[jillybean]

---

Did you foresee this?

[DavidKok]

The BW Death Hand

[Cyberyeti]

We did and have system for it, 1♠ over 1♣ has either 5+♠ or 3♣ or both, so we bid a GF unbalanced 2N.

Without methods you need to do something extreme.

[mw64ahw]

2N as
a) strong 6+♣
b) 3xx6 strongish
c) 4xx5 GF
Opener bids 3♣ weak or 3♦ GF to ask

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-February-15, 16:43, said:

---

Did you foresee this?

Tough. Very tough even with a toy.

Why? It is a bit too good for my toy
A bit too weak for strong 2C

Looks like the old fake reverse time, with 2D

At least I can find out if partner has five spades....
I hope, smile

Option 2 is open a strong 2C, I don't play it 100% GF

[jillybean]

A fake reverse is a winner, partner is going to support clubs 3♣ and show 1KC if you ask.

5/24 AX and 1/12 BCD players got there, I'm not going to lose any sleep on this one.

[jillybean]

---

[mike777]

Ouch. For me that west hand has some decisions to make if MP. A lot of decisions.
A borderline hand ..
At MP you don't want to easily give on spades, just yet.

At imps easier just bid 3C. Natural and gf for me.

All around a deal that does not fit nicely into the structure..

[HardVector]

Without a system to describe this hand, it is really difficult to bid. I'd bid 2d hoping that partner can show 5s. It does have the potential to get crazy with partner pushing us to 5d, but I think it's worth the risk.

[jillybean]

First time partnership, our auction was 1♣ 1♠ 5♣. so I didn't continue with my spades.
This is the only hand we failed to communicate, the rest of the game went well.

[mw64ahw]

My auctions proceeds
1♣ - 1♥/♠ playing TW or not
2N - 3♦ GF asking
3♠ 3xx6
3♣ would be weak and is passable.

Now the choice of whether to bid 4♣ or 4♠.
I tend to go for the Major, but with an 8-card vs. 10 card fit its a tough call.
4♣ will set trumps and start off key card showing, while 4♠ passes the buck to partner. 5♣ is odd keycards with K♣ setting ♠ as trumps.
For reference 2♦ by opener is the more balanced reverse enabling a stop in 2M by responder when 5M 0~6 playing TW. Note: the reverse here will be 18+ as we break the transfer to 1N (15-17) playing TW.

[paulg]

There is a reason that this is known as the Bridge World Death Hand, and that is because there is no good rebid without methods specifically designed for it.

Bridge World would repeatedly put similar hands into its monthly bidding challenge and ask experts for their rebid using BW Standard. They would not have done this if there was a consensus amongst the experts, so I don't think most players should worry about it - just do whatever seems sensible and a number of experts will be supportive.

p

[Cyberyeti]

1: the N hand doesn't get past me

2: Our multi is 6+ cards in second seat, so P then 2♠ over (our 4+ cards) 1♣ is this hand, suit reqs not as important by a passed hand.

3: at the club, any slam will score well, so I want to be in 6♣ which survives 4-1♠

[johnu]

jillybean, on 2026-February-15, 21:13, said:

First time partnership, our auction was 1♣ 1♠ 5♣. so I didn't continue with my spades.
This is the only hand we failed to communicate, the rest of the game went well.

For me, the responding hand is a clearly worth committing to at least a small slam holding ♣KQ. What kind of hand is partner bidding 5♣ with missing the ♣KQ. Of course, what kind of partner would jump to 5♣ after a 1 level response?

[jillybean]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-February-16, 03:15, said:

1: the N hand doesn't get past me

2: Our multi is 6+ cards in second seat, so P then 2♠ over (our 4+ cards) 1♣ is this hand, suit reqs not as important by a passed hand.

3: at the club, any slam will score well, so I want to be in 6♣ which survives 4-1♠

North has a great hand if playing Multi 2M 5 card or Multi/Muierberg but disallowed at all levels here.

johnu, on 2026-February-16, 04:15, said:

For me, the responding hand is a clearly worth committing to at least a small slam holding ♣KQ. What kind of hand is partner bidding 5♣ with missing the ♣KQ. Of course, what kind of partner would jump to 5♣ after a 1 level response?

Yes, in imp I may bid 6
Other than 5C how does opener proceed, other than a manufactured 2D reverse? This is why I ask the question and the hand is still known as the BW Death hand.
I will ask a few of the 6/36 pairs who got to 6 how they did it

[mike777]

When it comes to the famous Bridge World death hand, which just stop publishing in December if you are looking to buy and publish a famous bridge name, just fake reverse, if you don't have a toy

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-February-15, 16:43, said:

Did you foresee this?

We did, as a consequence of last year's BB mixed pairs final
Now our Multirever can handle this and more.

jillybean, on 2026-February-15, 20:41, said:

---

P - 1♣
1♠ - 2♦(NAT or various strong hands)
2♥(positive) - 3♦ (5+♣, 3=♠)
3♠(FIT) - 4♣(CTL)
5♣(CTL,!♦,!♥,!even) - 6♠
P

West knows about the bombproof 9+ card clubs fit: I would stick to spades rather than raise clubs, but push to 5♣ to get the message across.
East knows we lose the first trick in hearts.

[jillybean]

2♦ Natural xx45 12-14? Perhaps gets too high for those once in a while death hands when we should be in 1nt
the rest of it is too much system for me at the moment

[mike777]

pescetom, on 2026-February-16, 09:16, said:

We did, as a consequence of last year's BB mixed pairs final
Now our Multirever can handle this and more.




P - 1♣
1♠ - 2♦(NAT or various strong hands)
2♥(positive) - 3♦ (5+♣, 3=♠)
3♠(FIT) - 4♣(CTL)
5♣(CTL,!♦,!♥,!even) - 6♠
P

West knows about the bombproof 9+ card clubs fit: I would stick to spades rather than raise clubs, but push to 5♣ to get the message across.
East knows we lose the first trick in hearts.

ooops, South forgot to open 2H, North might compete to six.

[jillybean]

mike777, on 2026-February-16, 09:37, said:

ooops, South forgot to open 2H, North might raise.

A little too weak for South to open 2H, even for me