Your questions

How to bid this hand?

Q tony 1603Tony asked: How would you bid this hand?

Derrick responded:

After opening 1C and hearing a 1S response, North has an awkward rebid: the hand is too weak for a 2H reverse, and 2C with a moderate 5-card suit is hardly ideal, though perhaps the classic “textbook” rebid. Yes, nowadays many are prepared to make an off-shape NT rebid with two doubletons, though two small in the one partner did not bid is not attractive.

If you do rebid 1NT, then I like 4NT quantitative, asking North to bid 6NT with 14 or pass with 12 points. This hand, with 13 HCP plus a 5-card suit and a chunky 4-carder would go on, either a bold 6NT or a tentative 5NT putting the question back to partner. You might have this auction:

1C   : 1S
1NT : 4NT
6NT

As noted above, this is not the “correct” auction, it is one possibility. It reaches a pretty decent slam. On the normal 3-2 club break, you need either the club finesse or some other good news, probably the heart finesse.