1. One spade. Your spades are admittedly weak, but there are other factors to consider besides the strength of the suit. You can’t bid two diamonds because that would promise 10 or more points, and you can’t bid one notrump because you might miss a spade fit.

The one-spade response allows a spade fit to be found and also makes it possible to play the hand in one notrump if that is partner’s next bid. One spade promises no more than six points, though it might, of course, be based on many more.

2. Four spades. This is clearly the most descriptive bid you can make. It indicates a hand with which you might have opened four spades preemptively as dealer and thus has a completely different meaning than two spades, which would be a jump-shift implying a possible slam.

Four spades also gives partner the best picture of what might be needed to make a slam if he happens to have a hand containing sufficient strength in the other three suits.

3. Two diamonds. Here the problem is how to deal with a hand too good for one notrump or two hearts, which would indicate six to 10 points, and not good enough for two notrump, which would show enough points for game, or three hearts, which would promise better hearts.

When confronted by this problem, it is necessary to bid a side suit first, intending to follow partner’s assumed minimum rebid with a further bid that invites, but does not commit, the partnership to game.

4. Two hearts. It is far better to raise partner at once than to misrepresent your strength by responding with two clubs. The heart raise shows six to 10 points, which is exactly what you have. A two-club bid followed by a raise in hearts at your next turn would imply more in the way of points than you have — as in the preceding problem. Whenever possible, it is best to limit yourself to a specific point-count range at once and let partner carry on from there.

Tomorrow: The vanishing trick.