TGIF December 2018: Scores
| 1. IMPs. E-W vul.
|
9 5
Q 2
A K J 8 4 2
Q 10 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 9
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 70
|
|
3NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority of the panel double, trying to keep 3NT in the picture.
Zach Grossack: 4. Who is this annoyance on my right? I wish I could punish them. I must show my hand, however, and it lives as a game-forcing hand with diamonds. Partner can still bid 4NT naturally, otherwise we'll play five of a minor and probably go down.
Larry Cohen: Dbl. Marty Bergen calls this a 'thrump double', with 'thrump' an abbreviation for 3NT - which is what partner should bid with hearts stopped, even holding four spades. Of course, if partner disappoints me as usual and doesn't bid 3NT, I can retreat to diamonds.
Mike Lawrence: 3NT. . . a popular guess, 4 is appealing, but it will often result in some minor-suit contract going down. I'd rather go down in a contract that's worth something if I make it. Worth noting is that a high-level minor-suit contract may be doubled . . . down three in 3NT is better than down two doubled elsewhere.
Robert Sauve: Dbl. Will correct 3 to 4.
David Waterman: 3NT. Now or never.
Christopher Diamond: 4. 3NT for the brave but the colours suggest they're likely to have a running suit or an entry. Pass could be right hoping for a reopening.
Larry Meyer: 4. It is our hand, so I am bidding my good 6-card suit.
Eugene Chan: Pass. East's red vs white 3 preempt is highly suspicious, especially at IMPs. If partner reopens with a double, jump to 5.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. At least it's forcing, but I will correct to 5 after this.
Allan Simon: 4. Nightmarish. I admire the 3NT bidders.
Kf Tung: 4. Good hand, good diamonds, not interested in 3N or 4. Therefore you must have some club support.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
J 8 7 2
Q J 10 9 7 2
A
7 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 7
| 100
|
|
3
| 4
| 80
|
|
2
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 2
| 70
|
|
Moderator: Choice of level. Choice of strain.
August Boehm: 2. . . more likely than 2 to stimulate another bid from partner when game is playable.
Steve Robinson: 3. Seems like a good compromise between 2 and 4. If partner has good spades, he'll be aggressive.
Roger Lee: 2. This kind of hand is just going to play better in hearts most of the time. If partner can move over this, we're in business.
Josh Donn: 3. This hand demands to be played in hearts due to the suit quality, but the spade fit makes us good enough to invite game.
Anssi Rantamaa: 2. If partner can bid again I will raise to 4.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Just looks too good for a single raise.
Larry Meyer: 3. Support with support. Invite with more than a minimum.
Eugene Chan: 2. No need to be a hero. Simple raise will do.
Hendrik Sharples: 2. This might play a lot better in hearts. Bidding game so might as well look.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. Tempting to bid 3 with 7 losers, but the possible misfit makes me carefully wait for a move from partner as I need a lot of cover cards in his hand.
Leonid Bossis: 2. If pard bids 2 or 2NT I raise to 4, otherwise my next bid is 4.
Timothy Wright: 3. Partner knows (from not bidding 4th suit) that I have an invite.
Allan Simon: 2. More positive-sounding than 2.
Kf Tung: 4. 7 loser hand, fit in spades.
|
| 3. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A Q 6
A K Q 2
A K J 7
J 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Dbl
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 6
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 90
|
|
3
| 4
| 80
|
|
3
| 0
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 60
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The original plan was to open 2 and rebid 2NT. But now that West has suggested length and strength in your doubleton, maybe you're rethinking that plan. And partner's free 2 suggests what? Clearly there's no agreement among the panelists.
Jill Meyers: 3. This is an unusual auction, but I can't imagine partner bidding 2 as anything but natural. If partner bids 3NT, I'm making a slam try. But for the time being, 3 seems like enough.
Barry Rigal: 2. I'm going to show the red suits and let partner bid spades, notrump or raise me.
Daniel Korbel: 2NT. We can still get to a 4-4 heart fit or a 5-3 spade fit. Partner can have a club stopper. I'm not going to distort my hand unnecessarily when there are so many good outcomes still possible.
