Will the third show up soon?
They say that things go in threes. Well, so far I have only seen two deals along the lines of today's. The other will be in tomorrow's column. First, look at the South hand. Your right-hand opponent deals and opens one spade. You might pass, overcall two clubs or two hearts, or make a two-spade Michaels Cue-Bid to show at least 5-5 in hearts and either minor. If you are going to bid, the Michaels Cue has the advantage of describing your hand more accurately than a suit overcall. But that hand is far too weak to commit to the three-level. Just pass! At Bridge Base Online, 12 players faced this situation. Pass, two clubs and two hearts each got two votes, and six used Michaels. At the time, North-South were in trouble, going down in everything, and East-West could not even make a game! At one table, there was a really unusual auction. South made that dreadful Michaels Cue-Bid, and North, not fancying three clubs or three hearts in a 5-2 fit, passed, risking a 5-0 fit! One thinks that East should have doubled, but he passed.