TGIF December 2008: Scores
| 1. IMPs. N-S vul.
|
8
A J 7
10 8 7 5
A K J 8 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
3NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4NT
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 60
|
|
5NT
| 2
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 40
|
|
4
| 2
| 20
|
|
5
| 0
| 0
|
|
6
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: After a three-level preempt, a 3NT overcall has a wide range. It could contain 15 to 21 HCP or even a long diamond suit with a stopper in the opponent's suit. Nearly half the panel bid 4NT, an invitation to slam.
Allan Falk: 4. In SAYC, 4 is surely natural and forcing. Most experts, however, would play this as conventional, asking partner to describe which category of 3NT hand they hold.
Richard Freeman: 4. I'll pass 4NT from partner and raise five of a suit to six.
The Sutherlins: 4NT. We don't have enough to insist on slam and too much to pass. Partner can suggest playing in a suit if he bids more.
The Coopers: 4. We want to tell partner that we are slammish with the minor suits.
Eugene Chan: Pass. .. opposite aggressive partners. Quantitative 4NT otherwise. Since my partners bid too much (and underdeclare) PASS!
Mark Eddy: 4. Possible slams are 6 6NT 7 7NT... pard has a running diamond suit, so we need to find out about that A. I'll start with 4 and jump-Q 5 over a 4 response; if pard can't Q with 5, I guess we'll land safely in 6.
Stuart Carr: 4. I sure hope this is Gerber. Will bid 6NT opposite 1 or 2 aces.
John Hurdle: 4. I expect to raise partner's minor next. Would quit if partner signed off in 4NT.
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. Straightforward slam try that should allow partner to make a good judgment.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. This is a terrible bidding question for a bidding contest when all the experts last month couldn't come to terms on the agreement and meaning of 4 in these auctions when pard bids 3NT. Some said Gerber, some Stayman, some natural. Pass by default.
David Schmidt: 4. I am not willing to give up on a slam just yet but don't know what action to take.
Mike Hamilton: 4NT. 3NT is natural with a spade stopper and rates to hold Q-x-x in a strong hand with the heart fillers to produce 3-4 heart tricks and 5 club tricks. I raise quantitatively in case he is light. I have entries for leads if our contract needs a finesse.
Larry Meyer: 4. Show slam interest and a club control.
David Breton: 4. Suit oriented slam try, if partner next bids 4NT I will give up.
Julien Levesque: 4. Opposite my pard's 3NT over a preempt, my most forcing bid stands to be 4 asking pard to further describe their hand. Pard rates to hold a long diamond suit.
Mike Roberts: 5NT. I'm driving to slam. This might avoid 6NT off the spade AK.
Paul Mcmullin: 4. This BETTER be Gerber! (If he bids a confused 5, I'll bid 6NT.)
Chris Buchanan: Pass. Bidding is far too often bad news. Partner holding spade values does not interest me in a minor slam.
Brian Zietman: 4. We must get to slam so a cue bid seems to give the best option.
Chris Diamond: 4. Popular answer is likely to be 4 but would like to show slam interest with a spade control, which almost has to be shortness. Allows us to get to a minor suit slam when pard's spade stopper is Qxx(x).
Tim Francis-Wright: 4NT. If partner has a minimum, then 4NT should still be safe and we may not make slam in clubs.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A Q J 8 4
---
A K 6
K J 9 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
4
| |
|
Pass
|
5
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
6
| 9
| 100
|
|
6
| 4
| 90
|
|
5
| 3
| 60
|
|
5NT
| 1
| 20
|
|
6
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: You have a strong hand, and as the bidding proceeds, it starts looking stronger. Partner could have signed off in 4, but he offered 5. What is that?
August Boehm: 5. It seems doubtful we can bid a slam, but I don't see any harm in trying. The problem was the premature 4 bid. A 4 bid would have alerted partner to upgrade a club fit.
Larry Cohen: 6. Partner has shown life. He presumably has the K and the Q. We could belong in 6, but he would probably take a 6 bid as a try for seven.
Steve Robinson: 6. Not sure what 5 is, but if partner has long diamonds, we could make more tricks in that suit because hearts can be ruffed in the short (trump) hand.
Kerri Sanborn: 6. Partner must have some good fitting cards and a diamond suit. With lots of hands partner could hold, I wouldn't want to play 6, but 6 looks pretty good, for example: 10 3 2 7 4 3 Q J 10 7 3 A Q.
Eugene Chan: 6. I invited slam and partner confirmed interest.
Mark Eddy: 5. I can't quite give up slam yet... all I need from pard is the K and Q.
John Hurdle: 6. I hope this caters to whatever partner is up to.
Aidan Ballantyne: 6. May even make a grand in diamonds but 6 now is too confusing. Playing in diamonds allows declarer a choice of spades or clubs as a secondary suit to develop tricks. Ruffing one or more hearts also creates extra tricks when diamonds are trumps.
