TGIF August 2025: Scores
| 1. IMPs. N-S vul.
|
K 7 5
K Q J
K Q 8 4 2
6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 10
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 6
| 70
|
|
Dbl
| 0
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: To bid or to stay out? That is the question. The majority opt for Pass.
Jeff Meckstroth: 2NT. More descriptive than a takeout double. It is somewhat risky, but our most likely game is 3NT and it is equally risky not to bid.
Sheri Winestock: Pass. All actions have flaws. 2NT does not have the requisite high-card strength, and the J is further paper. Double lacks a fourth spade plus not enough clubs (especially if not playing equal level conversion). 3 suggests a more robust suit than K Q 8 x x or compensating values which don't exist. Pass will be a loser when partner has three hearts and just not enough to act, but the auction is not over yet.
Michael Dimich: Pass. You will defend unless partner is able to balance.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Close because of the 5-card suit but pard will stretch as well. He can balance with short hearts and some values.
Gabor Sandi: 3. You bid 2NT, and the opponents take 5 club tricks off the top plus one or two aces.
Larry Meyer: 2NT. Tell partner that I have hearts stopped.
Perry Khakhar: 2NT. No great options! I'll try this one.
Paul McMullin: Pass. This aceless wonder is going to disappoint partner if the auction goes any higher, so I will stay home.
Bruce Rogoff: Pass. I'd chance 2 if the pointed suits were reversed. Taking action here is begging for trouble.
Lars Erik Bergerud: Pass. No aces and only 3 spades suggest Pass rather than Double. Want better suit quality for 3.
Louk Verhees: 2NT. I hate every call really.
Bob Todd: Pass. If we have anything, partner will balance.
Kf Tung: Pass. If we have a spot partner will bid.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
---
A J 9 2
Q 10 9 6 4 3 2
J 8
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
3
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
5
| 5
| 80
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The panel's antennae are up on this deal. Where are all the spades? Partner must have some and yet they doubled.
Janice Molson: 4. Something very wrong here. Partner has spades, but not a 3NT bid. I guess I am bidding canape on this hand.
Roger Lee: 4. I think my LHO has some spades and is worried about pushing us into a slam, and I think they're right.
James Holzhauer: 5. . . but I don't feel great about it. Partner rates to not be short in spades, so he may have a balanced hand too strong for 3NT.
Michael Dimich: 5. West has 4 spades and didn't raise. The only reason is that they have 4 good hearts for defense.
Christopher Diamond: 5. Where did the spades go? Pard probably has a few and 4 might be hard to handle.
David Hooey: 4. Too easy. What am I missing?
Larry Meyer: 4. Likely the same number of losers in either red suit.
Perry Khakhar: 4. I'm afraid 4 is too wimpy. Maybe partner has 5 hearts.
Paul McMullin: 4. I like the shapeliness, but do not think I have the values to try anything more exciting.
Bruce Rogoff: 5. Partner has some spade length but didn't try 3N, so he shouldn't have much wastage there. Hearts could be a problem if he doesn't have four, so I'll go with the safety of the long suit.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 5. MP or IMP, often best to play in the long suit with 7/4 distribution even if there is a 4-4 fit.
Louk Verhees: 5. Pretty weird with a void in spades this auction. Already difficult at IMPs. Choices are 4/5.
Bob Todd: 5. Scary hand. 6 could be easy or have no play. In 4 a spade taps me on the go. I bid 5 and hope partner can raise.
Kf Tung: 4. Get a plus first. Partner can bid on.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
10 7 5 3
5
7
K J 10 8 6 5 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
2
(1)
| ? |
| (1) Nonforcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 6
| 80
|
|
5
| 2
| 60
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Everyone bids clubs, but the question is: How many?
Barry Rigal: 3. Worried that partner is strong in diamonds.
Steve Robinson: 5. There's no rule on how to bid 7-4 hands. This could have play and could make if they make the wrong opening lead and it could also be a good save.
Radu Nistor: 4. If partner is short in spades, my hand is very good offensively. If opps bid 4 or 4, I'll bid 5.
Michael Dimich: Pass. If you introduce clubs partner will be forced to convert to diamonds. Passing gives them an option.
Christopher Diamond: 3. 7-card suits should be bid. Or in this case overbid.
