TGIF March 2022: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. None vul.
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K J 10 9 8 4 2
A K 8
A 9 7
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
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|
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1
|
2
|
3
| |
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5
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Dbl
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Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
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Pass
| 7
| 100
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5NT
| 5
| 80
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6
| 3
| 60
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7
| 0
| 20
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Moderator: It feels like this auction veered out of control real fast. The panel are of three minds.
Zachary Grossack: 6. I could pass, and it could be right. But my hand is just so good, it's hard to imagine slam being much worse than a finesse. From my experience, the person jumping to five of a major tends not to have two tricks on defense, so it makes me more confident in bidding. You can see how having a bit of defensive potential here could be a good idea.
Daniel Korbel: 5NT. I'll pass 6. This could be wrong, but they didn't deal me this hand to defend 5 doubled on this auction.
Roger Lee: Pass. Bidding could be right, but I feel like my partner has gone out of their way to warn me off bidding. I have enough defense here to expect plus 500 or 800, which might be a decent matchpoint score even when we make a slam.
Brad Bart: 6. Two good things might happen here. We might make 6. Or we might hear 6.
Christopher Diamond: 5NT. I remember making a 5 bid like this. Near certain they could make slam. They could. Does the Dbl show spade values or just a bad hand for slam like a stiff heart? If he bids 6 I'll assume it's playable.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Partner wants to defend, and I have cards that should take tricks on defense, so I'm not going to overrule him.
Michael Dimich: 6. Dbl is a stop sign, but all we need is a stiff Q or A. 6 will get no matchpoints if 6 makes.
Stuart Carr: 7. Could bid 5NT, but I expect partner has A and K Q.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. We are in a forcing pass sequence. We may be missing a slam, but partner has warned that is not the case. I trust partner. I have 3 to 5 cover cards for partner's suit if it is clubs, not enough and no guarantees.
Paul McMullin: 6. Partner should be able to bid 7 if he is looking at A, K and a minor suit queen. What DID he open on?
Hendrik Sharples: Pass. Pass by pard would be forcing, Dbl suggests defending. Without a heart fit I'd rather defend as well.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 6. Seems right as long as they have the spade points and the A. Partner has to have something for his opening.
Allan Simon: Pass. Who knows? Partner's double suggests heart shortage.
Earle Fergusson: 6. If I bid 5NT to pick a slam I'm not passing 6 anyways or raising 6 to 7.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 6. The hand has far too much potential opposite a typical weak no trump to justify a pass. The majority contract may well be 6-X so defense against 5-X will probably not score well.
Kf Tung: Pass. 6 is either a top or bottom. 5-X is above average.
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| 2. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
A 5
Q 8 6 2
K Q
A J 7 6 4
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
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3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 6
| 100
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Pass
| 5
| 90
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Dbl
| 4
| 70
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4
| 0
| 30
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Moderator: Hamman's Law postulates: If you have a choice of reasonable bids and one of them is 3NT, then bid it. Though the top choice was 3NT, the majority chose something else.
Barry Rigal: 3NT. . . the coward's way out. Passing is the brave bid here: People will point at you in the street and laugh at you or maybe actually pelt you with stones: 'the man who passed with a strong notrump.' I cannot take that risk, even though it might be right to do so at any form of scoring.
Janice Molson: Pass. There are three choices here: double, 3NT and pass. Double would mean passing 3 by partner, but picks up the other two suits. 3NT is the point-count bid, but after your one diamond trick and two aces, you still need six more tricks. Finally there's pass. I find the Q isn't carrying full weight, so I'm guessing to pass.
Mel Colchamiro: Dbl. This is not really that good a hand, so pass is an option. But I can't bring myself to do that, so I'm choosing double --- one of the few times I've done this with two cards in an unbid major without a powerhouse. 4 is a nothing bid and the doubleton K Q really turns me off for 3NT.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Too soft for 3NT and anything else is problematic. It's Matchpoints and sometimes you just get got.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Hoping for a 4-4 heart fit. If pard bids spades, I will correct to 3NT.
Michael Dimich: Pass. One stopper in diamonds and scattered values. I can't bid NT or Dbl.
Stuart Carr: Dbl. Will bid 3NT over 3.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. The Q is, in all likelihood, worthless.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. Most forward going bids will require the right hand from partner. He may balance. Downside of bidding in direct seat is too significant.
Paul McMullin: Pass. Sometimes preempts are successful!
Hendrik Sharples: Dbl. Double sucks a little less than the other choices.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. Unless we play equal level conversion, this hand has too many flaws.
Allan Simon: Pass. If I'm fixed, so be it. Not the first time, nor the last.
Earle Fergusson: Pass. Deathly diamond holding.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3NT. Not ideal with K Q, but pard has on average enough power to make 3NT a decent contract. Most important when opps preempt is to help partner by giving him the best possible description of your hand.
Kf Tung: Pass. Partner is in a better position to bid than me.
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| 3. IMPs. None vul.
| |
10 9 8 3
Q 8 3
K
A J 10 7 5
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
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1
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Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
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1NT
| 7
| 100
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2
| 4
| 80
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1
| 2
| 60
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3
| 2
| 50
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Moderator: The panel majority treat this hand as a limit raise.
Steve Weinstein: 2. I'm close to inviting; I would if we were vulnerable. If I did invite, I'd bid 1NT. No self-respecting Flannery player would bid 1.
Jeff Meckstroth: 1. The hand is a bit too good for 2 directly. I will follow with 3.
