TGIF September 2023: Scores
| 1. IMPs. E-W vul.
|
Q J 8 3
9 5 4 3
8 2
Q J 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 7
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 6
| 90
|
|
Moderator: The panel are near evenly split between 4 and Pass. The crux of the matter: How much does 3 tend to promise?
Barry Rigal: 4. This looks like a straightforward raise to 4 to me. Given what I might have for my initial response, I'd expect partner to have closer to 20 HCP than 17 for this action.
Steve Robinson: Pass. I promise 6 points on this auction. If partner needs me to have 6 points, he would have bid a game. I have a bad 6 points --- no aces or kings. I'll pass and hope to make 3. Partner could easily have: A x x x x x A K Q x A x x.
Michael Dimich: 4. The black suit honour clumping sways me.
Larry Meyer: 4. Pard's hand should be better than A K x x x A x x x A x x x, which might be enough to make game.
Christopher Diamond: 4. I've shown nothing. I have more.
Nicholas Adamski: Pass. I'd blame partner if it makes 4.
Gabor Sandi: Pass. If partner had 19 pts, (s)he would probably have gone to game. A bid of 3 suggests 16 pts or so.
Perry Khakhar: 4. I hate pushing when nonvul, but I could have had a zero count for my bidding so far. The thing I worry about though is a ruff/uppercut at trick 2. Oh well!
Paul McMullin: 4. No waste in hearts, working points. I will stretch for game!
Hendrik Sharples: 4. POS hand but could be worse.
Kf Tung: 4. How can they get 4 tricks？
Louk Verhees: Pass. Heavy pass, finesses are off frequently.
Earle Fergusson: 4. 6 useful points should do well opposite 1 or fewer hearts.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Pass. Tempting, but no.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
J 10
A
A 5
A Q 10 8 7 5 4 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
5
| 1
| 60
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: The vast majority opt for 3.
Amber Lin: 3. I think I am a minimum for 3, but I have eight clubs, a lot of key cards and few losers. This bid encompasses strong, single-suited club hands and strong spade hands. I will get to clarify on the next round of the auction.
Michael Dimich: 3. My long club suit is my forward going bid. Partner has room for a variety of rebids.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. Hoping for either K with partner, or else an entry to dummy, and that 1 successful club finesse will bring in the suit.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Worth more but a cuebid would lock us into spades.
Nicholas Adamski: 3. I feel I need partner to show more before forcing anything.
Stephen Vincent: 4. 3 is too likely to open a can of worms.
Perry Khakhar: 5. If I have to defend, let them guess. 5 level is good. Who knows, I may make. Clubs is trumps, and I will never be able to convey that to partner at a level below this.
Paul McMullin: 3. This will need help to make a game.
Hendrik Sharples: 3. Walking the dog.
Kf Tung: 3. Long clubs, less than 3 spades. Don't worry, 3 cannot be the end.
Louk Verhees: 3. Dbl is support, too much for 3.
Earle Fergusson: 3. Sitting for 3NT, pulling 3 to 4.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. Partner may be able to advance to (probably) 3NT.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
10 9
A Q 4
J
A K Q 10 9 8 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
2
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Can you suggest a club slam while keeping spades in the picture? The majority don't think so.
Janice Molson: 4. When I held this hand last month, I bid 4. I was playing with an expert and most of the postmortem revolved around what 4 means. To me it's natural and forcing.
Kerri Sanborn: 4. No way to investigate any higher. If 4 is preempt keycard, I would try that, but I don't think it is in standard.
Michael Dimich: 4. A 2 bid in 1st seat vul against not makes a raise to 4 automatic.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. Trusting West to lead his partner's suit.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. Guessing. If they obediently lead hearts maybe I get two shots if clubs don't work.
Nicholas Adamski: 4. Safest game.
Perry Khakhar: 4. I think natural bidding is best here. If partner can't cooperate, we will play in 4.
