TGIF November 2025: Scores
| 1. IMPs. None vul.
|
J 3 2
A J 8 4
A 5 2
Q 6 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
2
|
Pass
| |
|
3
|
4
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 5
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 5
| 90
|
|
5
| 3
| 80
|
|
4NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
6
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: This hand from this year's Seaside Regional brings preempts back to the forefront. The panel majority make a move toward slam.
Daniel Korbel: 5. Don't have enough to drive to slam but I have too much to pass 4. I think 5 is a better bid than 5, as it may matter if my hand is working or if it's opposite a void.
August Boehm: 4NT. Versus a preempt, partner isn't preempting, he's bidding to make.
Jeff Meckstroth: Pass. Give partner seven solid spades, and he doesn't need much more to speculate game here.
Kerri Sanborn: 5. I have a pretty good hand for the auction and want to make a forward-going bid. There is no possibility of my cue being misconstrued. All of my cards should be working. I'm denying a club control and raising spades.
Michael Dimich: 6. Asking for key cards won't accomplish much unless you are going whole hog looking for a grand slam, so bidding 6 seems enough.
Christopher Diamond: 4NT. Should be close enough to slam although the A might be worthless.
Gabor Sandi: 4NT. Go for slam if pard shows 3 keys.
Robert Sauve: Pass. Tempting. A may be wasted.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Partner is not strong enough to double and then bid spades, so slam is unlikely.
Joel Forssell: Pass. Partner is likely void in hearts.
Paul McMullin: Pass. Sometimes you stay preempted. The A is not that helpful opposite his void.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 5. Optimistic. Only 4th round ruffing value (which may be vital) and no guarantee of a useful discard on the ace of hearts. But maybe A K Q x x x x - x x K J x x is opposite.
Perry Khakhar: 4NT. RKC, I hope! I have at least 1 working ace and the Q can't be terrible. If partner has the remaining keycards, I will bid 5NT to let him know.
Louk Verhees: 5. Can be right to pass, but I do have potentially 3 tricks. The A is obviously dubious, but maybe useful for diamond discard.
Bob Todd: 5. . . then over 5 I'd bid 6. Partner may be able to bid 7 so I'll try.
Kf Tung: Pass. Slam hands don't go this way.
|
| 2. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
K Q 8
Q 10
Q J 9 8
10 9 7 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
1NT
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 90
|
|
2NT
| 2
| 80
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: What do you do with a good, but not great passed hand with a strong fit? The panel raise diamonds.
Amber Lin: 2. This is the 'impossible' 2. I didn't bid 1 the first time, so it cannot be natural. Now it shows a good raise in diamonds, better than a 3 bid, which is what I have.
James Holzhauer: 2NT. Invitational strength, and this looks like a notrump hand texture.
Radu Nistor: 3. 2 showing a good diamond raise or 3 showing honour-low in hearts and a diamond fit are also possible. But having no aces and a lack of clarity about the usefulness of the spade values makes me want to just bid 3.
Michael Dimich: 2. I am a passed hand so partner should have all the information they need.
Christopher Diamond: 2. Might be end playing myself into 3NT but that could work.
Gabor Sandi: 2NT. Take your chances on the clubs and let partner go to 3NT with 14+ pts.
Robert Sauve: 2. 2 may be a 3 card suit. The Q 10 are as good as x x x.
Larry Meyer: 2NT. Invite with an invitational hand. You can stretch a bit when vulnerable.
Paul McMullin: 2NT. I like the tens and nines. We'll make 3NT if partner is near the top of his 12-14.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 2. Maximal diamond raise. 3 next round if convenient.
Perry Khakhar: 2. Hand turned really good all of a sudden. Typically this bid shows a good raise of diamonds. Worst hand I expect is 4-5-3-1 shape. I will bid 3 over 3 to try again.
Louk Verhees: 3. Seems kind of automatic.
Hendrik Sharples: 2NT. Guessing 2 is the top score because everyone is backpedalling just in case partner opened crap.
Bob Todd: 2NT. 3 is a reasonable choice also.
Kf Tung: 2. Invitation belongs to my partner.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
Q
A K J 9 7 6
Q 10 8 5
K 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 8
| 100
|
|
2
| 6
| 90
|
|
3
| 2
| 70
|
|
Moderator: Half the panelists choose to introduce their second suit. The other half focus on their strong 6-card major.
Roger Lee: 2. A little cowardly, but I don't like 2, and I think this is just not quite enough for 3.
