TGIF February 2025: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. None vul.
|
K Q 9 2
K 10 8 7 4
A J 9 5
---
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 6
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 90
|
|
4
| 1
| 70
|
|
3
| 3
| 60
|
|
5
| 0
| 30
|
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2NT
| 0
| 20
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Moderator: This month's problems were originally posted on Bridge Winners as bidding polls by our master scorer, Karen Walker.
Roger Lee: 4. . . a splinter. I don't see an auction that allows us to confidently stop in 3NT or 4, so I'd rather just overbid a little and get this hand off my chest.
Jill Meyers: 2. I don't play that 3 is forcing in this auction. 4 would be forcing, but I think that emphasizes strength in hearts and diamonds, plus it takes up a lot of room. I play that the only splinter available in a 2/1 auction is in the opponents' suit, so my choice is 2. I can support diamonds next time around.
Josh Donn: 3. I have a lot of playiing strength for this bid, but I seem to have the wrong cards in the majors and I don't want to shoot beyond 3NT in case there is a spade ruff or two lurking.
Michael Dimich: 3. Give partner room to show delayed 3-card support for hearts and a forward going hand.
David Waterman: 4. Too good for 3. 2 leads to unclear auctions.
Christopher Diamond: 3. A bit early to make a decision. 3NT might be best or we might be on for a diamond slam.
Robert Sauve: 4. Last chance to show club shortness.
Larry Meyer: 2. Show a hand that has good trump support for partner and is better than a min opener.
Perry Khakhar: 3. Instead of driving this towards 6, I'd like to see if we can get to 3NT. Maybe pard asks with 3!
Timothy Wright: 2. We are playing with a 30-point deck.
Paul McMullin: 3. Too many values in opponents' suit to be excited yet; the club void makes me wary of a NT bid.
Bruce Rogoff: 2. I fear 3 isn't forcing, so I'll start with 2 to create a force before raising. Staying low will allow us to hear about heart support, though I hope he doesn't have it.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 4. 2 may lead to a superior 3NT if pard can bid 3. 3 is non-forcing, but may turn out well no matter pard's response. But A J x x support and a void is screaming splinter.
John McAllister: 4. Of course it's matchpoints.
Louk Verhees: 2. Most flexible.
Kf Tung: 3. Move on. Partner will catch the ball.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A Q J 9 7 6
A Q
5
K 9 8 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
1
| |
|
2
|
2
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 8
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 4
| 70
|
|
4
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 60
|
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4
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
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3
| 1
| 50
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|
Moderator: The majority cuebid to set up a force.
Daniel Korbel: Dbl. This should be showing extras. Partner can rebid a six-card suit or show me a doubleton spade.
Kerri Sanborn: 4. What a nice hand I have! I must admit, I think it was good enough to double, then bid spades. Let's at least set up a force with the cue. Don't know what happens from here.
Michael Dimich: 3. I have a great 6-card spade suit.
David Waterman: 4. Hard to tell if hearts will play better than spades. This is our best chance to find out.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Decisions, decisions. I'd like to pass and listen but I might be listening higher if they raise the preempt. So I'll emphasis the spades and hope to back into hearts.
Larry Meyer: 4. Force to game while leaving the choice of trump suit open.
Perry Khakhar: 3. This hand needs to be played from my side. x x in partner's hand will do.
Paul McMullin: 4. Keep the auction open; not sure where it is going.
Bruce Rogoff: 4. Should prompt partner to pick our best major.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Dbl. Double brings at once all 3 suits into play. Best strategy and perfect for the actual hand.
John McAllister: 4. Barf.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Tough one; double keeps all options open. Just hope partner doesn't pass randomly.
Kf Tung: 4. 10 black cards and extra strength.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
K J 10 5 4
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A Q
K Q 10 9 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
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|
|
1
| |
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4
|
Dbl
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Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 4
| 100
|
|
5
| 4
| 90
|
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4
| 3
| 70
|
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6
| 2
| 70
|
|
5NT
| 1
| 60
|
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Pass
| 1
| 0
|
|
Moderator: A problem with several reasonable options. Walker favoured 5 because it tells partner you have spades and gives him a clear choice. It has to be forcing to at least 6 or 6, and unlike 5, it doesn't make him guess why you like your hand so much.
Steve Weinstein: 5. This is the easy part. Not looking forward to my next bid. But after partner's inevitable 5, I think 5 should be forcing since partner's double doesn't promise spades.
Larry Cohen: 6. It's hard to imagine partner having only two spades, and I really want to play it from my side. I'm giving up on the unlikely seven.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. We certainly might make a slam, but there are no assurances. So I will settle for a plus score.
Barry Rigal: 5. . . a standout action. The lack of space in this auction means it really cannot just be about diamond control, and partner is likely to have one anyway. Yes, a jump to 6 is a reasonable alternative.
Michael Dimich: 5. Over 5 I will bid 5 (slam interest).
David Waterman: 4. Let's try to find the right strain before guessing at the level.
Christopher Diamond: 5. 4 seems a bit wimpy. Correct 5 to 5 and hope he gets the message.
