TGIF January 2016: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. Both vul.
|
Q 8 6 5 4
A 9 3
6
K J 7 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
2
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 6
| 100
|
|
3
| 3
| 80
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
4
| 1
| 70
|
|
5
| 1
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Why bother to drag out the moth-eaten five-card spade suit with zero controls when partner is sitting over there with a fistful of clubs and hearts - other than the fact that it's forcing?
Larry Cohen: 2. This hand has way too much potential to retreat to 3. I plan to raise hearts next to complete my pattern. We could easily have a slam - picture partner's hand: x K Q x x A x A 10 x x x x.
Roger Lee: 3. The opponents' silence indicates partner likely has few diamonds and short spades, so 4 is just an underbid where partner won't evaluate correctly. I'm never playing 3NT with a hand like this, and if partner makes a strong move over 3, we could have a slam.
Steve Robinson: 4. This figures to be a good-fitting hand, so I want to be in 5 unless partner has a real dog, x x K Q J x x x A Q 10 9 x, for instance.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Very tough. I'd like to suggest both 4 and 5, but I'm not strong enough to force game.
Eugene Chan: 3. 2 cue bid followed by 2 suggests a much better hand and better spade suit. I am not optimistic on a potential heart game in a Moysian. Take the plus in a club partial.
Stephen Vincent: 3. This hand is looking rather good. 6 is not out of the question.
Chris Diamond: 3. Assuming the cuebid showed clubs, I'll suggest hearts as an alternative. A Moysian might play fine if pard has a spade card and there might be no game if he doesn't.
Larry Meyer: 4. I have about 13 support points with most of my honors well placed, so invite game.
Plarq Liu: 3. No point bidding spades since North has 5+ clubs and 4 hearts.
Gareth Birdsall: 2. 3 on the first round would have described rather more of my hand.
Amiram Millet: 5. Where we live.
Kf Tung: 2. Natural, forward going. If partner does not quit at 3 then you have a game.
Perry Khakhar: 3. Sounds like partner is fishing for a diamond stopper. But since Moysian heart game is reasonable, I am going to raise.
|
| 2. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
Q
Q 10 9 5
4 2
K J 10 7 5 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
| |
|
3
|
4
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 6
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
5
| 3
| 80
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 50
|
|
6
| 2
| 50
|
|
Moderator: What's 4 by partner? Clearly it's a good hand, but do they have hearts or not?
Don Stack: 4. There should be no doubt that partner is showing hearts with the 4 cuebid. The question should be, do we went to make a slam try by bidding something other than 4? The hand has no aces, so let's keep it at the four level.
Daniel Korbel: 4NT. It's revolting to use Blackwood without any key cards, but what can partner have except key cards? Because I have the Q, he cannot respond 5, and if he shows 3, I can sign off in 5 and hope for the best.
Kerri Sanborn: 6. Partner has a really good hand. There is no reason to play in a major. Where are my losers facing a game force?
The Sutherlins: 4. . . hoping to hear 4NT - Roman Key Card Blackwood - from partner. Hard to imagine he doesn't have at least three of the five key cards. A key card inquiry should be safe at this level.
August Boehm: 5. There is some ambiguity about whether 5 shows support or a control. It is, however, an unambiguous slam try, begging for a diamond control.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. If partner has 4 key cards and a singleton diamond then we are on for slam.
Eugene Chan: 4. Where are all the spades? No slam available unless partner has a monster 4414. I would have preferred 3 pre-emptive rather than bid 1 in the first place.
Stephen Vincent: 4NT. Trot out the old Blackwood.
Chris Diamond: 4. Spades have disappeared which makes me think pard has them. So he might have shortish clubs. With no diamond control I'll settle for game.
Larry Meyer: 4. I have no controls to speak of, so I do not want to suggest going past game.
Plarq Liu: 5. Prefer clubs over hearts.
Amiram Millet: 5. Suggesting not looking for more.
Kf Tung: 5. Now partner will know what to do if they insist with 5.
Norman Tucker: Pass. Why didn't I bid 3 straight away?
Perry Khakhar: 4. Where are the spades? Pard has forced me to 4 with what may be a random 6 count. I can do no less than cue bid the spade control. No RKC due to 2 quick diamond losers. 6 is a better alternative if you think diamonds less than 2 losers.
|
| 3. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
---
A J 10 6 4 3
Q J 10 2
A K 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 4
| 100
|
|
5
| 4
| 100
|
|
2
| 2
| 70
|
|
2
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 70
|
|
4
| 0
| 70
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Where's the boss suit?
Mike Lawrence: 3. Typically I have four clubs for this splinter, but partner rates to have a better than normal suit. Facing: 8 7 5 4 2 K 4 Q 10 9 8 7 4, we have a fair play for slam.
