TGIF April 2017: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
|
A K 8 7
A 7
Q 8 7 5 3 2
A
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 5
| 80
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: Congratulations to local yokel Martin Henneberger who won the ACBL-Wide version of this contest. He is part of the Expert Panel for the next three months.
Larry Cohen: 3. The suit is horrible, but at least partner will know I have a good hand with four spades and six-plus diamonds. We could easily belong in 5 opposite something like: x x K Q x x K x x J x x x.
Jill Meyers: 2NT. My diamonds are too tepid to bid a game or to bid 3. I have the strength for a 3 bid, but such poor suit quality.
Martin Henneberger: 3. Although I would like to have a better suit for this action, 3 gets across the shape and strength of the hand. Hopefully partner can better gauge where the contract belongs than over a general strength-showing 2NT.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. This looks like a potential 1 or 4 hand in NT, so choose the safer invitational option.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Looks like a misfit with my long suit being quite ragged, so stay low and collect the extra 10 points for being in NT.
Hk Ho: 3. . . to tell partner that you have a good hand with diamond length. Hope he has something like x x K Q x x A K x J T x x to start investigating for slam.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. The usual idea, if diamonds are friendly we make 3, if not we make nothing.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Shows the strength and distribution, if overstating the quality of the diamond suit. Two out of three is not so bad.
Plarq Liu: 3. With HCP and diamond length.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2NT. I'm not too enthusiastic, but I think my hand is too strong not to invite.
Norm Tucker: 3. If partner has 9 HCP and some clubs she will bid NT game.
David Gordon: 3. Highly invitational.
Beverley Candlish: 3. Partner, do you have a club stopper?
Kf Tung: 3. Tell partner that +110 is there and you may get +140 or +600 if he has the right hand.
Timothy Wright: 3. 5 or 3NT could be on opposite the right minimum, but which minimum partner has is hard to tell yet.
Perry Khakhar: 2. Under protest! Why would I not have bid 2 last time? That would show 4 LTC, and longer diamonds than spades! Surprise, that is what I have.
Peter Qvist: 2NT. I didn't bid NT before. I don't jump in diamonds or hearts. Pard knows I have a weak 6 card diamond suit, and knows what to do.
|
| 2. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
J 3
K Q 8 7 6 2
Q 10 3
K J
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
| |
|
3
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 70
|
|
5
| 1
| 50
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Bridge Bulletin Standard plays support doubles only through 2, so partner doesn't necessarily hold three hearts for his double.
Mel Colchamiro: 4. I'm assuming partner has at most one diamond and that he has extras, at a minimum, something like: A K x J x x x A Q x x x x. Of course he could have the A instead of the jack, so slam's not out of the question.
Sylvia Shi: 4. I have a great hand opposite that singleton diamond partner probably has. I do need him to have at least three aces, so if he bids 4, I will pass. I expect his next call will most likely be 5NT pick-a-slam.
Martin Henneberger: 4. Partner's double indicates a good hand with no clear direction. Although 4 feels like a slight underbid, I just can't justify a stronger action.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. The best of a bad lot. I'd be tempted to pass the double at MPs.
Anssi Rantamaa: 3. Fourth suit forcing.
Larry Meyer: 4. Playing pard for extras and heart tolerance, so bid the safest game.
Hk Ho: 4. Opening hand faces opening hand, game should be reached. North must be short in diamonds. Hope his hand is K x x x A x x x A Q x x x which is not good for 3NT, if West has K J x x, very likely.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Support double. Hoping for a stiff diamond opposite.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Partner, with marked diamond shortage, must have heart tolerance.
Craig T. Wilson: 4. If North's double is a support double, I bid 4. If they are doubling for spades, I bid 3.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. Fast arrival. Playable opposite the short diamonds and values that partner promises.
Norm Tucker: 3. No other option but to describe my shape and 10+.
David Gordon: 4. Partner is short in diamonds. Therefore if partner is 1-1 in diamonds and hearts they would not have doubled. They would have bid.
Kf Tung: 4. Partner will move on to a slam with a strong hand or good controls.
Timothy Wright: 3. This can't be a pure penalty double. Better to suggest game, then try 3NT if partner ventures 3.
Perry Khakhar: 4. Partner must be 4-2 in the majors, and 1-6 or 2-5 in the minors. 4 should play well whereas 3NT with my tenuous stopper may not.
Peter Qvist: 4. Pard is probably 4216.
|
| 3. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
Q J 3
J 3 2
J 5 4
A K 6 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 7
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 6
| 90
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: More than half of the panel take out partner's double - a sensible course of action advocated by none other than Edgar Kaplan.
Barry Rigal: Pass. . . and lead a trump. If I can kill a ruff in dummy, I do not see where their tricks are coming from, but it is easier on paper where minus 670 doesn't sting nearly as much.
Geoff Hampson: 4. I don't expect to defeat 3, and I have no idea which major might be better, so I will play in my longest suit.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. I usually try to avoid disaster with these types of decisions, but this hand has disaster written all over it. Being on lead with an ace-king sways me in favour of passing. I'm not so sure I'd have the same courage at the table.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Not willing to go a level higher to locate the best fit.
