TGIF July 2024: Scores
| 1. IMPs. N-S vul.
|
Q 9 8 5 4
K Q 7 6
A
8 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
2NT
(1)
|
Pass
|
3
(2)
| |
|
Pass
|
4
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Game forcing with at least four spades.
| | (2) Shortness.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 6
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 90
|
|
4
| 4
| 80
|
|
4NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Despite the minimum in high cards, the 2/3 of the panel cooperate with a cuebid.
Amber Lin: 4. While my partner is showing slam interest, I've already shown an opening hand and a stiff diamond. I don't have more than that, and the stiff A is the wrong value if they are positive because of my shortness. I might not be able to answer this well because I haven't played 'old-fashioned Jacoby 2NT' in years. Using 3 to show a minimum immediately gives a sense of range. It seems to be the most popular treatment now, and would have been helpful here.
Josh Donn: 4. This is a little hard to answer without understanding partner's style. If 3 would have shown a heart control and thus 4 denies one, 4 would show a heart control along with first-round diamond control. But if 3 shows a concentration (since it's below 3 of our major), then I would want to bid 4 instead, since partner then hasn't denied a heart control. In either case, I would not want to bid 4. Partner is going out of their way specifically to learn if we have a heart control.
Steve Robinson: 4. Responder's 4 shows a very good hand opposite diamond shortness, but denies a heart control. With a heart control, responder would have bid 3. 3 by responder would have shown a minimum game force. A jump to 4 would show a hand that fell in value because of my diamond shortness, something like the wasted Q J x or short diamonds. If my A was in spades, I'd bid keycard, but my weak trumps cause me to let partner take control.
David Waterman: 4. Cue bids below game level need not show extras. 4 would strongly suggest no heart control.
Michael Dimich: 4. Cheapest first round control.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Did 4 deny a heart control? Could do 4 but that would force him to the 5-level. He might not go.
Stephen Vincent: 4. I don't think one should be forced to cuebid here with a minimum hand.
Gabor Sandi: 4. I am not that strong, but it's worthwhile to show the ace or a void in diamonds.
Robert Sauve: 4. If you force me to open, you force me to cue bid second round heart control.
Larry Meyer: 4. This is a minimum opener, so make a minimum bid.
Paul McMullin: 4. 4 is a close second choice (I have a minimum), but I will follow partner and show the control.
Kf Tung: 4. I have a minimum hand, partner has clubs but I cannot raise, and I have only one key card.
Louk Verhees: 4. I have a piece of junk.
Timothy Wright: 4. Even though I opened light, it would be myopic not to try the control bid here.
Perry Khakhar: 4. I've seen enough insanity for one bidding sequence! Red, not an opener, stiff ace, etc. not cooperating any further!
Bill Treble: 4. Partner could have bid 3 to invite a cuebid, 4 demands a cuebid IMO. He knows I have a diamond control, I will cooperate once with 4 and put on the brakes thereafter.
|
| 2. IMPs. None vul.
| |
K 5 2
Q 8 6
Q 9 7
Q J 6 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
Pass
| |
|
3
(1)
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Preemptive.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 4
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 3
| 90
|
|
3NT
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 3
| 70
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
Moderator: The panel are faced with a myriad of poor choices. The edge goes to 4.
Steve Weinstein: 3. I've seen 4 be bad so often. I just can't do it.
Daniel Korbel: Pass. Impossible problem. Anything could be right depending on what partner has this time around and how the opponents' suits break and where their honors are. I'll guess to pass this time, but I'd be willing to change my vote for a chocolate chip cookie.
Larry Cohen: 3NT. I know that passing is right, but I don't have the stomach for it. I can live better with −50 or −100 than −470.
Kerri Sanborn: 4. Hopefully I can catch a five-card major or A K on lead, so the tap won't hurt.
Jill Meyers: 4. I'm not going to hang partner for making a takeout double, especially because we know that partner is short in diamonds. I am tempted to pass the double, and I might have at matchpoints. But give partner something like: A J x x K x x x K x x x x, and I don't think I want to be defending.
David Waterman: 4. Very tough.
Michael Dimich: 4. I can't sit for 3 doubled.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. This one again. If 3NT is a winner you need to bid it. Blame Hamman.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Not a pleasant decision to have to make.
Gabor Sandi: Pass. 3NT is far too risky. No likely fit. With 15 pts at most, the opps are unlikely to make 3.
Robert Sauve: 3NT. Played from the right side.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. If 3NT is a reasonable option, you should bid it.
Paul McMullin: 3. I see an uncomfortable 4-3 fit in our future.
Kf Tung: 3. Pass can bring a disaster. 3 cannot be too bad. Choose the lesser evil.
Louk Verhees: 4. Awful problem. Don't like pass, 3NT, 4.
John McAllister: 4. Saving from them making 3.
Timothy Wright: 4. These are not the droids, I mean, cards you are looking for.
Perry Khakhar: 3. Least of all evil bids?