Barry Rigal: 2. Spades are just about to be bid in large numbers on my left. I'm preparing for the five level. I want to get all the suits into play.
Jill Meyers: 5. I don't necessarily think I can make 5, but it puts my LHO - who must have a lot of spades - under pressure. Because where are the spades on this hand?
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. It is entirely possible that confirming a fit will push the opponents into a good 4, but in practice the panel rarely masterminds in competitive auctions.
Eugene Chan: 3. Expect partner to be weakish with long clubs. Simple raise should suffice.
Chris Diamond: 2. Could be really bad if he passes, but as Al Roth used to say...
Larry Meyer: 3. Pard must have nice clubs to show them over the double, so support with support.
Plarq Liu: 2. Looking for fits.
Amiram Millet: 5. Before they find a spade fit.
Kf Tung: Pass. Clubs is your right strain. Partscore is your right level.
Norman Tucker: 3. That's where I see game; clubs a second choice if partner goes there.
Perry Khakhar: 2. The question is where to play and where are all the spades? Possibly the doubler has a a 'double and bid' spade suit. 2 will discover if partner has a heart preference available, in which case 4 is good. And if partner has a stiff heart, 5 seems unbeatable.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
8 7 4 3
K 7
9 6 5 4
A K 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
|
Dbl
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Dbl
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Rdbl
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 4
| 80
|
|
Pass
| 4
| 80
|
|
3
| 0
| 60
|
|
2
| 0
| 50
|
|
Moderator: The majority of the panel whip out the classic big blue.
Mel Colchamiro: Pass. Partner might have only 3 diamonds, and West might be getting ready to pass, so I'm not going to redouble.
Roger Lee: 2. There's an argument that this shows mildly invitational values. Whatever it is, we have to offer 2 as a matchpoint sweet spot because it's likely to outscore or break even with diamonds.
Allan Falk: Rdbl. It's tempting to bid 2 here because of the matchpoint angle, but partner is going to get tapped in spades, and hearts are probably not breaking. I prefer to tell partner I have a decent hand and perhaps he will be able to place the contract.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. East's double looks ominous, but West might still pull with K x or a lack of nerve.
Eugene Chan: Pass. Good chance auction will die here. Happy to go plus.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Hard to see where everyone is getting their bids.
Chris Diamond: 2. Slight underbid but heading to the most likely game.
Larry Meyer: Pass. I am happy to rest at the 2-level in our 4-4 trump fit.
Plarq Liu: Rdbl. I think I have better than minimum.
Amiram Millet: 3. Better than 3 even at MP.
Kf Tung: Rdbl. Now partner knows that your side can consider something better than +110.
Norman Tucker: Rdbl. We have a fit and enough HCP; may even make valuable overtricks.
Perry Khakhar: Rdbl. We are not likely to play here (too bad!) but I love the values in my hand. Heart game is quite possible but show values first.
|
| 5. IMPs. None vul.
| |
K Q 2
3 2
K Q 2
9 8 7 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1NT
(1)
| |
|
Pass
|
2
(2)
|
Dbl
| ? |
| (1) Forcing, one round.
| | (2) At least three clubs.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 7
| 100
|
|
Rdbl
| 4
| 80
|
|
2
| 2
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: The majority see the notrump stoppers and show them to partner.
Mel Colchamiro: Rdbl. We have clubs. We have a maximum with great defense versus spades or diamonds. We have a blue card.
Barry Rigal: 2. . . a club raise with high cards. It's too much effort to try to penalize them here, so let's raise our best suit and hope we don't run into a 5-0 break!
The Sutherlins: 2NT. Our most likely game is 3NT. Because we need partner to have extras to make 3NT, we're just inviting.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2NT. This is a pushy invite since partner will be weak in at least 1 side suit.
Eugene Chan: 3. Lousy trump suit but who cares. Nobody is vulnerable.
Stephen Vincent: Rdbl. Hopefully partner won't misinterpret this: it can hardly be for rescue on the auction.
Chris Diamond: Rdbl. Maybe 2N after this shows this hand.
Larry Meyer: Pass. I am happy to rest at the 2-level in our 5-3 trump fit.
Plarq Liu: Rdbl. Better than minimum.
David Gordon: 3. Tempted to Rdbl. I will raise and bring out all my Dbl cards, preparing to hammer.
Amiram Millet: Pass. I'm not going to the three level with this hand.
Kf Tung: 3. Exactly 3235 and exactly 10 points.
Norman Tucker: Rdbl. Same logic as question 4.
Perry Khakhar: Rdbl. Repetitious, I know! Clearly, I would love to play here (not happening), but really I want to show my values for possible 3NT.
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