Modern Bidding Box March 2026

The Modern American Bidding Box

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Problem 1

North Deals, Vul: None

BB Auction: 1♣-1♠; 2♥-2NT; 3♣ (3♣/4♣ 10Mps)

Another case of a decision whether to show points or shape. I like the 1NT opening bid, even with 2 doubletons. The expert panel (and BB) all chose to open this hand 1♣. I'd be worried about the rebid. If your partner responds 1♠, then the rebid is a 2♥ bid (and a reverse). That might exaggerate the strength of this hand too much. The reverse most likely commits our side to a game contract. Here, 3NT is not a great contract. I'll take the 8 Mps for 1NT. Over the long run, 1NT will get better results than an abortive stop in 3♣ (and deadly overbid of 3NT). Additionally, a short and sweet auction, no extra information is passed to the opponents to aid their defense. Also, this puts some pressure on the North opponent to decide whether to balance into the auction.

MA: 8 Expert1: 3 Expert2: 10

Problem 2

East Deals, Vul: N-S

BB Auction: 1♦-1♥; 3♦-4NT; 6♥-6NT (6NT scores 11Mps)

(1) The Unbalanced Diamond allows us to show 3-card support raises. With 4-card support, we make a double raise (shows 4 and doesn't promise extra values). This uncovers 5-3 fits early in the bidding and at a lower level.

(2) 2NT is a game try bid. It is forcing and asks which suit opener has their shortness (or bid 3♦ to show it was a hand with 6 diamonds and 3 hearts). This is in the spirit of Kokish game-try, but from the other direction. After an unbalanced opening, the question is "interested in a game?" or not, and "where is your shortness?"

(3) West is thinking slam, the game try was to determine if the opener was very minimal.

(4) After West's RKC in hearts, East shows 3 keys, and West can bid the slam.

6NT is a stone-cold contract, but I'm not sure many would get there. West has to correct the slam with a headless heart suit? We get 9 for the heart slam.

MA: 17 Expert1: 3 Expert2: 15

Problem 3

South Deals, Vul: E-W

BB Auction: 1♣-1♠; 2♣-3♣ (3♣ scores 11Mps)

(1) TACO club. Could be as short as 2 clubs, may have longer diamonds than clubs. If balanced, will be 12-14 HCP. Any opening strength and biddable clubs when unbalanced.

(2) Transfer to spades

(3) Denies spade support (fewer than 3) and shows a biddable club suit.

East shows invitational values and asks West to place the auction. With a minimal opening hand, West has the choice to leave 2NT or correct to 3♣. 3♣ seems like the better place to play, even needing to make 9 vs 8 tricks. The quacks look like dead ducks.

MA: 28 Expert1: 14 Expert2: 16

Problem 4

West Deals, Vul: Both North overcalls 2♣

BB Auction: 1♥-(2♣)-Dbl;Pass-Dbl-Pass; (2♣X scores 11 Mps)

West has the choice to make the reopening double. However, they stretched the first time, opening balanced, aceless hand. Nothing wrong with passing. A reopening double does hit East with a great chance to step up and convert to a penalty double. But, most likely, they will settle into a 5-2 heart fit and bid 2♥.

2♣ undoubled score 8 Mps

MA: 36 Expert1: 22; Expert2 22

Problem 5

North Deals, Vul: N-S

BB Auction: Pass-1♦; 1♥-4♥;6♦-6♥ (6♥ scores 11 Mps)

Another TACO auction. A chance to show how the double raise shows a hand with 4 hearts and 15+ HCP.

(1) TACO club. May be as few as 2 clubs, may have longer diamonds than clubs. Shows 12-14 HCP if balanced, otherwise unbalanced is any opening range with a biddable club suit.

(2) Transfer to hearts

(3) 15+ HCP, 4 hearts

After East hears their partner has a strong hand, they can look at their Aces and short club with a mild interest toward slam. Cue the Space Ace and see what develops. This cue bid announces at least 10 HCP for an interest slam. West can drive from here to the slam.