Larry Meyer: 4. Asking pard to pick his better major.
Hk Ho: 3. It's IMPs. Why doesn't partner pass to let E/W collect 110? I can only hope that he has A K x x x K x x x x x x x, making my Q J useful for reverse dummy play to take 9 tricks.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Ugly, not at all surprised if they make this.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Partner has chosen the wrong time to balance. It's just too risky to leave this in.
Plarq Liu: Pass. We will not make 3NT in this case. Hope for the best.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. Not happy, but passing risks a doubled contract for E/W; never a good score (nor is my expected -200).
David Gordon: 4. Partner can not have both major suit aces and a king. Therefore 3 likely makes.
Beverley Candlish: 4. Pick a major!
Kf Tung: Pass. Partner has shortness in diamonds but his hand is not good enough for an opening bid. Collect +200 or+500 and thank him for the double!
Timothy Wright: Pass. I hope they do the same thing at the other table (or they don't and partner has A x x x A x x x Q x x x x).
Perry Khakhar: 4. Ouch! If you play partner for the classic 4414 passed hand, then 4 is where we want to play. The values in my hand have already been bid. No Moysian feels worth playing.
Peter Qvist: 4. A little weak but West will have the missing HP.
|
| 4. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
Q J 6 5
Q 10 9 8 7 6 5
A 2
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
1NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 80
|
|
3
| 2
| 70
|
|
Moderator: The popular vote is for a simple 2.
Daniel Korbel: 4. Let's make life as difficult as possible for LHO. My partner bid freely, so he should have a little something. I would have opened 4. Is that sick?
Kerri Sanborn: 2. With the double on my left, the spade suit looks iffy. Even with a decent hand opposite, I have five losers, and partner almost always has club values.
Martin Henneberger: 2. With a broken suit and minimum values, this seems a straightforward 2 rebid.
August Boehm: 3. I think partner's 1NT vulnerable at IMPs should contain heart tolerance. Holding a 4-4-4-1 misfit, he can bid 1 or pass and be happy to defend. If partner might bid 1NT on a misfit, 2 would be enough.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. 7-card suits should probably be bid a second time.
Larry Meyer: 2. Pard chose not to bid spades, so tell him about my minimum hand and my long hearts.
Hk Ho: 2. What else? His 1NT does not show much. We would be home if he has no wastage in clubs.
Christopher Diamond: 2. Seems like enough since 3 seems to be a relay to 4 at IMPs vulnerable these days.
Stephen Vincent: 2. The odds are against partner having some kind of magic hand.
Plarq Liu: 2. I hope my partner would not blame my reverse.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. Let's go quietly. I get why I opened.
Norm Tucker: 2. Why didn't I bid 3 on the first round?
David Gordon: 2. 1NT denies 4 spades. Therefore just rebid hearts.
Kf Tung: 2. To play, to play, to play.
Timothy Wright: 2. That's what I get for opening this--partner is taking me seriously.
Perry Khakhar: 2. Vulnerable 1st seat 1, wow! You can practically see the big hand with West. As badly as I want out of this auction, the least harm is 2. Anything else, including pass, are really bad.
Peter Qvist: 3. 5 losers, but missing HP.
|
| 5. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A Q 9 2
A K Q 9 5 2
K 6
3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
Rdbl
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 6
| 90
|
|
3
| 3
| 70
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The plurality of the panel are game to go along with partner's suggestion to reap a penalty. They start with pass.
Josh Donn: 3. Who knows what 3 really means, but at least it shows a good hand without insisting on any strain. I thought of passing in case partner can double. That's great if he has five clubs, but probably not a big enough number if he has only four.
Roger Lee: Pass. I would expect this to be down three or four if partner chooses to double, and if not, we will probe for slam.
Mike Lawrence: 2. This is a good hand that needs to show more than 'just a good hand with hearts'. I'm not interested in defending 2 doubled. If I bid 2 and they bid 3, I can accept partner's double because I have shown my hand.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. Because bidding in front of partner would normally show a shapely minimum unsuitable for defense, I can confidently pass now with the knowledge that it is forcing.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. We're not going to get rich defending 2 doubled. See if we can elicit a preference from partner.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Pard knows that this is our hand - he can't pass. Maybe he wants a chance to double.
Hk Ho: Pass. North's Rdbl promises a bid. If he doubles 2, hope to set it 3 tricks. If North takes out to diamonds or spades, bid 4.
Christopher Diamond: 2. Don't see any reason 2 should still not be a strong bid here.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Forcing, needless to say.
Plarq Liu: 4. Splinter happy.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. Bidding now would deny strength. Depending on what happens I can always bid more showing a good hand.
Norm Tucker: 4. Why mess around?
David Gordon: 2. Continue with 3 to show your good hand.
Kf Tung: 3. Good hand, good hearts, and partner can almost guess your stiff club!
Timothy Wright: 3. On this hand, I'm glad partner took me seriously.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. This is a really good advertisement for why we play Rdbl showing values! About to convert 400 into 1100! Giddyap!
Peter Qvist: 3. It would be great if North doesn't have a club stopper.
Bob Todd: Pass. Will bid 2 next not giving up on slam.
|
|
