TGIF January 2019: Scores
| 1. IMPs. N-S vul.
|
A
K J 9 7 5
K Q 3
J 7 6 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
2
|
2NT
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 100
|
|
3NT
| 5
| 90
|
|
4NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 50
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Congratulations to Martin Henneberger, who not only crushed this [local mirror] contest, but came 3rd across the ACBL. He got his name in The Bulletin and everything.
Barry Rigal: 3NT. Maybe I'm supposed to double and hope a trump lead will get a proper penalty. But the vulnerability persuades me to look for the normal game. Can we really be struggling to make nine tricks? I hope not.
Steve Robinson: Dbl. If partner bids hearts or clubs, I'll cuebid 4. If partner bids 4, I'll bid 4, which should be this hand. If partner passes my double, that will be OK, too.
Sylvia Shi: 4NT. How curious. Everyone's bidding and I have a good hand. If the opponents are really joking, we could have an easy slam. Hope my partner takes this bid as quantitative. I think 4 should be for the minors . . . probably.
David Waterman: 3NT. 4NT natural is appealing, but will partner understand? And if he does, how should he evaluate his hand?
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. Seems sensible. I've got extras but not enough to go exploring.
Aidan Ballantyne: Dbl. More flexible and less unilateral than 3NT. After Dbl, partner has a say about the final contract. If this is left in, 3 may go for +800. Not good enough for 4 as the A is somewhat wasted and 15 HCP are too little.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. We have lots of stuff in their suit, so slam unlikely - just bid the most likely game.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3NT. The significant spade wastage warns against slam. 4 might work, but 3NT doesn't put all our eggs in one basket.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Don't want to hang partner but I do need to make some sort of effort here.
Perry Khakhar: 3NT. Sometimes preempts work! We need to get to the most logical game and give up on any slam aspirations as 4 of mine and at least 2 of partner's points are wasted in spades. Since I have no idea what the correct game may be, I am going to raise partner.
Chris Buchanan: 3NT. Play Dbl as penalty here. With values in spades, will stop in game.
David Gordon: 4. Start with a cuebid to show our slam interest.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. Why not? Double is always the most flexible call.
Allan Simon: 4NT. . . natural. Partner has wasted spade values like K J x, and would need a perfecto to make slam a good bet.
Kf Tung: 3NT. High card in short suits.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
9 5 4
A K J 9
Q 5 3
K J 8
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 4
| 80
|
|
1
| 4
| 70
|
|
1NT
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The majority of the panel prefer to get in the auction early.
August Boehm: 1. I don't mind doubling with this pattern, but the honour concentrations, including clubs where partner won't expect such strength, sways me to 1.
Larry Cohen: Dbl. Yes, I see the quality 4-card heart suit, but I avoid 4-card overcalls at all costs: it messes up my partner's competitive decision-making.
Mike Lawrence: Pass. Marshall Miles and myself seem to be the two protagonists for 4-card overcalls. Most players just mention it is possible, getting oblique credit for doing so, and then they pass. They don't explain why. Give yourself 8 7 A K J 9 8 7 K J 9 8 7 and 1 would be fine.
David Waterman: 1. There is nothing wrong with this bid, and lots wrong with the alternatives.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Not upgrading this. In real life, I'd bid 1.
Aidan Ballantyne: 1NT. A tiny stretch but seems to be the least of evils and may have a big pay-off. I wonder what our run-out system is!
Larry Meyer: 1. . . for the lead.
Gustav Axen: 1. I am unsure whose hand it is, but I do know what I want my partner to lead.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 1. Overcalling simultaneously increases the chance of getting a heart lead while decreasing the chance that partner will be on lead.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Opposite a passed hand and with all those losers I don't want to get involved. 1 has value largely as a lead director only.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. The 8 is arguing with me to bid 1NT, but I win and pass!
Chris Buchanan: Dbl. Trick question?
David Gordon: 1. Dbl will likely be the majority call but I do not like it with 4-3-3-3 shape.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. I can't possibly consider this a good 15, can I?
Allan Simon: Pass. Many will bid 1 but I haven't had much luck with that sort of overcall.
Kf Tung: Pass. If this is their game you don't want to show your cards. If this is your game partner will bid.
|
| 3. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
A Q 6
A J 9 7 6 4
A J 8
9
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| |
|
2
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 7
| 100
|
|
3
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 70
|
|
3NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: The big question: Does partner's 3 imply heart support?
Steve Weinstein: 4. Partner should have heart tolerance to come in at the 3-level as a passed hand, so game probably needs as little as 3-2 hearts. It's unlikely 3NT is making when 4 isn't.
Daniel Korbel: 3NT. It's unlikely that partner has a singleton heart. What I'd really like to do is make a forcing bid in hearts while simultaneously bidding notrump. I'm swayed toward 3NT because if partner does have some sort of heart fit, that may well be enough to make 3NT on power, even when hearts takes more tricks.
Roger Lee: 3. I really want to uncover a 6-2 heart fit whenever it exists.
David Waterman: 3NT. This one really should be unanimous. If 3NT has no play partner should not have bid.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Apparently I'm supposed to give him a chance to show honour doubleton in hearts.
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. Believe vul opps. Playing pard for a weak hand and long weakish clubs. No second seat preempt, no responsive dbl, inferred spade shortness, no heart raise all combine to support this read.