Robert Sauve: 2. Partner has some values.
David Waterman: 2. I have already bid NT without a stopper in this contest - not this time!
Anssi Rantamaa: 3. Would have liked to have redoubled here. 3NT seems dangerous with the double of the clubs.
Larry Meyer: 3. Intended as Western Cue - Pard, if you have a club stopper, bid 3NT.
Eugene Chan: 3. . . forcing. Partner can bid 3NT with a club stopper.
Eurydice Nours: 3. Not sure if 2 is an artificial bid, but 3 is forcing. Responder must clarify.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2NT. No reason not to describe this hand with my intended call.
Timothy Wright: 2NT. Yes, West has clubs, but why can't partner have x x x x x x Q x x Q x x? And I want our system over 2NT to be available.
Allan Simon: 2NT. What else am I supposed to do? Still a good chance we'll end up in a major.
Kf Tung: 2NT. Big balanced hand. You need room to explore for fit and slam.
|
| 4. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A 4 3
K Q 2
Q 3
K Q 10 7 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
1NT
| |
|
2
|
3
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Natural and forcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 3
| 60
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 50
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The vast majority bid 3, keeping both 3NT and slam in play.
Steve Weinstein: 3. Keeps 3NT in play, but moves toward a diamond (or club) slam (or game) if that's what partner has in mind.
Zach Grossack: 3. . . hedging. A x x doesn't look so strong anymore, so I don't want to insist on notrump. I have a single spade stopper, not great diamond support and no outside aces beyond spades, so right now 3NT looks like a long shot.
Mel Colchamiro: 4. Partner probably doesn't have four cards in hearts and is likely to have a stiff spade, so I'm heading toward 5 or even 6 opposite, say, x J x x A K x x x A x x x.
David Waterman: 3. I can't see how we have 9 tricks in NT before the opponents get 5.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Just a punt. Need some help for 3NT so I hope this suggests that as a first priority.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. Seems like the most likely game, since I can hold up in spades until the third round.
Eugene Chan: 3NT. First, I don't overcall 1NT on these types of hands (too much probability of -1100). Now I bid 3NT and hope for a push.
Eurydice Nours: 3NT. How can 3 be forcing? Not enough points to go around.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. I think I need to find out whether partner has a rounded-suit ace to make 5 a safe contract. 3NT is not. Hope Q x is enough.
Allan Simon: 3. I would not have overcalled 1NT with A x x. Now I am screwed.
Kf Tung: 3NT. So far you want to play 3N. If partner has a distributional hand he will bid again.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A K Q 7
K 8 4
2
A 9 8 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
1
|
Dbl
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 8
| 100
|
|
2
| 3
| 70
|
|
2
| 2
| 50
|
|
2
| 2
| 50
|
|
1
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The panel firmly commit to a partscore.
Steve Robinson: 2. If partner happens to have four spades, he should have five hearts, because you respond 1 to a takeout double with 4-4 in the majors. Holding a singleton diamond is not good for a 4-3 spade fit.
Kerri Sanborn: 2. I think I have enough to bid again, but I could be talked into passing.
Jeff Meckstroth: Pass. I don't think we have a game. Perhaps they will balance and go for a number!
Sylvia Shi: 2. Good hand, no primary fit. I have enough controls to make this bid even if partner may expect some more high-card points. If partner has five-plus hearts, we could have a game opposite very little.
Christopher Diamond: 1. If this goes all pass we aren't making anything but I'll save room and try to get the hand across.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Game seems unlikely, so pass.
Eugene Chan: Pass. In this era of overcalling chunky 4 card suits, 1 is preferable to double. This is matchpoints so I am not pushing for the magic game.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. As 1 should be (very) limited, there is almost certainly no game. We might be in a 3-3 fit, but I cannot think of a safe way to end in a 7-card club fit.
Bob Kuz: Pass. Partner's probably 3-3-4-3.
Allan Simon: 2. Pretty much textbook for this sequence.
Kf Tung: 2. Good hand, 5 clubs. At this stage you try to find the best strain, as your hand is a little better than double and then pass 1.
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