Stuart Carr: 7. Hope partner has the black aces.
Larry Meyer: 5. Show slam interest and first round control of diamonds.
Perry Khakhar: 6. Sometimes, there is no science left!
Timothy Wright: 5. I want to set trumps and show extras.
Paul McMullin: 5. Nice 4 preempt! Maybe I should try Blackwood (what would be the 'suit' if we use RKC)?
Bruce Rogoff: 5. Just what it sounds like: lots of black cards, looking for slam. We may get too high opposite Q x x x A K J x x - J x x x, but my hand is just too good to do less.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 5. Showing pard a black 2-suiter is the best you can do. Slam has to be odds on so I cannot bring myself to bid only 4. What about 5? Not without tolerance for hearts. Pard doesn't promise both majors.
Louk Verhees: 5. 5NT would give up on 7 to make it easier to get to the best spot. With 5, you get to 7 easier.
Bob Todd: 5. Partner may have perfect cards or mostly heart cards.
Kf Tung: 5. Invite 6 or 6.
Gareth Birdsall: 6. Don't want to wrongside it.
|
| 4. IMPs. None vul.
| |
K Q 10 2
4
A 9 7
K Q J 8 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
Rdbl
|
1
|
1
| |
|
2
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 9
| 100
|
|
3
| 6
| 80
|
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3
| 0
| 60
|
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Dbl
| 0
| 30
|
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Moderator: We may have gone astray earlier in the auction. How do we recover?
Steve Robinson: 3. I don't know why I bid 1, because that shows a weak opening bid --- same hand without the A. I plan on bidding clubs next.
Mel Colchamiro: 3. I am not so sure 1 was the way to go over 1 --- maybe pass is better? The panel will smugly double here because it's obviously takeout, but I don't have such an agreement and I don't believe IYC does either. 3 shows my fifth club and if partner insists on diamonds, who knows? It might be the winning strain.
Brad Bart: 3. Feels odd to have bid 1 here.
Michael Dimich: 3. Bid my black suit shape and let partner make an intelligent bid.
David Waterman: 3. Double by pard at previous turn would be penalty, as would double by me now. Bid out my pattern and he will know what to do. We are getting to game somewhere.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Double into their 8-card or longer fit seems risky so I'll pattern out.
Robert Sauve: 3. Show my shape.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Cannot sell out to 2, but need partner's help to decide the trump suit.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. Pard knows everything about my hand except for the extra values. I know very little about his hand. This will bring it all into picture.
Timothy Wright: 3. I want to force to game but let partner know not to count on me for hearts.
Paul McMullin: Dbl. I have extras --- What does partner want to do?
Bruce Rogoff: Dbl. I already showed heart shortness by bidding directly over 1. Double now just shows a good hand.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. Without wastage in hearts, 5 looks OK. 1 shows shortness in hearts and no penalty interest. Consequently, pard waits over 2 with a limited 3(43)3.
Louk Verhees: 3. Assuming partner's Dbl of 2 would have been penalty.
Kf Tung: 3. Can you bid 3N?
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
Q 9 7 4 3
A Q
K 10 2
A 9 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
3
|
Pass
|
3NT
| |
|
4
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4NT
| 12
| 100
|
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Pass
| 3
| 80
|
|
Dbl
| 0
| 50
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: A favourite problem of Walker's, because almost everyone on the panel went for the red sacrifice ... in notrump no less. Until this problem, she has never seen a hand and auction where that seemed right.
Jill Meyers: Pass. I don't think we are making 5 and I don't know if they are making 4. I fleetingly thought of bidding 4, but my spades are too bad and although I think 4 is choice of games, 4 is too fatuous with my scanty spade holding.
Zachary Grossack: 4NT. Might even be a double game swing, for all I know. And I am sitting when they double, thank you very much. Hopefully partner knows that we don't joke around with vulnerable preempts. If not, they can expect a timely discussion on preempt style in the postmortem.
Michael Dimich: 4NT. Taking the sack against 4.
David Waterman: Pass. Good problem. At IMPs I bid 4NT. I try for my most likely plus.
Christopher Diamond: 4NT. Who knows maybe down 2 is a good save. Probably don't have enough stuff to beat 4.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Need partner's help to decide if we should declare or defend.
Perry Khakhar: 4NT. We don't know whether 9 makes! This is just raising the stakes by one trick.
Timothy Wright: 4NT. West may be endplayed on opening lead.
Paul McMullin: Pass. Not hanging partner after his preempt.
Bruce Rogoff: 4NT. Could be a good save against 4 making. I hope West has an automatic 4 bid: would be depressing to think I'm the only one facing this annoying problem.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Pass. 4NT may be a good save IF clubs are running and IF 4 cannot be defeated. But good chances for running clubs and not so good defensive perspectives against 4, so 4NT is OK.
John McAllister: Dbl. I've been wrong before.
Louk Verhees: 4NT. Dbl could be right but not clear even we beat that.
Bob Todd: 4NT. This may be a good sac.
Kf Tung: 4NT. To play.
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