TGIF January 2008: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
|
J
A K 10 9 6 5
7 4
A Q J 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 9
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
5NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
5
| 2
| 50
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 20
|
|
6
| 0
| 10
|
|
Moderator: Partner's rebid shows a solid six- or seven-card diamond suit and extra values. You know that you are a heavy favorite to make at least a small slam, perhaps even a grand. Nine members of the panel simply raise partner to 4. This sets trumps and is forcing. Because it is not clear what bid is ace-asking, it is a practical approach.
Allan Falk: 4. This is an easy problem. 4 is a cuebid in support of partner's long, solid diamonds and side stoppers. If partner can give me 4, I'll bid 7. I can't risk 4NT, which might be taken as something other than Blackwood, stopping short of 6 or 6NT.
The Stansbys: 4. The issue here is how does one bid Blackwood? A direct raise of the natural 3NT to 4NT would be quantitative. We hope (over 4) partner will cuebid 4 and we can follow with 4NT as keycard.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Opposite partner's strong hand with solid or semi-solid diamonds, 6 looks almost certain and 7 possible. I want to RKC in D on this hand and will start with 4. Over 4 I can bid 4NT: if partner makes a discouraging bid I'll just bid 6.
Craig T. Wilson: 4. Gerber looking for a grand slam.
Peg Mcshane: 4. I want to know if we have 6.
David Walker: 4. Start Q bidding.
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. Envision longish diamonds and good hand with short hearts. Will set suit and hopefully 4NT next is Key Card as we may have laydown grand. If not able to BW, will probably settle for 6NT. All choices ambiguous since I don't know our system.
Bonny Lee: 4. I'll go to 6 if partner raises to five.
Jongseok Oh: 4. Show 4 cards in club and A at the same time.
Larry Meyer: 6NT. Jump to final contract without giving any extra information to opponents.
Veronica Peacock: 4. I have extra so bid 4 Gerber to find out the lay of the land.
Dave Waterman: 4. Probably, a bash to 6 would be just as effective. I am going to get to slam.
Mike Roberts: 4. If partner has three keycards, 7 should be good. If not, play 6NT. 4NT should be RKC, but this makes it clearer.
Perry Khakhar: 4. Forward going. Clearly partner has shown a solid 7 bagger in Diamonds. The question is whether 6 or 7 make. Playing with my regular partners, this would be Key card inquiry.
Bob Todd: 4. Partner should have solid diamonds and values outside hearts. Will try for 7.
Paul Mcmullin: 4. (or whatever is gerber...) as long as he has the A with his 'solid diamonds', we should make 7NT - 6 diamonds, 4 clubs, two hearts and a spade.
Chris Diamond: 4. I wish 4 was RKC. 4 BW and then 6 or higher depending on responses.
Brian Zietman: 6. I do not like partner's bid of 3NT at all! Surely 1 would be forcing if he had 4 spades and 2NT would adequately describe 18-19. Maybe he has 20 points and 4144 and not strong enough to open 2. I am blasting with 6 - maybe 7 is on who knows?
|
| 2. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A K J 10
Q 9 6
A 9 7 5 4
J
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
Pass
|
1NT
(1)
|
Pass
| |
|
2
(2)
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) One-round force.
| | (2) Three or more clubs.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 15
| 100
|
|
2
| 2
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 40
|
|
Moderator: Most of the panel doubled. Passing is considered too timid, and 2 rules out other options. They felt that double is the flexible bid: it gives your side a chance to collect a penalty or play in two suits.
Allan Falk: Dbl. I can't go quietly. If I double, there is a fair chance it will go all pass and we'll be plus a zillion. If North happens to try 2, it won't be the end of the world.
The Stansbys: Dbl. Pass is out of the question and 3 is too unilateral. Even a 4-3 heart fit rates to play well with aces and a singleton.
Julien Levesque: 2. Enough said, we have tolerance for hearts, partner rates to be short in spades with holding in either red suits with 3/4 clubs, most likely has a 2-4-[3/4]-[4/3] and from the auction 8-11 hcp.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
Peg Mcshane: 2. Can't let them off so lightly.
David Walker: 2. Got to do something.
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. Too dangerous to bid. My good spades make this hand bad for both offense and defense. I give up.
Bonny Lee: Dbl. Hand is too good to pass; suit is not good enough to bid 2.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Either pard has long clubs and can pass for penalty, or else he can take out to a red suit.
Dave Waterman: Dbl. My hand is not nearly as good as it looks, but this is still better than 2.
Mike Roberts: 2. Minority vote, but it's going to be a lot harder to defend with this spade suit concealed.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. The most flexible bid. Might catch partner with a trump stack or 5 card weak Heart suit.
Paul Hardy: 2. If you double, you may end up in your 4-3 heart fit instead of your 5-3 diamond fit. If pard has hearts, he should bid 'em.
Paul Mcmullin: Dbl. 2 in a 4-3 fit is tolerable with my quick tricks and ruffing value.
Chris Diamond: Dbl. Gets hearts in the picture and even a penalty pass.
Brian Zietman: Dbl. Maybe partner has a club stack and can pass this double. If not he can take out in diamonds or hearts and I am happy.
|
| 3. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A 9 6 3 2
---
K Q 10 9 5 4
A Q
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
2
| |
|
Dbl
(1)
|
3
|
3
| ? |
| (1) Negative.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 7
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 90
|
|
5
| 5
| 80
|
|
4
| 2
| 70
|
|
6
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: Twelve experts cuebid---they weren't willing to settle for game. With first round control in all three side suits, however, there is a choice of cuebids.