Larry Meyer: 3. Potential misfit, so go slow and just rebid the 6-card suit.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3NT. If we play in 4 then I might be able to ruff a spade in dummy, but on the other hand this may also cost a trump trick.
Stephen Vincent: 3NT. Hard to see how we get there unless I bid it now. Might not be a good contract of course.
Perry Khakhar: 3NT. We have the values to be there, 2 spade stoppers and 2 potential sources of tricks, so what is the problem?
Chris Buchanan: 3. Getting creative here. I dislike 3 and 4, and 3NT is sketchy at best. 3 lets partner tell me more.
David Gordon: 3. A minimum 2 bid would pass 3, therefore 3 shows extra. If partner bids 3 then I raise to 4 and if pard bids 3 then I bid 3NT.
Allan Simon: 3NT. Bob Hamman rule strikes again.
Kf Tung: 3. You could not pass previously and you could not pass now. You could not double and then bid hearts, and this is your hand.
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A K 4
A K Q
---
Q 10 9 8 5 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1
| 4
| 100
|
|
2
| 3
| 90
|
|
3NT
| 3
| 90
|
|
3
| 3
| 80
|
|
2NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
1
| 0
| 30
|
|
2
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: This problem created some discomfort. But it's the kind of hand you really do pick up at the table, and here's a chance to learn what these experts would do with it.
Jill Meyers: 3. I'm not a huge fan of jumping with a suit of this quality, but I do have a seventh trump and compensating values. I don't like jump shifting in a 3-card major, and 2NT is not an option for me.
Barry Rigal: 1. Who on earth knows what is right here? It is only a game, so I'll experiment and try to get partner to keep the bidding open. 2 is not absurd, but maybe even more perverted than my first choice.
Kerri Sanborn: 2. Much as I hate to jump in a 3-card suit, I can't see any alternative. I appear to have nine plus tricks in hand.
Mel Colchamiro: 3NT. My choice will often be practical, while at the same time show a fair expression of my hand: long clubs, frequently (very) short diamonds and about this strength. But who really knows? There is no bid for this hand.
David Waterman: 3. This is tough - I think that if partner bids again, my next bid will be 5.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Don't want to struggle to wiggle out of the mess a 3-card major bid would create.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. 3NT is not palatable with such broken clubs and so I need to GF via either 2 or 2. If we end up in 4 then I have a small spade to ruff a diamond. Not the case in hearts so I opt for 2.
Larry Meyer: 3. The suit is porous, but this is a 3-loser hand.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3NT. I have plenty of entries to establish the club suit. Hope partner is not void.
Stephen Vincent: 2. Too strong for 3.
Perry Khakhar: 3NT. A 3-loser hand and a bad long suit. Oh well, at least it is 7 long. I am going to follow Hamman's law and bid the 3NT that may have a shot. Maybe I should have opened 2 and rebid 3!
Chris Buchanan: 3. My inner dinosaur is coming out!
David Gordon: 3. I do not like only bidding 3 with such a powerful hand but the club suit lacks top cards.
Mike Roberts: 3. Yes, this is an underbid. But 2 won't really help.
Allan Simon: 2. Nearly impossible hand to bid without a relay system. If I get a club preference I will bid 6 next, else 3NT.
Kf Tung: 2NT. . . and then 3N on the next round if available.
|
| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A 10 9 3
A
A 9 8 6 5
A 3 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 90
|
|
1NT
| 0
| 60
|
|
2NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
2
| 0
| 30
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Trying to collect the maximum plus on defense appeals to most of the panel.
Daniel Korbel: 2NT. If the vulnerability was different, I might pass 1 doubled. It could still be right here.
Josh Donn: Pass. There's a good chance the opponents have made a mistake, so I will try to make them pay. My other options are unpalatable anyway.
Sylvia Shi: 2. I would have opened 1NT and not been faced with this problem. May be hard to make 3NT without a good minor fit, so I think 2 will elicit a raise from partner most of the time 3NT is on the table. If partner has no fit, at least I stayed low.
Bill Angus: 2. There is no good option . . . I'd open 1NT initially precisely to avoid this rebid problem!
David Waterman: Pass. Very unusual, but it seems right.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. No good answer so I'll hope that we get a big enough penalty to make up for whatever we can make. But I don't like it.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. My mantra is 'Take Out the Take Out Doubles.' I always score badly as the panel seems to leave them in at slightest excuse. By bidding 2 now, I could end up defending 2 doubled, one level higher than the dear panel.
Larry Meyer: 1NT. Aces and spaces argue for a suit contract, but I have no suit, so bid the minimum NT.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. I would have probably just opened 1NT. Since I didn't, I'll temporize with 2 and rebid 2NT over the expected 2 response.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. A gamble, motivated in part by the absence of an attractive alternative.
Perry Khakhar: 1NT. Why didn't I open 1NT? I will not rebid THAT suit! If I must distort my values and shape, this is the route that I choose.
Chris Buchanan: 2. Frantically looking for the undo button. I wish I'd opened 1NT!
David Gordon: 2. Not quite enough to game force so temporize.
Mike Roberts: 2. I might pass at any other vunerability.
Allan Simon: 2NT. Too bad they're not vul.
Kf Tung: 3. Good hand, five diamonds. Probably you can bid 3N on the next round.
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