Zachary Grossack: 3. An age-old problem. I open quite aggressively here, and this hand is truly an ace more than an opening bid, thus I shall jump rebid my powerful six-card suit. With partner responding 1, my Q may hold some future value. Second choice is 2. Perhaps vul, 2 would even be my call with this hand.
Barry Rigal: 2. You keep fixing the scoring and vulnerability to make my life hard. I believe in bidding second suits with a maximum; this qualifies.
Michael Dimich: 2. Descriptive bidding for now.
Christopher Diamond: 2. An underbid. 3 is an alternative. Maybe I can still bid that.
Gabor Sandi: 2. Bid 3 over most responses by partner.
Robert Sauve: 2. Delicate underbid.
Larry Meyer: 2. Start to bid out my shape.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 2. Rebid 2 if you are in any way unhappy with partner's preference to a 2-rebid. Rebid 3 if you fear there may be 10 tricks.
Perry Khakhar: 2. I tend to show a side 4-card suit before the 6th card when holding a good hand.
Louk Verhees: 2. Matchpoints convinces me to bid 2.
Kf Tung: 2. Rule of Prudence.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
K Q 9 6 4
J 5
A 9 7 4
Q 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 10
| 100
|
|
3
| 3
| 70
|
|
Dbl
| 3
| 60
|
|
Moderator: Deciding whether or not to balance is often a huge headache. Are other players facing the same auction? How do I feel if I go for a number instead of the quiet minus 140? These and other questions led a majority to elect to pass.
Jeff Meckstroth: Dbl. Gives our side the most options. Bidding 3 seems right only a fraction of the time.
Steve Robinson: 3. I've had good success using the 'when in doubt, bid' approach. If a direct call shows 13 or more points, the same call in passout seat shows 11 or more points.
Sheri Winestock: Pass. I guess I don't play enough matchpoints to see that there is enough of an upside to bid here with a bad suit and a bad hand even though it could sometimes work out.
Michael Dimich: Pass. No brainer.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Passing just seems cowardly. Hope pard has a sense of humour.
Gabor Sandi: 3. If it goes down 1, they probably make 3.
Larry Meyer: 3. Borrowing a king from partner in the passout seat.
Paul McMullin: Pass. I am content to stay preempted.
Lars Erik Bergerud: 3. A Pass is at least just as risky. Take out double with a 5-1-4-3 pattern.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. If only I had the 10 to go along with the 9! Suit isn't good enough for this balance.
Louk Verhees: Pass. In balancing seat it is very close to 3.
Bob Todd: 3. This could be really bad or really good.
Kf Tung: 3. Partner is under pressure, not you.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
J 10 6 4
A J 7 4
K 3
Q J 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Three hearts.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 7
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 6
| 90
|
|
Pass
| 3
| 80
|
|
3
| 0
| 50
|
|
2
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: How to invite here? The most popular choice was 2 to keep a 4-4 major fit in play.
Josh Donn: 2. Maybe I am missing something. Why not look for a spade fit?
Kerri Sanborn: 2NT. This is the value bid, but it risks losing a 4-4 spade fit. Bidding 2 would probably propel us into game whether we belong there or not. Partner can bid 3 on the way to 3NT if accepting game, so that could cover this issue.
Radu Nistor: Pass. Opps are vulnerable, so it's tempting to pass. Might not always work, but at matchpoints I'll try to go +200 or +500 ideally.
Michael Dimich: 2. May as well show my 4-card spade suit in a forward going auction.
Christopher Diamond: 2NT. At this vulnerability he could have a crappy opener. If there's a 4-4 spade fit maybe we can still find it.
Gabor Sandi: 3NT. You are forced to bid, and you have 12 pts and some club coverage.
Larry Meyer: 2NT. Invite with an invitational hand.
Joel Forssell: Pass. +500 at least.
Paul McMullin: 2NT. Unhappy with just one club stopper, but it's the best I can do!
Lars Erik Bergerud: 2NT. Balanced invite with club-stopper and (normally) 4 hearts. Partner is free to bid 3 with a good hand.
Perry Khakhar: 2. Partner hasn't denied spades. I prefer to play this in a major suit game rather than 3NT.
Louk Verhees: 2NT. Go low with 2 or go high with 2N. Pass is not in my playbook but could be right.
Hendrik Sharples: Pass. -380 shouldn't be that bad.
Kf Tung: Pass. Now the hand becomes more defensive than offensive.
|
|