We agree with the BB bidding; both expert pairs fail to find the same using different bidding systems. Including opening East's hand with 10 HCP, and West doesn't query for slam with 18 HCP opposite an opening hand. A cautionary to all those 'experts' out there who are routinely opening 10 and 11 HCP balanced hands; you will jade your partners to expect them far too often.

MA: 47 Expert1: 28 Expert2: 28

Problem 6

East Deals, Vul: E-W South overcalls 1♠ if possible

BB Auction: 1♣-(1♠)-Dbl-(Pass); 2♣-2♠; 3♥-4♣ (4♣ scores 9Mps)

In Modern, the double over 1♠ is a traditional negative double. Promising 4 hearts and/or not enough points to bid at the 2-level.

(1) TACO club. May be as few as 2 clubs, may have longer diamonds than clubs. Shows 12-14 HCP if balanced, otherwise unbalanced is any opening range with a biddable club suit.

West is in a pickle with an opening hand when their partner opens the bidding. The spade overcall is a nuisance. Initially, West shows their 4-card heart suit, and after a minimal rebid by East, their hope is East with a spade check to reach 3NT. Once the spade stop is denied, West is on a guess if their side has enough controls to bid a safe minor suit game.

Bidding 3♥ instead of 3♣ might be interesting; this offers a choice to play in the 4-3 major suit fit or run to 4 of the minor. East did not consider this bid until the post-mortem.

MA: 56 Expert1: 30 Expert2: 31

Problem 7

South Deals, Vul: Both

BB Auction: 1♦-1♠; 2♣-2♥; 3♥-3♠; 3NT (3NT scores 10 Mps)

(1) Unbalanced 1♦. 4+ diamonds with a singleton or void. Without, then there must be 6+ diamonds.

(2) XYZ game force. Shows 13+ HCP, forcing to a game contract

(3) 4 hearts

(4) 6+ spades

West has a pretty clear picture of the distribution. They have 0 interest in allowing East to play 4♠ with 6 spades; if they work for trump, they will work in No-Trump. XYZ game force works well here. Traditional bidding would force East to make a jump rebid in spades to show this hand. This may or may not be fully forcing to game-level (does your partnership define this as game force?). Additionally, this jump eliminates any chance to discover if the hands have a secondary fit (hearts?).

All systems reach 3NT here with 10Mps. One board to go, and we're with the BB bidding system out front by a considerable margin.

MA: 66 Expert1: 40 Expert2: 41

Problem 8

West Deals, VUL: None

BB Auction: 1♥-2♦; 3♥-4NT; 5-6NT (6NT scores 11 in the East)

(1) 2♦ is an artificial game force. Only a coincidence that East really has a long, strong diamond suit.

(2) Rare choice to jump bid, this is a game-forced auction. However, West is trying to communicate a very long, single-suited hand with more than minimal opening HCP.

(3) East is too strong to just say 3NT and realizes 4♦ might not convey this diamond suit holding, but if West views it as showing a first control, that isn't the worst interpretation.

East is on the horns of a dilemma. West is obviously a strong, single-suited heart hand. How much extra HCP should they expect? If West had a 4 LTC hand, they would have opened with a strong 2-bid. East has 4 major control cards and if they consider West to be a likely 5 LTC hand, they are providing the necessary tricks for a slam. Should it be 6♥s? By bidding NT, East is hedging that the club king is protected from the opening lead.

I should note that we passed this hand to a junior pair just starting to play the Modern American system, and they reached only 4♥ with this hand with the auction. 1♥-2♦-4♥. Given the weakness in the club (when declared West), this might not be a bad auction.

MA: 77 Expert1: 46 Expert2: 45

Conclusion

Modern American ran away with it this month. However, the BB standard bidding also trounced the experts. We had some interesting hands that utilized the components of Modern American. 3 cases of opening TACO club and 2 opening the unbalanced 1♦. XYZ, Reverse-Kokish Game-Try, and interesting choices when to open 1NT slightly offshape.

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Written by Keith Schwols in Rockstar on Sun 01 March 2026.