Julian Pottage
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It is quite common to play that if you know of a 10-card fit you show the queen of trumps if partner asks even if you do not have it. While sometimes you would open 1S with a 4-card suit, it would be very difficult to construct a hand with only 4 spades that was strong enough to go slamming after the 1S-3S start. I would therefore take partner’s 5S as denying a fifth spade as well as denying the SQ and so pass 5S.
With a good hand, and 14 points fits that for sure, you should bid your longest suit first. You are strong enough to bid the spades later.
If you double 1H, it would be for takeout, though with your void you might reasonably decide to bid 1S instead. If partner were to pass 1H doubled (quite likely as the hand on your right did not raise), you would not expect to do all that well. 1H doubled might make even if partner has five or six hearts.
These days most low level doubles of suit bids are for takeout. In the particular auction you ask about the whole world plays double as for takeout so you would not need to discuss the double with your partner.
You are right that having no 10s or 9s is a minus factor but having the honours all together is a plus point. You will be going against the field if you pass out the deal so I do not think I would pass.
I am not sure why you would be better protected against an adverse trump break playing in 5-3 fit. If trumps are 4-1, ruffing twice will leave you with a trump fewer than a defender. If , however, you have a 4-4 fit, you can ruff twice in one hand and still have enough length in the other hand to draw the opposing trumps.
In general a 4-4 fit is fractionally better than 5-3 but the difference is sufficiently marginal that other factors (suit quality and whether the suits are majors or minors) could tip the balance.
Traditionally 3S was not forcing. Now that most people play the 2NT rebid as 18-19, it is less likely you would want to sign off so many play it as forcing – but you would need to check with your partner.
Playing with a robot I would just have bid 3NT on the first round with your hand.
Is there a typo in your question? 2C would be simple preference so not forcing at all – perhaps you were thinking 2C was fourth suit but the robot opened 1C. I am not sure the robots play fourth suit forcing but if you bid 1S and caught a raise you could revert to NT.
It is usual to open your longest suit whether it is a major or a minor. Sometimes on 5422 hands if we are planning a 1NT rebid my partner and I open the major but most people do not do even that.
if opponents open a strong NT, you are less likely to be looking for a game – so shape is more important than points
Opener is simply raising responder. A reverse would be bidding a different suit (2H). Raises are limit bids. With a better hand opener raises to 3S or 4S, so yes 2S shows a minimum opening.
Double shows a good hand and says nothing about clubs. It is only when the opposing bidding is strong that a double of an opposing bid shows the suit. When your side and the opponents make an artificial bid, you are trying to bid constructively or perhaps collect a penalty rather than direct the lead.
You might bid 2D with 5 or 6 diamonds and 5 of 6 points. Partner was correct pass. You could simply have bid 3NT. News of heart values on your right has improved your hand.
Incidentally you should ask what 2C means rather than assuming. Both Bernard and I recommend playing 2C as both majors, so if you were to assume anything it should be that it shows both majors – but better to ask.
If partner makes a Michaels Cue bid over an opponent’s major suit opening, you do not know what partner’s second suit is. You have two ways to find out. With a weak hand you bid 3C ‘pass or correct’. With a good hand you bid 2NT to ask.
If it is partner who has opened and an opponent has made a Michaels cue bid, 2NT would be natural in Acol (if I am playing 5-card majors I would play 2NT as a 4-card raise).
If your side opens 1H and an opponent overcalls 2H, for bidding purposes you treat this as a spade overcall.
