TGIF January 2025: Scores
| 1. Board-a-Match. Both vul.
|
A K 8 6 2
7 6 4
Q 3 2
J 8
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
3
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 12
| 100
|
|
4
| 0
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 60
|
|
5
| 0
| 50
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Congratulations to our very own Michael Dimich, who came 5th overall for IYC 2024 ACBL-Wide!
Steve Robinson: Dbl. . . responsive. I want to show my five spades. If I had six, I'd bid 4 directly. If partner bids 4, I'll bid 4 and partner will know that I have only five spades and he won't pass without three. Otherwise, we'll get to 5.
Michael Dimich: 4. Plus 500 versus plus 620 or more.
Christopher Diamond: 4. It'd be nice to get the spades in but see no way, except maybe an off shape negative Dbl.
Larry Meyer: 4. Support with support.
Allan Simon: 4. No guarantee but at BAM it's worth a shot.
Paul McMullin: 4. This should imply diamond support.
Bruce Rogoff: Dbl. Planning to bid 4 over 4-red to offer a choice. We're risking a minus score, especially against frisky opponents who may have only 9 clubs, but I think it's worth overbidding a bit to find spades. Preempts are annoying!
Hendrik Sharples: 4. If I bid 4 partner has spades; if I bid 4 RHO has 4 more spades then my partner.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Dbl. Responsive. 4 is most often wrong if you don't find pard with at least 3 spades. Pull 4 to 4 to describe the hand type as 5 spades and acceptable diamond support.
Kf Tung: 4. 5 spades, 2 key cards, and can play 5 if partner wants to do so.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Most flexible; correct 4 to 4.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A J
K 7 5 3
K 6 3
9 5 3 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 10
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 1
| 70
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The vast majority double, angling to play 3 of a minor.
Kerri Sanborn: 2NT. My second choice is a responsive double.
Josh Donn: Dbl. . . pulling 2 to 3. If partner has the singleton heart opponents are advertising and only four spades, as double implies, then we must have a fit in a minor.
Michael Dimich: Pass. If partner doubles again, they are going for a ride. If partner had a weak takeout double and passes you still might get 200.
Christopher Diamond: 2NT. Hate it, but I have too much to pass.
Larry Meyer: 2NT. Show my heart stopper and my lack of interest in spades.
Allan Simon: Dbl. Responsive. If it turns out bad I'll blame partner. The bid I really hate is 3NT. Sorry, Mr Hamman.
Paul McMullin: 2NT. I feel like I should show some values.
Bruce Rogoff: 2NT. Natural, I hope. Not ideal but seems the least flawed. If pard thinks it's takeout for minors that may not be a disaster.
Hendrik Sharples: 2NT. I hope bidding 2NT natural is still legal.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Pass. A defensive hand. The 3-level is far from safe and the opps will never compete wrongly at the 3-level here. Pass again if pard reopens with a double. If wrong, so be it.
Kf Tung: 2NT. This is our hand. 3N is on the horizon.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Passing could easily be right.
Bob Todd: Dbl. Several unpleasant choices. I double and pull 2 to 3. Maybe partner bids clubs or diamonds.
Gareth Birdsall: 3. Assuming 2N is Leb, this shows extras.
|
| 3. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
K 6 5
A J 10 8 3
9 8 4 3
7
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 4
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 3
| 90
|
|
3
| 2
| 80
|
|
3
| 2
| 80
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: This problem was posed to me by David Waterman. It caused such a stir amongst my friends, that I sent it to the ACBL to cause a stir there also. The panel's opinions were diverse to say the least. Thanks, David!
Amber Lin: 3. . . a natural-ish 'punt' bid and game forcing. All bids over 3 are game forcing. I think 3 is more accurate because it implies diamond weakness, but I like that partner can still bid 3 over 3 and 9 8 4 3 isn't a bad stopper. Maybe it throws off the lead, too. I don't mind playing in hearts opposite honour-x with my nice interiors.
Daniel Korbel: 3. I don't feel very good about this one. I doubt partner will raise me to 4 since he has denied holding four spades.
Larry Cohen: 3NT. If there are nine tricks in both clubs and notrump, I'll take the extra 490 points. If there are only eight, it will be the same minus 100.
