| South (You) | West | North (Your Partner) | East |
| 1♥ | Pass | 2♣ | 2♦ |
| 3♣ | 3♦ | 4♥ | Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
After your opening 1♥ bid, West passes and your partner (North) bids 2♣. East joins in with a bid of 2♦, a bid that is higher than 2♣. When it’s your turn to bid again, you show support for your partner’s clubs by bidding 3♣. Then West comes to life and supports East’s diamonds by bidding 3♦. Your partner (don’t forget your partner) chimes in with 4♥, a bid that silences everybody. Both East and West decide to pass, just as they would at an auction when the bidding gets too rich for their blood.
It has been a somewhat lively auction, and your side has bought the contract with your partner’s 4♥ bid, which means you need to take ten tricks to make your contract. (Remember, a book — six tricks — is automatically added to the bid.) If you don’t make your contract, the opponents score penalty points and you get zilch. The final contract of 4♥ also designates hearts as the trump suit.
Keep in mind the following points about the bidding sequence:
- Each bid made is higher ranking than the previous bid.
- A player can pass on the first round and bid later (as West did), or a player can bid on the first round and pass later (as East did).
- After a bid has been made and three players in a row pass, the bidding is over.