Years ago, I wrote "13 or 20" ( LarryCo. 13 or 20? ) -- to test player's knowledge of bidding. It was important to know if a bid showed a minimum (13) or a huge hand (20).

Now, we have "12-14" or "18-19". We'll start off easy (in other words, you should get A and B easily enough), but then it will get more difficult. In each problem below, does South's notrump bid show 12-14 or 18-19? The answers give explanations--make sure you understand the ones you get wrong (if any).

A)

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	1NT

B)

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	2NT

C)

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	2 (GF)	Pass	2NT

D)

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	X	1NT

E)

West	North	East	South
			1
1	2	Pass	2NT

F)

West	North	East	South
			1
1	Pass	Pass	1NT

G)

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	Pass	1	1NT

H)

West	North	East	South
			1
2	X	P	2NT

Answers:

A) 12-14 (of course)

B) 18-19 (of course). Bonus information: South might or might not have 4 spades (rebid 2NT with 18-19 and 4=3=4=2 or the like).

C) 12-14 (usually). Opener might also have 18-19 in which case he plans to bid later. Some partnerships would jump to 3NT with 18-19, but I prefer to avoid that space-consuming bid. So, opener, with say (

AQ2

AJ9

AQ103

J92

), would rebid 2NT and if partner raises to 3NT (responder is assuming opener has 12-14), he'd follow with 4NT to show 18-19.

D) 12-14, but really more like a decent 13-14. Opener need not volunteer 1NT with a dead minimum. This 1NT rebid also guarantees a spade stopper(s).

E) 12-14. Unlike example C, where opener might also have 18-19, here opener is limited. Because 2 showed simply 10+, game didn't have to be reached. This 2NT rebid is passable. If opener had more, he'd have to bid more.

F) 18-19. If opener had only 12-14, he'd have no business volunteering 1NT. North is broke and it is too risky to bid again with a flat minimum.

G) 18-19. Same reasoning as F).

H) 12-14. South is already on the 2-level; what else is opener to do with, say,

107654

AQ

QJ3

KJ2?