Steve Robinson: 3. I'm a strong believer in three-card limit raises with sound hands. Partner expects me to have four hearts. This gives away no information and stops West from overcalling at the two level. If I make a belated limit raise in hearts after a diamond overcall, East, with good diamonds might lead a trump. The worst response would be 1, which gives the wrong impression of what I have.
Josh Donn: 1NT. I will show a 3-card limit raise, but it would be pointless to bid 1 to emphasize spades on the way. I would raise to 2 if the diamond was a small singleton. The K can be devalued, but not to zero.
Christopher Diamond: 1. Everything is kind of flawed. Too good for 2. A little weak and one trump shy for 3. Hoping to invite in hearts later.
Larry Meyer: 1. Leaving maximum room for partner to make his rebid.
Michael Dimich: 1. I don't play Flannery so I have to bid 1. Only other bid is forcing NT.
Stephen Vincent: 1. Flexible, if not all that descriptive.
Perry Khakhar: 1. I would game force with 2 but it is possible partner has a Flannery hand. 4 would be a better contract than 4. So, I will bid 4 if we don’t have a fit for spades, and hope for the best!
Paul McMullin: 2. Someone will tell me that I should not downgrade the stiff K.
Hendrik Sharples: 1NT. I see a 3-card limit raise.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 1. Too much here depends on style. I'll go slow and decide next round how high to support hearts (unless I hear 2).
Allan Simon: 1NT. Seems clear cut to me.
Earle Fergusson: 1NT. 3 next.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 1NT. 3-card limit raise next round. Not quite a game forcing hand so if you bid 1 and pard raises to 2, then 3 becomes forcing.
Miro Kovacevic: 1NT. . . then 3 over minor bid.
Kf Tung: 2. Upgrade the hand to clubs: heart fit and game values.
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| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
4
A
A K Q 9 8 7 5
K J 10 3
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
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1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 9
| 100
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2
| 2
| 70
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5
| 3
| 70
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3NT
| 1
| 50
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Moderator: The majority start with a double.
Mike Lawrence: Dbl. I might get lucky and find partner with enough to make a free bid. Of course, if partner jumps, say, to 2, 4NT by me might be construed as being for spades. Spider's web here. If he does bid spades, I may be able to bid diamonds before using 4NT. And I can bid 5 later if it becomes necessary. Sadly, in the background is the possibility partner has Q x x x x and a stiff diamond.
Jill Meyers: 2. . . and damned be me if it goes all pass.
Kerri Sanborn: 5. I just can't bring myself to say double with a stiff spade. It will be too difficult to determine whether we have slam, so let's make the most-likely-to-succeed bid.
Christopher Diamond: 2. 3NT is an option. But it looks too slammy with just the A giving it a play while they could run spades in NT.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Too strong to overcall.
Michael Dimich: 2. The bidding won't die and I am looking for the rare chance to bid 4NT if they bid 4 of a major.
Stephen Vincent: 2. I am a proponent of sound overcalls.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. . . and bid 3NT over 1, but 3 over 2. I will splinter in spades over a club bid.
Paul McMullin: Dbl. I need to start showing strength right away.
Hendrik Sharples: 2. Too old to bid 3NT.
Allan Simon: 2. Not 3NT which goes down even if partner is kind enough to provide a slow spade stop. I think I'll know more after a round of bidding.
Earle Fergusson: 2. No rush.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 2. I choose to show the diamond suit because you often have to deal with 3 or 4 in a major next round. 4 over 3 of a major and 4NT over 4 of a major to show a heavy 6/4 minors hand.
Miro Kovacevic: Dbl. Forced to 5 after that.
Kf Tung: Dbl. Double and then show diamonds. You may stop low when partner has a weak hand. At other times you may win a lot when partner is declarer in 3N.
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| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A 4 3
A 4
K Q 9 4
K Q 10 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
2
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 6
| 100
|
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Dbl
| 5
| 90
|
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2NT
| 3
| 70
|
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2
| 1
| 60
|
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3
| 0
| 60
|
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3NT
| 0
| 40
|
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3
| 0
| 30
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Moderator: A wide variety of choices, but the panel all take the auction slow.
August Boehm: 3. For the moment, notrump can wait. We could belong in 3 or a minor-suit game opposite the likes of K x x x x A x x x J x x x.
Larry Cohen: 2NT. Surely many will double, but what will that accomplish? If I double, partner won't know I have 18-19 balanced. Some days, partner has something useful like J 10 x. If partner retreats to 3, I'll pass, having shown my hand.
Barry Rigal: Dbl. Good hand, no clear direction. That seems to fit my assets pretty well.
Christopher Diamond: 2NT. Hate this bid but few alternatives except maybe 3. Don't see much point in 3.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. Even if pard only produces the 2 missing aces, I will probably have 9 runners.
Michael Dimich: Dbl. Any other bid is wrong.
Perry Khakhar: 3. I'd love to find partner with Q x x! Long ways from guaranteed 5 which we will consider if partner bids 4.
Paul McMullin: Dbl. No negative double by partner suggests minor suit length(s). Let's show strength!
Hendrik Sharples: 2NT. Should show the 18-19 that I hold.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. I am strong partner. Tell me more.
Allan Simon: 3. Counter to the Law of Total Tricks, but I expect to make 3 on sheer power, and to defeat 3. My only ambition on this hand is to go plus.
Earle Fergusson: 2. Exploratory.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Dbl. Balanced and too strong for a 1NT opening. 2 and 3 shows more shape. Not a good hand for 2NT with slow values and only one heart stopper.
Kf Tung: 2NT. Invite. You need a moderate hand from partner for 3N or 5.
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