TGIF June 2018: Scores
| 1. IMPs. N-S vul.
|
10 8 6 3
A Q J 9
A 3
K Q 7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 7
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 5
| 90
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: This month, the panel consist of 12 of the US Junior and Youth Bridge Teams. On this problem, none of them reach for the Pass card.
Zach Grossack: Dbl. Very close to 2NT, but feel like that could be very bad. I don't want to guess who holds the missing spade length. For now, I double and try to learn more and get to the best contract. Can't pass red at IMPs.
Brent Xiao: 2NT. There is no chance I'm passing! I don't exactly have a spade stopper, but 10 8 x x will likely do, and I will be very happy when partner bids Stayman.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2NT. Stoppers are for children.
Gustav Axen: 2NT. Stoppers are for wusses - hoping partner has one of the honors or West has a stiff honor or doubleton honors.
Christopher Diamond: Dbl. Not passing since that solves nothing. Who in the world wants to play 2NT hot at IMPs? If he shows values and not hearts, I'll bid 3NT.
Larry Meyer: 2NT. I only need pard to provide J to make this an honest bid.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2NT. Usually RHO doesn't have A K Q J x x for a 3rd seat nonvul preempt.
Hk Ho: Dbl. Game is possible if pard has a maximum pass and 4+ hearts. Hope partner has any spade honour for a NT game.
Chris Buchanan: 2NT. I almost have a stopper.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2NT. Hopefully partner's hand will support my weak points.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A J 9
A Q 10 6 3
---
Q 10 7 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1NT
|
Pass
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 3
| 100
|
|
3
| 3
| 100
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
Dbl
| 3
| 60
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: A lot of variation from the panel on this one. The panel are generally bidding to their own contract, hence the demotion of double in the scoring.
Kevin Rosenberg: 2. Partner might interpret double as a contextual penalty since we already tried to penalize the opponents. Some might say 2 is also risky because partner could conceivably interpret it as natural, but I think if partner passes, they get what they deserve. Plus I might make it.
Arthur Zhou: 3. It looks like the opponents have stumbled into at least an 8-card fit, so 2 doubled doesn't rate to be set more than one. Game is certainly possible for our side, but a partscore in clubs could also be the limit. Bidding 3 still puts 3NT in the picture, but allows partner to pass with a minimum.
Lucy Zhang: Dbl. Seems like the opponents don't have a good fit, and we want to punish them when partner has a diamond stack.
Michael Xu: 3. This hand is too distributional for a forcing pass, which will likely be followed by partner's penalty double of 2. 3 shows shortness, and partner must take that into consideration when deciding whether to bid notrump. I would expect double stoppers for him to bid notrump.
Ralph Buckley: 3. I have to tell partner that I have a strong hand. I thought of doubling the 2 bid, but partner might decide to leave it in.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. A free bid is enough; not quite enough for 3 as pard could have shaded values and didn't double 1NT.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Surprise! The opps weren't in a coma and found their likely 9-card fit. I'd like pass to be forcing, allowing him to bid his still possible 5-card spade suit (defaulting to a double otherwise). An area for discussion.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Let the opponents play this misfit.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. I have no good lead against 2 doubled, even if it is right.
Hk Ho: 2. Let pard know that your previous Pass was trapping with values and denied 4 spades.
Joel Forssell: Dbl. Take out.
Chris Buchanan: Dbl. Great time to have agreements with partner. I like double here as a heart trap with values and shortness in diamonds.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. Jumping to 3NT was my first impulse; via 3 will show I have a full value penalty-pass of 1. I must be lacking another stop: I didn't double diamonds, so partner should be able to bid 3NT if he has a good (double) stop.
|
| 3. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
J 10 6
K Q 10 8 7 5 4
K 9
7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1NT
| 6
| 100
|
|
2
| 4
| 80
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
4
| 1
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority favour a one-round forcing notrump.
Richard Jeng: 1NT. I'll content myself with bidding 1NT and probably bid 3 or 4 on subsequent action. I don't want to encourage partner too much with a 2/1 game-forcing response, and while I do have much playing strength, I have only three spades, and it seems likely that partner is marked with minor wastage.
Oren Kriegel: 2. It's hard to know how much potential this hand has, so I'll bid my long suit and see where it goes.
Gustav Axen: 2. If partner can't make a game try we are probably high enough.
Christopher Diamond: 2. Standard expert answer. 7 cards suits are...? When he bids the inevitable 3, I will glare at those experts and ask for an answer. They'll probably tell me I should have bid 1NT with my seven bagger and support. Beginning to think transfers are more useful.
Larry Meyer: 2. Planning to get to 4, but show my heart suit along the way.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. I'm willing to commit to game, but it might still be in hearts.
Hk Ho: 1NT. Forcing. Plan to raise spades if pard rebids 2, or jump to 3 if pard rebids a minor.
Chris Buchanan: 2. What I lack in values I gain in playing strength.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. Show the trick-source first, then support spades. This hand is too strong for 1NT.
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
K
A J 10 6 4 3
A K Q 10
9 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 6
| 100
|
|
2
| 4
| 80
|
|
2
| 1
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 70
|
|
2
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The majority revalue their K as a working value and jump shift.
Cornelius Duffie: 3. I show my second suit and my extras. Maybe 2 will score better in the contest, but making nebulous bids like that makes me a bit uncomfortable.
Brent Xiao: 2. . . should be game forcing and it lets partner describe his hand further. Unless partner mentions a diamond suit, I will simply rebid hearts on my next turn, and we should be able to find our best contract from there.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Yes it's an underbid, but I want to leave pard room for a rebid, hopefully a 2 preference which I will raise to game.
Gustav Axen: 2. Still trying for the best fit.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Agreements? Going to have to read this system sometime.
Larry Meyer: 2. Cue bid the opponent's suit to let pard know we are headed to at least game.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. Good 6-4 hands get to show their second suit.
Hk Ho: 2. Let pard know that you have 2 suits, but not the right shape for Michaels. Pard's 1 might be 6-7 HCP, with poor heart support.
Chris Buchanan: 2. I like to show the 4-card diamond suit before the 6th heart with good hands.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. Don't want to take up too much room, but trying to sound positive. Is this forcing? I hope so.
|
| 5. IMPs. None vul.
| |
K 9 8 6 5 4 3 2
A
10 8 6
A
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 6
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 90
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: By the narrowest margin, an invitational 3 wins the popular vote.
William Zhu: 3. 4 is too much and 2 is too little.
Arjun Dhir: 4. With so many controls and this much distribution, I think 4 looks right at IMPs. 2 is an underbid and 3 shows more playing strength, so I think 4 is the perfect way to bid 2.5 spades!
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Silly made up problem. Playing pard for - K Q 10 x x x x x K Q 10 x x. Hope to get out for down 1.
Gustav Axen: 3. I'd like to have better spades but 8-card suit is enough to invite.
Christopher Diamond: 3. I should likely bid 2 or 4 since he'll never know what I need. But that can't be right these days, especially in a bidding contest. Blame transfers are all the rage. Most might be in a sarcastic mood this month.
Larry Meyer: 4. Sounds like pard has a doubleton spade, so bid to the level of the fit.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. Unless there is a way to make a help suit game try in diamonds, I don't see a reasonable alternative.
Hk Ho: 2. A minimum opening. Game is unlikely if pard can't raise 2 to 3. Hope pard doesn't have too much wasted values in hearts and clubs.
Chris Buchanan: 2. 8-card suit but ugh! I need help from partner for game.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. 8-card suit should probably be trumps.
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