Larry Meyer: 3. It's now or never to show my nice 7-card suit.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. I don't think we're done with this hand. I'd love to bid a non forcing 3, but I don't think that can be.
Paul McMullin: Pass. Partner will have to bid again to bring me into the auction, even WITH the seventh club here.
Bruce Rogoff: 3. Enough for now. Anticipating an equal-level-conversion 3 from partner.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. Without any further considerations.
Louk Verhees: 3. Not passing, but it might be right.
Kf Tung: 3. About 20 points for each side. Can partner see that he has short spades and I have short hearts?
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
---
---
Q J 9 6 4 3
K Q J 8 7 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 7
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 7
| 90
|
|
1
| 1
| 50
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Do you open? And if so, which suit? ... and how high? The panel are evenly split.
Kerri Sanborn: 5. Who knows? If I pass and try to catch up, I might run into problems when partner bids a major. If I were 7-6 with longer diamonds, I would open 1, but I have a strong preference for clubs, and I won't be able to reverse and control the auction.
Josh Donn: Pass. I guess I could open 4NT if that is minors, but I don't know what it means in the system we are using, so I will just show my minors on the next round and then go nuts!
Michael Dimich: 5. No right answer, let everybody else sweat.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. 7-card suits should be passed. Can probably get both in if I wait but opening anything except 3 will get messy.
David Hooey: Pass. Not worth an opening bid. I hope I can still bid Unusual 4NT later.
Larry Meyer: 1. This hand has opening values, but not enough values to reverse later.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. I think my next bid will be 4NT pick a minor!
Paul McMullin: Pass. I have bids to show shapely non-opening hands to use later in the auction.
Bruce Rogoff: 5. A reasonable shot with a suit that doesn't need help. Passing seems silly, allowing E/W valuable space before I bid 4N.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 4NT. Hopefully showing minors and not asking for specific aces. Partner should bid 6 with 2 tricks in the minors.
Louk Verhees: 5. Anything can be right. In my system I could open 4N.
Bob Todd: Pass. I don't want to preempt partner.
Kf Tung: Pass. There will be wasted values in ALL four hands. Revalue later as appropriate.
|
| 5. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
A Q J 10 5 2
K 9 5 3
2
A Q
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Forcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 11
| 100
|
|
3
| 3
| 80
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
2
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: The age-old question resurfaces about which suit to bid on your second turn with a 6-4 pattern.
Daniel Korbel: 3. I sometimes overbid a little bit when holding both majors because it is too easy to miss game if you don't. Should partner raise a 2 rebid holding: x A x x x x x x x x x x x?
August Boehm: 2. If the auction dies, it's not necessarily bad as long as 2 makes and there is no game. If the auction continues, I can pattern out with 3 and remain below 3NT. The 3 jump is descriptive, but the auction doesn't time out as well. If partner bids 3NT, do I guess to correct to 4 or pass? And if partner passes 3, I could easily miss a heart game.
Zachary Grossack: 3. Many options! Perhaps I should just bid 3, force it to game and find the best strain in case we need to play hearts (rare, though, with such good spades). 2, while it's just 16 HCP, is not enough here with such prime values. I could imagine also bidding 4, depending on my mood. 3 finds the middle ground, but I don't love it.
Michael Dimich: 2. If partner can raise hearts or bid a delayed raise in spades or bid 2NT you will probably investigate a slam.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Spades just good enough for a jump. A heart fit helps in a spade contract. I hate all my answers this month.
Larry Meyer: 3. Show extra values and my second suit.
Perry Khakhar: 2. I hope I'm not playing a Moysian at the 2-level!
Paul McMullin: 3. Will complete with 4 if partner finds a 3N bid.
Bruce Rogoff: 3. I don't want to see all pass over 2 when partner holds 1-3 in the majors.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. Game forcing. Too good for 2, and partner will bid 3 if he wonders if I have 5 hearts.
Louk Verhees: 3. Exactly a hand for which Gazilli has been designed. 2 or 3 are possible.
Bob Todd: 4. Too good for 3; not good enough and wrong for 3. 2 is just wrong.
Kf Tung: 2. The disciplined 2 will get you out of trouble when partner has one long minor and a weak hand.
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