TGIF September 2022: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
|
A Q 10
Q
A 9 7 2
A K 5 3 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 6
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 90
|
|
3NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Not your average 19-count, many panelists downgrade with 2NT.
Daniel Korbel: Dbl. This hand is too strong not to start with double.
Mike Lawrence: 3NT. After two passes and a random weak two-bid, I think this hand is worth 3NT as opposed to 2NT. Double could be better. But I'm not interested in partner's heart bids. No matter what he has in hearts, he is limited by the fact that he did not open 1 or 2. Glad this is matchpoints.
August Boehm: 2NT. A touch heavy, but more likely to avoid an unwelcome heart contract than double.
Michael Dimich: Pass. With 8-10 HCP partner can re-open with a double or bid a suit or make a Michaels cue bid.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Too strong to simply overcall.
Christopher Diamond: Dbl. Always risky, but no real choice except 3NT. And that's flawed too.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. Difficult. A club contract is likely to play very well but 3 will end the auction on too many hands where game is cold.
Allan Simon: Dbl. Too strong for 3. 2N and Double both run the risk of partner jumping to 4, but 2N has extra flaws namely 1) hand is too strong and 2) no diamond tenace (picture partner with K x x K x x x x Q x x x x and 3N by him is best).
Chris Buchanan: 2NT. No perfect bid here. I'll shave a point and overcall a strong NT.
Paul McMullin: 3. Too much to pass, wrong shape for a double.
Hendrik Sharples: Dbl. Sorry pard, I had 3 diamonds in with hearts.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3NT. Good potential for game. 2NT and certainly 3 will burn a lot of laydown games which all the pairs who do not face 2 will find. 2NT will often get an unwanted transfer to hearts and a double is asking for trouble.
Kf Tung: 2NT. You are likely to collect 100 with a pass. 2N may get you 120, 110, 140 or a game. If you go down, maybe it is a good save with -50.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Too strong for 2NT and also unsuitable.
Mike Roberts: 2NT. Least of evils. 3 is too dangerous, pass is insane, and it's just not good enough to start with double.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Dbl. Will pull hearts to clubs.
|
| 2. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
K Q 5 3 2
7
A
A Q J 8 6 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 4
| 100
|
|
5NT
| 4
| 90
|
|
4NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
6
| 2
| 70
|
|
6
| 2
| 70
|
|
Moderator: Is there an intelligent way to bid the grand?
Steve Weinstein: 4NT. I imagine that partner will bid 5, which I can pull to 6. In my dreams, partner raises when it's right.
Janice Molson: 5NT. . . pick a slam. Passing 6 and correcting 6 to 6.
Mel Colchamiro: 6. I'm not trying to be a hero. Just bidding what I think I can make without getting into one of those convoluted, never-having-discussed-it, 'it-was-obvious' auctions that I just *hate*.
Jill Meyers: 5. Wow, I have quite a hand when partner has made a takeout double of 2. I would bid 5. If partner bids 5, I raise; if partner bids 6, I bid 6; if partner bids 5NT, I bid 6. The problem is that I can't find out if partner has the two missing aces in order to bid the grand.
Steve Robinson: 6. I have to guess, so I'll guess 6. 4NT asks partner to bid a minor, so I can't bid that.
Michael Dimich: 5NT. Force to slam. If partner bids diamonds, correct to spades.
Larry Meyer: 4NT. Show 2 places to play. 12 tricks are likely if we can find our fit and partner has A and K.
Christopher Diamond: 5NT. I think 4NT is minors so that's out. I hope a correction of 6 shows the blacks and invites a grand. Lots of room for discussion on what different cue bids mean.
Stephen Vincent: 5. 3 specific cards needed from partner.
Allan Simon: 6. Unfortunately I can't think of of a way to ask which of 3 key cards partner has, so I'll just punt to the most likely contract.
Chris Buchanan: 5. Pesky pre-empts! Will follow up by (likely) raising partner from 5 to 6. This is better than jumping directly.
Paul McMullin: 6. If partner has A and A, then the 2 opener most likely has the offside K.
Hendrik Sharples: 5. 6 at the table.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 6. What do I know? 5 shows 1 control in hearts and 5NT doesn't? 4NT is two places to play (probably) or Blackwood? I just bid the practical 6 and then 6 if the opponents bid 6.
Kf Tung: 5. Slam probe, and then try to reveal 2 suits.
Bob Zeller: 4NT. Checking on controls before trying slam.
Louk Verhees: 5. What an unlikely hand to have. Can you find about 7 in an intelligent way? If not, the practical bid is 5NT to keep clubs in play. Otherwise just bid 5 single-suited-slam-try (usually spades).
Mike Roberts: 6. I'd love for 4NT to be Blackwood, but I don't think it is. Other calls invite catastrophe.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 5. Trying for slam.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
J 10
A Q 7 3 2
K 10 9
Q 7 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 7
| 100
|
|
3
| 6
| 90
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Half the panel choose 2NT, despite the lack of a spade stopper.
Josh Donn: 2NT. 2 wasn't raised, so maybe partner has help. Let the opponents figure out that I don't have a stopper. It's not like bidding a minor is any guarantee of a brilliant contract anyway.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3. I don't want to bid 2NT without a stopper here.
Michael Dimich: 3. There is more room for partner to have high club honors.