Martin Henneberger: 5. Partner's 5 is shortness as I am looking at the A K. It also denies a club control. My 5 confirms no hearts losers and also not 2 club losers. Pard should bid 6 with the K and Q now.
Mike Hamilton: 5. Partner didn’t cue-bid clubs. We may have 2 club losers, no matter how good the diamond fit, if he has club rags and the opening lead isn’t a club. At IMPs I sign off. Half the time I lose when slam makes and half the time I win when it doesn’t.
Stephen Ottridge: 5. The clubs look vulnerable.
Larry Meyer: 6. Accept pard's slam invitation - expect to lose 1 club trick.
David Breton: 6. Because of the tap slam may depend on trumps breaking. It may also require dodging a club ruff and finding the Q in dummy, heck you may even need the T. My kind of odds.
Mike Roberts: 5. Assuming diamond shortness opposite, this isn't so hot unless partner has the Q. How else can I ask?
Bob Todd: 6. Having forced this high I may as well give partner a 3 suit choice.
Paul Mcmullin: 6. I don't know WHAT 5 was, but it had to be SOMEHOW forward going (4 should have been partner's big if he stretched to bid 2 earlier).
David Gordon: 6. I was hoping to hear a 5 bid but this should be on a finesse at worst.
Chris Buchanan: 5. I still can not bid 6 as I still need a spade card and Q. Partner's singleton diamond gives me hope as long as there is no wasted heart values in partner's hand. 5 should indicate a ticket in clubs but still needing help outside of the reds.
Brian Zietman: 6. What does partner's 5 mean? Void in diamonds? I would have bid 6 before not to give the opponents any more information.
Chris Diamond: 5. Pard denied A, but he could have Q and K, so I'll try 1 more time.
Tim Francis-Wright: 5. Not the cue-bid I was looking for. Partner seems to be 4-4-0-5 without the A.
|
| 3. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A Q 10 5 3
K 10 6 5 2
10 7 2
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
3
(1)
| ? |
| (1) At least 5-5 in clubs and a major.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 8
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 80
|
|
4
| 1
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
3
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: The opponent has five cards in one of your majors, but you can't tell which one. You have to act, however, because if you pass, the auction could end.
Barry Rigal: 3. I'll bid both majors and see what happens, probably something ending in 00 for one side or the other.
Jill Meyers: Pass. I hate this problem. Please don't deal me these cards at the table. My second choice after pass is 3.
Karen Walker: 3. A negative double is way too dangerous and 4 would be a diamond raise. So I'm stuck with making natural bids in my long suits.
Brad Bart: 3. It would be ideal if 4 was for both majors, but of course I am dreaming.
Eugene Chan: Dbl. Same action as if RHO bid unusual 2NT.
Mark Eddy: 3. I think it's best to bid naturally in these situations.
John Hurdle: Dbl. Negative, because 3 is natural (ish). This is in contrast to the penalty orientation of doubles of artificial interventions.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Perhaps will have opportunity to show hearts next or maybe raise diamonds. Double is ambiguous given the meaning of 3. Probably they forgot their convention but I will try to bid out my hand rather than just angle for the director's adjustment.
Martin Henneberger: 3. Will follow up with 4 unless pard raises spades. Overbidding with 5/5 and a fit for pard seems right. Passing or doubling certainly does not.
David Schmidt: 4. This should ask partner to bid a major if he has one. If not, I can support a game in diamonds.
Mike Hamilton: 4. On this auction, partner has to have a genuine suit. At least one major is breaking badly, but which one? Cue-bid your club control and hope West’s response helps clarify major-suit holdings. You can support game in diamonds or the mystery major.
Bonny Lee: Pass. Sounds like a bad trump break for either major game.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Show values, plus at least one of RHO's suits under control.
David Breton: 4. 4 will get you to your best fit and perhaps a big minus. But I like to bid all the time.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. It's an odd convention to defend against, but this is still a negative double, isn't it?
Paul Mcmullin: 3. If 3 gets passed out, it will probably be the right contract, even WITH the apparent good placing of my major suit honors.
David Gordon: Dbl. Still a negative dbl of clubs.
Chris Buchanan: 3. Natural.
Brian Zietman: Pass. Let's wait and see how this develops. Could be interesting. :)
Chris Diamond: Pass. Pass never wins in bidding contests, but I can't guarantee anything and 3 is high risk, low reward. If double were somehow negative I'd make it.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. Two can play at this 5-5 game!
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A 2
10 8 7
A Q 10 9
10 8 6 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1NT
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 70
|
|
2
| 3
| 40
|
|
2
| 1
| 20
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 10
|
|
Moderator: You had some values, but no convenient bid. Should you raise with only two-card support? Should you bid 1NT without a stopper?
Grant Baze: 2. I owe partner a bid, and 2 makes the most sense.
Betty Ann Kennedy: 1NT. This is an awkward hand with no good bid available.
Mike Lawrence: 1NT. I bid 1NT, but have full sympathy for those bidding 2.