Paul McMullin: 4NT. My partners never have ANY aces here.
Hendrik Sharples: 3NT. All together now!
Kf Tung: 4. Good clubs. Forcing. Partner knows that this is a big hand if he has 2+ clubs.
Louk Verhees: 4. I can dream of slam but I have no way of getting there smartly.
Earle Fergusson: 4. One look for slam.
Bob Todd: 4. I think spades will score better than NT.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. Should be forcing. will pass 4.
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A Q 8 5 4
7 5 3
5 3 2
A 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
4
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Club shortness with at least four-card spade support.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 7
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 70
|
|
4NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
4
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 50
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
6
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The panel majority move toward slam with 5.
Larry Cohen: 4. I make a move. If all partner cares about is keycards, he'll be happy with my 5 response (less happy with my diamond 'control').
Josh Donn: 5. . . to show the A and slam interest. This seems like a perfect description. Slams can, in fact, be bid without using any form of Blackwood if your heart can handle the excitement.
August Boehm: 4NT. The fifth spade is big. Partner will be well upholstered in the red suits.
Michael Dimich: 5. If partner is 4-4-4-1 with K-AK-AK then slam needs a 3/3 break in one of the red suits. Let partner know slam interest but I have some worries.
Larry Meyer: 4. If I had either 1st or 2nd round control in either diamonds or hearts, I would show it, but I don't.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Sometimes shortness is a void. Feels cowardly.
Nicholas Adamski: 5. Show my outside control, let partner decide.
Gabor Sandi: 4. With the A or A, you could have made a cue bid. If you did not, your partner should keep note.
Stephen Vincent: 4NT. Avoids most kinds of disaster and caters for partner having the magic hand that makes 7.
Perry Khakhar: 4. If my ace was the A, and If my club holding were x x x x, I'd feel good about going on (Blackwood). As it is, I am going to try and bail.
Paul McMullin: 4. I would have more interest if the A was a red ace.
Hendrik Sharples: 4. I have a lot of losers to cover. Yes K J x x A x x A K Q J x x makes slam but lots of big hands offer little play.
Kf Tung: 4. Slam interest. How about our hearts?
Louk Verhees: 4. Your hand is very nice but twice x x x in the reds is terrible. First need to know if partner has a heart cuebid.
Earle Fergusson: 4NT. Two keys and the Q? His reds will be mighty.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. I don't see slam unless partner has the magic hand.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A Q 10 5 4 2
J 10 3 2
9
4 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
Rdbl
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 9
| 100
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
|
2
| 1
| 50
|
|
3
| 2
| 50
|
|
Moderator: It seems as though we are playing with a Pinochle deck. The panel smell a rat in East and jump directly to 4. Perhaps the real decision is coming on the next turn.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3. I might bid again, depending on how it proceeds.
Zachary Grossack: 4. Make the first bad decision, not the last. Who knows who's making what and what's really going on. Partner needs very little to make game good and I don't want to guess what to do later.
Michael Dimich: 4. Distributional hands with limited defense call for maximum pressure on your opponents.
Larry Meyer: 3. With an invitational hand, issue an invitation.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Seems reasonable.
Nicholas Adamski: 4. The law, I guess?
Perry Khakhar: Pass. No such thing as re-redouble, huh? I will get more involved if I get to bid again!
Paul McMullin: 2. I do not want to scare them into bidding 5 over our major suit game.
Peter Qvist: 4. If I bid less, opps can bid spades.
Hendrik Sharples: 2. I suspect RHO has long diamonds and a bad hand, but let's find out.
Kf Tung: 4. Singleton diamond. Hearts may play better than spades.
Louk Verhees: 4. They seem to have a lot of diamonds. No idea what is best way to go. 4 is a practical bid.
Earle Fergusson: 4. Can't do less.
Bob Todd: 4. Give them less space to find their big diamond fit.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. . . and follow up with 3 if partner bids hearts.
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