Bill Treble: 4. Anything could be right. 4 works if partner has a five-card major, but probably results in a minus otherwise. If we don't have an eight-card major-suit fit, clubs is likely the best spot for us. Passing or bidding 3NT are both extreme views IMO.
Bob Todd: 4. Don't like any option.
|
| 3. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
10 7
Q
A K Q 4
K Q J 6 5 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 11
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 4
| 70
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority pattern out with 3.
Roger Lee: Dbl. 3 seems normal enough, but it paints us into a corner over partner's 3 continuation, while double gives us more room to figure out if we have the values for game.
Zachary Grossack: 3. Time to make a bigger bid as I have a bigger hand. 5 is there opposite the rounded aces which, after partner's 2 continuation, is a viable possibility.
David Waterman: 3. Worth 3 on values.
Michael Dimich: 3. Such a beautiful diamond suit deserves naming.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Not bypassing this suit. Probably raise 3 to 4.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Partner didn't open a weak two.
Robert Sauve: 3. The Q is working.
Larry Meyer: 3. This hand is strong enough to reverse and bid out its shape.
Paul McMullin: 3. Do ANY challenge hands EVER have favorable vul?
Kf Tung: 3. Partner can bid 3, 3N, 4 or 4 if he wants to do so.
Louk Verhees: 3. Seems like a no-brainer.
John McAllister: 3. Good hand, not sure what to do and we're vul.
Timothy Wright: 3. 3 could be right but 3 shows pattern and strength like I have here.
Perry Khakhar: 3. This may be headed for a bad misfit, and I may go for a number, but I can't make myself pass with this hand.
Bill Treble: 3. This is a good hand, and this is the most straightforward way to show it.
|
| 4. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A K 10 9 8 7 5 3
K 9
J 10 2
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 10
| 100
|
|
5
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority bide their time over this passed-hand preempt.
Mel Colchamiro: 5. I know East probably has 11 cards in the round suits given his original pass and so suits may not break well, but for better or worse, I'm going to insist on spades as trump and I don't mean below slam. Relatively speaking, I have a monster. If diamonds would make a better trump suit (assuming 2 showed at least five), too bad. A K 10 9-eighth ain't chopped liver.
August Boehm: Pass. Seems an unrealistic problem: How often does a passed hand preempt? Anyway, because all actions look flawed, I'll pass and perhaps learn something useful.
Barry Rigal: 4. I'm sure there are many alternatives, but I do not see them. I have only one eye: I have a right to be blind sometimes.
David Waterman: 4. Best of a bad lot.
Michael Dimich: Pass. I have such a strong playing hand but lack 4 diamonds. A forcing pass to allow partner to further describe their hand.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Too good for 4. If 5 was exclusion that might be an option. If not and he doesn't have a heart control we'll get nothing from his 5 bid. So it's time for a space saving forcing pass.
Larry Meyer: 4. He who knows, goes.
Paul McMullin: 4. Eight card suits ARE rebiddable!
Kf Tung: 6. 12 tricks in spades are likely.
Louk Verhees: 5. It seems like much. Could be an overbid. Could pass and bid 4 later.
John McAllister: Pass. Another tough one!
Timothy Wright: 5. I can't pull out the Al Roth abstention card here. At least it's IMPs, so I am less worried about spades and diamonds each making 5.
Perry Khakhar: 4. This was always going to be my bid, so why not. The decision will be over the 5 continuation.
Bill Treble: 6. Let's shoot the puck.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A 8
A Q J 10 8 7 4
10 6 5
7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
Rdbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 9
| 100
|
|
3
| 4
| 80
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 60
|
|
2
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The majority head straight to game before the enemy finds their footing.
Daniel Korbel: Pass. We do have a minimum, but our defensive values are pretty good. I can decide later what to do. I certainly won't pass 2 doubled. I can live with a jump to 3.
Josh Donn: 3. Isn't this what the books say for this bid? Strong hands pass first, so 3 now is a minimum with great hearts and excellent playing strength.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. . . seems descriptive and it prevents the opponents from finding a potential sacrifice.
David Waterman: Pass. Too strong in playing strength to bid right away.
Michael Dimich: 2. I have lots of hearts and perhaps 2 tricks in defense. Bidding in front of your partner is usually not wise but this hand is an exception.
Christopher Diamond: 4. Who knows? But this will probably make.
Robert Sauve: 4. Not interested in defending.
Larry Meyer: 2. Make it harder for West to re-enter the auction.
Paul McMullin: 2. There is a flaw/feature in my hand, so I better describe it for partner.
Kf Tung: 4. I can make 10 tricks with what partner gives me.
Timothy Wright: 4. Getting to 4 before the opps can figure out the hand.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. 7 trick game? More concerned about what to do over the next couple of bids. I am not ashamed of my opener, else I'd bid 2.
Bill Treble: 3. 2.5 hearts, actually. This should advertise a seven-trick hand or thereabouts. With more in the way of high cards, I could pass and then jump to 3.
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