No Rush

20th July – Board 20. Game All. Dealer West.

When the opposition interfere it is always a good idea if you can use that information to your own advantage. Such was the case on the hand shown below.

	North: S 5 2 H J 6 2 D K J 10 9 C J 7 6 5
West: S A 8 7 H K 10 3 D 6 5 3 C 10 9 4 2		East: S K 10 6 H A Q 8 D A 7 4 C K Q 8 3
	South: S Q J 9 4 3 H 9 7 5 4 D Q 8 2 C A

West	North	East	South
No	No	1C	1S
No	No	1NT	No
3NT	End

West has no reason at all to bid at his first time with just a seven count because his partner is still there to breath life back into the auction and in fact a 1NT call by West should be very top end, a good eight or nine count. When the auction comes back to East he can now bid 1NT himself, not the 15 or 16 points you might normally expect because his partner has not spoken, but a good 17 or 18. Meaning here that West can raise to game.