Larry Meyer: 3. 2NT would be natural, so bid my cheaper minor.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Ugly. Since my clubs are weaker maybe his are better and it's better to take the tap there.
Allan Simon: 2NT. Partner probably has a spade honor, so I'll take aim at the most likely game contract .
Chris Buchanan: 3. Leaves the most room.
Paul McMullin: 3. After my optimistic opening, I will try for the cheapest disaster.
Hendrik Sharples: 3. I'm too old to bid 2NT.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 2NT. Default. Partner will bid 3 without a spade stopper, if he is interested in 3NT. Otherwise you have to take your chances with Pass or an awkward 3.
Kf Tung: 3. If you have a game, a 3 bid won't hurt. If not, 3 is the safest harbour.
Louk Verhees: 2NT. This is a nasty problem. My practical approach is that I believe we usually have a spade stopper together. I don't like bidding 3-card suits. Obviously, going down vul may be very bad.
Mike Roberts: 3. I really don't get this one. If there's an advantage to 3, I can't see it.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. Risky, but I think best chance for matchpoints.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
K 8 5 4
K 10 3
A 6 5
A J 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1NT
| |
|
2
|
3
(1)
|
Pass
|
3NT
| |
|
Pass
|
4
|
Dbl
| ? |
| (1) Natural and forcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 9
| 100
|
|
5
| 3
| 80
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
5
| 1
| 60
|
|
6
| 0
| 50
|
|
Rdbl
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority opt for a [forcing] pass.
Daniel Korbel: 5. I actually have a pretty good hand on the auction and I'll cooperate.
Barry Rigal: Pass. My spade holding isn't good, but I'm prepared to give partner one more chance to reach slam. My 10 and J fill the gaps nicely.
Michael Dimich: 4NT. Interrupt the sequence. The hand is so flat.
Larry Meyer: Pass. With a min NT opener and 4333, I want to put the brakes on.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Nothing to say. Good primes despite the wasted K. My next bid will be tougher.
Stephen Vincent: 5. I can afford to cuebid now. East's double is a little puzzling.
Joel Forssell: Pass. . . second round control. Artificial.
Allan Simon: Pass. Give partner the opportunity to redouble to show a void. I can cue 5 on the next round. An immediate 5 would needlessly crowd our auction.
Chris Buchanan: 5. I'll cooperate and cue bid 5.
Paul McMullin: 5. I have prime values; this should be some slam interest.
Hendrik Sharples: 5. I have a decent hand for partner without too much wasted in spades. I think XX should show second round control but I don't think that's all that helpful.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 5. Automatic.
Kf Tung: Pass. Let partner complete his slam search his way.
Louk Verhees: Pass. It looks like I have 3 good cards and one bad one. I could bid 4NT. But sometimes it's the wrong spot. Partner knows now I have spade stopper, but not the A.
Mike Roberts: 5. I don't like my hand, but I want to cooperate. I think redouble shows the A here.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. In my agreements this promises second round control. Bidding would promise nothing in spades.
|
| 5. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A
K Q 7 5 3
A 4 3
A K 8 7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
3
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 6
| 100
|
|
3NT
| 4
| 90
|
|
4
| 4
| 80
|
|
Moderator: A split vote between game in spades, game in notrump and a slam try. The majority favour playing in spades, even with the stiff A.
Larry Cohen: 3NT. I really wish I had the J, or even the 10, but 3NT gets across the general nature of my hand --- short spades, not a 5-5 or long type of heart/club hand.
Jill Meyers: 4. I feel obligated to show some kind of interest.
Zachary Grossack: 4. Partner is promising 6 spades here, and with the singleton ace, we often need to play it as trump. My second choice would be 4, an advance cuebid for spades, as my hand is quite powerful with spades as trump. Although 3NT shows my spade correctly and I have a diamond stopper, it rates to play far worse in notrump than in spades; sometimes we won't even have an entry to partner's spades.
Michael Dimich: 4. I hope partner has 6 of them or a good 5 with the Q.
Larry Meyer: 4. Partner's long spades in his weak hand will likely only take tricks if they are trump.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Don't like 3NT with the blocking honor. So pattern out and settle for 4 if that happens.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Give partner K Q x x x x x x x x x x x and even 4 is going down.
Allan Simon: 3NT. I've completed a pretty accurate description of my distribution and strength. The excellent controls are nice.
Chris Buchanan: 4. Looks like this one should be played by partner. With a better fit, I would try 4 but with just a singleton ace, I will be a bit passive.
Paul McMullin: Pass. Hard to see how he can get 10 tricks before the opponents take 4 after the obvious diamond lead.
Hendrik Sharples: 3NT. Thanks Bob.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 4. Who knows? We may belong in 3NT but perhaps only from partner's side. Sounds like there are enough tricks but not enough entries to collect them.
Kf Tung: 4. 20 points, 1-5-3-4, 8 controls. Partner, what do you want?
Louk Verhees: 4. The way I play: 3 should be 6 (otherwise 3). 3NT looks like a problem because we may be short of tricks. Then raising also not great because if partner has a good hand you have a slam try. Tough call.
Mike Roberts: 3NT. I don't mind 4, but I'll bid what's in front of me.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. Probably best playable game. Don't like the chances in NT.
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