The Stansbys: 3. Let's see if partner can show any signs of life. There are a lot of hands with no losers, but not enough winners on a trump lead. If they bid 4 and partner doubles, we will defend.
Julien Levesque: 4. What do we need to make 6?
Stephen Vincent: 5. 6 could be on but dummy's trumps will probably have too much work to do.
David Walker: 5. Will probably lose a couple of spades.
Aidan Ballantyne: 5. Doubt we have slam so I will apply pressure. If auction continues I will likely defend doubled.
Bonny Lee: 3. My second suit.
Jongseok Oh: 5. 4 is a little bit weak.
Larry Meyer: 5. Looks like a good cross ruffing hand, with club finesse likely to work.
Dave Waterman: 4. The problem with 4 is - will partner know when he has a good hand? Still the best bid.
Mike Roberts: 5. I just don't think 6 will be a good and biddable contract, no matter what I do. I'll bid what I think I can make.
Perry Khakhar: 3. They have bid 2 suits, so my 3 shows a stopper. I am a little worried that partner may not have much (lack of cue bid). However, we are probably going to have to sacrifice any how. So let us get more info from partner.
Bob Todd: 3. Either 3 or 4 could work.. if we defend I may want clubs led back.
Paul Mcmullin: 5. 60 point deck - too risky to double and let partner convert; west is probably 1 5 1 6.
Chris Diamond: 3. Could be a slam on as little as Axxx of diamonds and Kxx of clubs. If pard doesn't cue hearts I'll Blackwood.
Brian Zietman: 5. I'd love to write 750 for 5 doubled. Even better will be 800 or 1100 for 5 of either major doubled.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
A J 10 7
4
6 4
A 10 9 8 5 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
2
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Michaels cuebid.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 9
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 8
| 90
|
|
3
| 0
| 40
|
|
4
| 1
| 30
|
|
Moderator: What do responses mean after a Michaels cuebid? If you bid 2NT, that asks for partner's minor, but is it forward going? Is 3 pass or correct, or does it show clubs?
Allan Falk: 3. In SAYC, there's probably no known default here. 2NT might be 'What's your minor?' or 'I have at least invitational values for one of your suits.' Both methods are playable. It would be nice if 3 were to play if partner could stand it.
The Stansbys: 2NT. ... and pass the likely 3 response.
Julien Levesque: 2NT. ... just in case pard has the miracle Club suit. If not 3NT just may have a play: if we make 9 tricks in diamonds we'll make 9 in NT.
Craig T. Wilson: 2NT. will bid 3NT after 3.
David Walker: 3NT. Worth a shot.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3NT. Slight overbid, but pard should have a good hand at these colors, with red suit finesses likely to work. Not sure what 2NT vs 3 means anyway.
Bonny Lee: Pass. Not interested in partner's suits.
Larry Meyer: 3. Keep it low. Seems like pard has the reds and we have a misfit.
Veronica Peacock: 3. ... denying hearts. Would bid 2NT to ask which minor suit.
Dave Waterman: 3. I think this is better than 2NT - somehow it makes it more likely that the opposition will bid again.
Mike Roberts: 2NT. I think that 3m immediately is a signoff, not pass or correct. I don't think this is good enough for 3, and I'll just bite the bullet.
Perry Khakhar: 2NT. What is the big issue? Play in partner's minor, even if it is Diamonds. At least you are going to provide some timing with your hand.
Bob Todd: 3. My clubs are good and I may get red suit pitches.
Paul Mcmullin: 3. This isn't going to be pretty.
Chris Diamond: 3. Does 3 offer to play and 2NT ask?
Brian Zietman: 3. Partner shows hearts and a minor. If the minor is diamonds we will probably be best off in 3. If it is clubs then 5 may be on. Partner must understand why I did not bid 2NT.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A 10 8 5
7 4
A 9 5 3
A Q 7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
2
(1)
|
3
| ? |
| (1) Limit raise or better in diamonds.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 12
| 100
|
|
3
| 2
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 4
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 10
|
|
5
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: You have an attractive 14-count with prime cards and a ruffing value. The opponents have taken up bidding room---a flexible double is the answer.
The Stansbys: Dbl. This should show a hand with extra values and a defensive orientation. Partner should sit for it with K 9 2 8 5 K J 8 7 4 K 5 4, but pull with a singleton heart.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. It's our hand partner!
David Walker: Dbl. Hoping for 200 points and a good score.
Aidan Ballantyne: Dbl. Co-op, says it's our hand and or we're in game zone, need to force the issue.
Bonny Lee: Dbl. Ready for anything partner bids including pass.
Larry Meyer: Pass. I don't think we can make 4. Why bid on and risk the potential plus we already have?
Dave Waterman: Dbl. This would be a problem at IMPs, but not with the opponents vulnerable at matchpoints.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. Matchpoints is a crazy game.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. I plan on passing partner's re-opening double. It is not clear from your side that 3NT will make, so go for 200 or 500.
Paul Mcmullin: Dbl. If partner converts, he better lead a heart.
Chris Diamond: Pass. A good minimum but nowhere to go. Will probably pass pard's X.
Brian Zietman: Pass. If he has stoppers in hearts the lead in NT must come round to partner. I have shown partner my opening now it is up to him to decide where we end up.
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