August Boehm: 3. 3 will elicit three-card heart support, but a decent heart doubleton makes 4 playable, e.g., A Q x Q x x x A K x x x x, a minimum without a useful singleton diamond.
Zachary Grossack: Pass. Hard problem. I tend to go low on the jump rebids in a minor; here, I don't have a fitting card and only 8 points. I feel like in the modern era, 3NT goes down three a lot more than it makes with my cards. But it also depends on who's bidding that 3. Bridge really is a situation-dependent game.
Michael Dimich: 3. The suit is good enough to rebid so let partner make the next bid.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Pushy to try to find a heart fit.
Larry Meyer: Pass. End the bidding on this misfit.
Allan Simon: 3NT. I expect this will be unanimous.
Paul McMullin: 3. Hoping partner will show heart tolerance.
Bruce Rogoff: 3. Just enough to keep the auction alive despite the potential misfit. Hoping for delayed heart support.
Hendrik Sharples: 3. Partner can punt 3. Is my spade card critical for 3NT?
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. Convenient. Pard will then choose between 3, 3 and 3NT.
Kf Tung: 3. Natural. Partner can bid to show more.
Louk Verhees: Pass. Depends a lot on style and agreements. Close call between pass and bidding 3. Target game likely is 4.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
K Q
A 8 5 3
A J 10 9 8 5
3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 9
| 100
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
2
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: The majority aim for the fairway with a 3 invite.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. Possibly an overbid, but I have a nice hand.
Barry Rigal: 3. I am not sure this will be unanimous, but I suspect a majority will go for the middle course between the wild optimists driving to game or splintering, and going low.
Steve Robinson: 4. With East bidding clubs, there's a very good chance that partner will have something in the other suits, even if he's weak: J x x x K Q x x x x x x x has a play for 4. If partner is thinking about slam, he can try with 4 (the artificial last train) and I will reject.
Michael Dimich: 3. The 2 bid makes it more likely we have values in 3 suits. It also shuts out West if they have 5 spades and a club fit.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Good playing strength.
Larry Meyer: 3. Cue bid then support hearts to show 4-card trump support and slam interest.
Allan Simon: 3. Too weak for 4. 4 is wrong (IMHO) because I want to tell partner it is OUR hand so I can make a forcing pass if they sac in 5.
Paul McMullin: 4. Partner should upgrade any diamond honors.
Bruce Rogoff: 3. Clearly short of splintering values, so this is enough.
Hendrik Sharples: 3. I'd bid 4 at IMPs. Maybe I should here as well.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. Too strong for 2 but not quite good enough for 4 or any forcing bids.
Kf Tung: 2. 140, 170 or 620? Let's climb from 110.
Louk Verhees: 3. Too light for a splinter. A touch heavy for 3. Also style matters.
Bob Todd: 3. 2 seems too little unless you have treatments.
|
| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
3
A 10 3
A 10 8 3
A 10 5 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 7
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 90
|
|
5
| 0
| 50
|
|
4NT
| 0
| 40
|
|
4
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Is this too much of the flexible double? The panel doesn't think so.
Janice Molson: Dbl. Seems like 3NT might be our best game. 4 is the only other choice.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. I want to emphasize that I have a great hand for clubs.
Michael Dimich: Dbl. You want to leave bidding options open for your opponents and your partner.
Christopher Diamond: Dbl. Lots of choices that could work out badly. Do I convert 4 to 5?
Larry Meyer: 4. Cue bid to show good trump support and force to game.
Allan Simon: 4. I think that's what I would bid in real life.
Paul McMullin: 4. I like my tens; direct 6 my second choice.
Bruce Rogoff: Dbl. Worried that 3NT might be the last making game, so I'm forced into an uncomfortable double. I'll correct 4 to 5. 4 is tempting but that could turn out very badly when pard has only three clubs.
Hendrik Sharples: Dbl. Hope partner doesn't leave it in.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Dbl. I don't wont to abandon 3NT or a minor slam and I have a rescue in 5 in case pard bids 4 on a weak suit. Marty Bergen recommends 3NT before 4M when pard makes a negative double.
Kf Tung: 5. Our game is 5.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Don't see a sensible other choice.
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