💥3♥️💥

🔶 3-card delayed support for partner
🟢 Plus this is a forcing bid
🔷 This hand has 17pts and responder has shown 10+
🔶 Game is most certainly on
🟢 Just need to do a little exploring to find out in what
🔷 Obviously game could be in ♦️s but 5♦️ is never great - a major always more preferable as less tricks to make
🧚‍♀️ Got the points for game then go looking

🔶🟢🔷🔶🟢🔷🔶🟢

This hand opened the bidding

1♦️ - Pass - 1♥️ - Pass
1♠️ - Pass - 3♦️ - Pass
???

What’s openers next bid?

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

💥💥💥💥💥💥Pass💥💥💥💥💥💥

1♥️ - 1♠️ - 💥Pass💥

🌲 If there hadn’t been an overcall of 1♠️ that’s what this hand would have bid
🌲 This hand would like to bid but 1NT, the Dustbin Bid, is not possible here because when there has been an overcall the hand making the Dustbin Bid has to have a stopper in the overcalled suit
🌲 No stopper in ♠️s with this hand hence Pass is the only option
🌲 Remember though that opener can bid again so not all lost
🌲 Opener must bear in mind that responder may have points but just not able to say anything
🌲 Opener should carry on with the planned two-bid strategy then responder can decide where to go from there
🧚‍♀️ Most important if wishing to bid 1NT and there has been intervention there must be a stopper in the overcalled suit

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

1♥️ - 1♠️ - ???

What is responder going to say now that there has been an overcall of 1♠️?

🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐

💥💥💥💥💥💥A♦️💥💥💥💥💥💥

1♠️ - Pass - 2♦️ - Pass
4♦️ - Pass - 4♠️ - All Pass

🫐 The question : What is the opening lead and why?
🫐 Lets look at the bidding
🫐 Opener opened 1♠️ then supported ♦️s showing 5/4
🫐 Responder didn’t support ♠️s to start with so must only hold 3x♠️ for the delayed support
🫐 My reckoning is they hold 8x♠️ and 8x♦️ between them
🫐 This leaves max 5x♠️ and ♦️s with defence
🫐 This defence hand on lead holds 4 of the remaining 5x♦️ and 2 of the 5x♠️
🫐 So leading the A♦️ allows the opening leads partner to play their only ♦️ (if holding one)
🫐 Opener then plays the 2♦️ - crucial - this is a suit preference signal (SPA), knowing partner holds no more ♦️s, which asks partner to lead back the lowest suit remaining (in this case it’s ♣️)
🫐 Partner trumps the 2♦️ and returns a ♣️ which is won with the Ace and now another ♦️ can be played and trumped again
🫐 The first four tricks won by the defence and the contract is down
🫐 All due to the opening lead
🧚‍♀️ Listening and understanding the bidding can make or break a contract
🧚‍♀️ I get that it is so tempting to lead the J❤️ promising the 10 and ❤️ haven’t been spoken about but that is not going to get the contract down as sure declarer will remove defences trumps before they are able to use them to defences advantage
🧚‍♀️ Just remember the opening lead can make or break a contract so really listen to the bidding and work out exactly what is being said
🧚‍♀️ Here declarer did not have a hope once openers lead had been played then the SPS made

🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐🫐

This is how the bidding went :

1♠️ - Pass - 2♦️ - Pass
4♦️ - Pass - 4♠️ - All Pass

This hand is on lead.
What is the opening lead and why?

🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢

💥💥💥💥💥💥1♠️💥💥💥💥💥💥

1♥️ - Pass - 💥1♠️💥

🟢 Despite the ♠️ being very unexciting they must be bid when holding 6+pts
🟢 Bidding 1NT after 1❤️ as here denies 4x♠️
🟢 Bidding 1NT is always the very last bid to make when you really can’t bid anything else eg fail Rule of 14 or have no 4+ card suit between openers bid and 1NT

🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢

1♥️ - Pass - ???

What is responder going to say with this hand?

🧥🧥🧥🧥🧥🧥🧥🧥

💥💥💥💥💥💥4NT💥💥💥💥💥💥

1♠️ - Pass - 4♣️ - Pass
💥4NT💥

🧥 Responders bid of 4♣️ is a splinter bid
🧥Splinters are promising 4+ card support, max 1x♣️ and at least game going points and possibly enough for slam
🧥 Opener has a fabulous hand opposite the Splinter bid with 9x♠️ between the two hands and 4x♣️ that at least three can be ruffed if needed in dummy
🧥 So a slam is definitely worth thinking about. Hence 4NT asking for Aces
🧥 If responder has the missing A♦️ it’s slam all the way
🧚‍♀️ Splinters are very simple to use and very effective