Jeff Meckstroth: 2. I'm a spade short for my bid, but I have a great hand for partner.
Eugene Chan: 2. Some panelists won't like my wimpy raise. (Remember, my partners overbid and underdeclare.)
Mark Eddy: 1NT. Stoppers are over-rated... it's always right to bid NT. :P
John Hurdle: 1NT. Too strong to pass, inadequate for other advances. Partner should not unilaterally raise to 3NT with a good hand and weak hearts.
Aidan Ballantyne: 1NT. These days this is almost like a semi-forcing notrump. Anyway, bidding notrump without a stopper always seems to get a good score in this contest. Cue bid is okay too.
Martin Henneberger: 2. This hand is worth 1 bid unless pard can further encourage. A-x is like 3 small so a simple 2 raise is the best action for this hand.
David Schmidt: 2. Pass is not an option so I'm stuck with a choice of bad bids.
Mike Hamilton: 2. In a competitive auction, this is lead-directing. I have adequate spade support for a vulnerable overcall and my 2½ QT should prove useful on offence or defence. Let’s see what the next round of bidding brings.
Stephen Ottridge: 1NT. Let North decide on clubs or diamonds. If he has 6 spades that's ok too.
Bonny Lee: 2. For lead purposes.
Larry Meyer: 2. Quality of diamond suit is adequate compensation for only 4-card suit.
David Breton: 2. The HCPs tell me to bid but if partner has a minimum I'd rather be in spades than diamonds.
Julien Levesque: 1NT. A bit cheeky without a stopper.
Mike Roberts: 2. If I'm going to lie, I might as well get my lead director in.
Bob Todd: 2. I'll put a club in my spades!
Paul Mcmullin: 2. If 2 isn't a limit raise, then I'll call 2, which should be forward-going and forcing.
David Gordon: 2. Lesser of all evils. Give partner a chance.
Chris Buchanan: 2. This sucks, but so does passing, raising or bidding NT.
Brian Zietman: 2. Game is unlikely but I must give partner another bid.
Chris Diamond: 2. I'd like to transfer to diamonds and rebid 2, hardly perfect but at least it tells a story. Unfortunately I can't, so 2..extra values, shorter trumps.
Tim Francis-Wright: 1NT. I am not wild about this, but it is right on point count, and it feels better than a raise to 2 on a doubleton and no ruffing value.
|
| 5. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A K 7
7 4 3
J 10 9 8 7 6 5
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
(1)
| ? |
| (1) If you respond 1NT, it is not forcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 8
| 100
|
|
3
| 4
| 80
|
|
2
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
1NT
| 1
| 30
|
|
3
| 0
| 0
|
|
4
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: The big question here was: how many hearts to bid? Or maybe the pre-big question should've been: should we bid hearts at all?
The Colchamiros: 3. We'll take the middle ground with a limit raise.
Eugene Chan: 4. My 7 loser hand plus partner's 7 losers = game!
Mark Eddy: 1. I'm glad 1NT isn't forcing? But I hope 1 is... this could play anywhere from 2 to 6...
Gilbert Lambert: 2. If 1NT is not forcing, 2 is not game force. This was a tough set! (*_*)
John Hurdle: 2. Happy that partner won't expect full Two-over-One values. It's the right bid anyway.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Perhaps I will get a chance to bid diamonds next, over their expected 3 intervention.
Martin Henneberger: 2. Is this a trick question? Lol I have an 8 count 3 crappy trumps, no idea if my void is useful, what else?
Mike Hamilton: 2. This hand has pluses and minuses depending on the bidding. I can provide 3-4 tricks in a heart contract so I’ll compete. If partner is solid in the red suits, we have a slam, but we’ll need at least one more round of bidding to find out.
Stephen Ottridge: 4. North will like my 4 tricks.
Larry Meyer: 4. Not much HCP, but great playing strength.
David Breton: 3. With a control rich hand, it must be right to push at IMPS.
Mike Roberts: 1. This IS forcing.
Bob Todd: 2. Why would I respond 1NT?
Paul Mcmullin: 2. The A K is sorta wasted being in the short suit... if partner rebids 2, I'll try 3, but I'm planning 4 over any other call by partner.
David Gordon: 2. If 1NT not forcing then 2 is not game force. Temporize with 2 and support hearts at cheapest level.
Chris Buchanan: 2. 2 even if 1NT was forcing. I am not an advocate of raising on 3 rags, but partner will not be disappointed in my hand if they choose to bid further.
Brian Zietman: 4. Not the classical hand for such a bid but I don't want to miss game here.
Chris Diamond: 2. This hand is going to take some tricks, I just don't know how many. I will probably end up bidding game no matter what, but if by chance pard has a great diamond/heart fit maybe slam is on.
Tim Francis-Wright: 2. With this sort of hand, shading the 2 call is worthwhile because returning to hearts implies a 3-card limit raise.
Susan Julius: 3. Playing mini-splinters, the least lie might be 3, given the spade strength.
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