TGIF February 2026: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
|
J 10 8 7 5
J
A Q 9 2
K Q 5
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 9
| 100
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Dbl
| 8
| 90
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3
| 0
| 40
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Moderator: In this problem, we see that despite holding a five-card spade suit, not one of our panelists chose 3.
Janice Molson: 3NT. My second choice is double. I would never bid 3 with clubs double-stopped and five bad spades. Partner can easily be endplayed into raising with two little spades.
Barry Rigal: Dbl. For some, their choice might depend on how long partner took to pass. As it is, I'll guess to bid 3NT. I tend to be more aggressive on days ending in Y.
Radu Nistor: Dbl. I'll bid 3NT over 3, but don't want to bid it directly and miss a 5-4 spade fit and a possible slam sometimes.
Michael Dimich: 3NT. Take the pressure off your partner and bid 3NT.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. A spade fit will produce tricks at NT and I'm not bidding that suit. A negative double might really handcuff us.
Gabor Sandi: 3NT. If 3 is there, so is 3NT in all likelihood.
Robert Sauve: Dbl. Play negative doubles thru 3.
Larry Meyer: 3. I have enough values to bid my longest suit.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. It's flexible and it doesn't rule out 3NT which may be the likely contract. x A K Q x x x K J x x x A, pard?
Paul McMullin: 3NT. Two club stoppers and the spade fillers should be enough for nine tricks.
Allan Simon: 3NT. This should be unanimous.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. Double, 3 and 3N are all reasonable calls. Maybe double better/most flexible. In hindsight I don't think 3 is a good bid.
Timothy Wright: 3NT. 3 would mean giving up on 3NT; I would rather give up on 4.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A 9 4
A K 8 4
Q J 2
A J 10
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
3
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 11
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 4
| 70
|
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Pass
| 2
| 60
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Moderator: The majority bid 3NT, playing partner for something.
Daniel Korbel: Dbl. We could still easily have game here; partner has to pass with hands like: K x x Q x x x x x x x x x, and his hand could be even stronger. I'm not bidding 3NT; first, because it might be based on running clubs so partner will have trouble correcting to four of a major, and also because our diamond stopper may not hold up.
Harrison Luba: Pass. Just want to try and go plus here. Will miss some games, but this seems like the most likely plus.
Michael Dimich: Dbl. If your partner bids 3 you can bid 3NT. Your partner then can rebid spades with 5+ or bid 4 with 4, or finally pass.
Christopher Diamond: Dbl. A direct 3NT is too committal.
Gabor Sandi: Dbl. Pass whatever your partner bids, unless he passes, of course.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. I'm ready for whatever partner does.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. Partners will bend over backwards in these types of auctions to provide some info. I really don't want to play this hand in 4 after a reopener. So I pass and hope I'm right.
Paul McMullin: Dbl. Letting them play 3 undoubled can not be right.
Allan Simon: Pass. Too dangerous to re-open. I'll settle for average minus.
Louk Verhees: Dbl. I would never pass even though it maybe our only plus score. Just hoping partner has something. Double may lead to a weird/bad contract, but it gives you the option of stopping in 3 of a major.
Timothy Wright: Dbl. The follow-up questions after both a 3 and a 3 advance here would be interesting.
|
| 3. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
K 10
A Q J 9 8 5 4
A J 6 2
---
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 7
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 90
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2
| 4
| 80
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Moderator: This hand comes from the recent Monterey regional, where the problem setter Aaron Jones held this hand in a team game. He chose 4 to lose 13 IMPs.
Josh Donn: 4. The downside of this action is missing the occasional slam, but I feel that is more than outweighed by the combination of making the opponents guess what to do, and hiding the strength of my hand.
Larry Cohen: Dbl. Too much for 2. If partner were to think over 2 and pass, I'd anticipate plus 200 when he holds something like: Q x x 10 x K Q x x Q x x x.
Jill Meyers: 2. I don't think it is going to go all pass, and I will have another chance; 4 is a reasonable alternative.
Craig T. Wilson: Dbl. Then will bid hearts on second bid.
Michael Dimich: 2. Time for a constructive bid prior to harder decisions to come.
Anssi Rantamaa: Dbl. Whatever partner bids my next bid is 4.
Christopher Diamond: 2. No hurry. If I double big club bids from any of the other 3, it could really mess things up.
Gabor Sandi: 4. You don't want them to find a club fit.
Robert Sauve: Dbl. Will bid hearts later. Upgrade my K x.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Too strong to overcall directly.
Perry Khakhar: 4. I have a lot of tricks, but no reason to believe that I want to get involved in doubling and bidding over clubs by partner. I'm going to guess that this is the logical contract.
Paul McMullin: Dbl. Hand is too good to start with a suit bid at any level.
Allan Simon: 4. Seems clearcut. If 4 comes back to me, I will double.
Louk Verhees: 4. Why make it easier for them? We are not bidding slam anyways.
Timothy Wright: 2. I am expecting a spade raise to my left. Let's see if partner has a fit for me.
|
| 4. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
K 8 4
A 7
K Q 10 9 4
Q J 2
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 8
| 100
|
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3
| 5
| 80
|
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3
| 3
| 70
|
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4NT
| 1
| 50
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3
| 0
| 40
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4
| 0
| 30
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Moderator: Another hand from the Monterey Regional where Alex Hudson faced the above auction. He chose 3NT, avoiding a slam off two aces by highlighting his diamond density.
Steve Robinson: 3. Bidding 3 shows a sound minimum. Partner should have short diamonds, but I still have good cards outside of diamonds. Take away one of my non-diamond honours, and I would jump to 4. Change my K Q to the A, and I would cuebid.
Zachary Grossack: 3. I'm no longer in love with my hand due to partner's diamond shortage and my lack of the A. I do, however, have 15 HCP. I'll show a card in hearts and then bid 4 at my next bid to show a little life.
Sheri Winestock: 3NT. If we are not playing any kind of serious/non-serious 3NT slam tries here, this bid is ideal. If we are ...
Michael Dimich: 3NT. Is partner patterning out or is this the first step to looking for more than a game in spades? You have great major suit cards so if partner returns to 4 you know they are slam-going so cooperate.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. Sounds like my diamonds could be not so valuable in a suit and it's IMPs so we want to bid the most likely game rather than the highest scoring one.
Gabor Sandi: 3. Cue bid, showing the A and no A. Slam interest in spades.
Robert Sauve: 4. Wasted diamond values.
Larry Meyer: 3. Show my first or second round control of diamonds.
Perry Khakhar: 3. We're in a normal 2/1 auction and we have a fit! Let's see what we discover on the way.
Paul McMullin: 3. I assume we are cue bidding in support of spades? I will play along.
Allan Simon: 3. That A doubleton is huge!
Louk Verhees: 3NT. Assuming pard is shaping out, 3N seems a good spot unless pard can make another move.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
Q 8 6
Q 5
---
A J 9 7 5 4 3 2
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 6
| 90
|
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Pass
| 2
| 70
|
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3
| 1
| 60
|
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5
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Our last problem tests where the panelists line is for opening vs preempting in clubs.
Amber Lin: 3. I don't like the suit, but preempts often work. Having the major-suit queens can be OK. They will likely misguess them because I'm the preemptor.
Janice Molson: Pass. Can't preempt and can't open 1.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. Not perfect, but seems like best description. Definitely not 3. I would open 1 as my second choice.
Barry Rigal: 1. Not right for 4. *So* not right for 3, and 5 is a shot in the dark. That seems to cover my options in the club suit!
Michael Dimich: 4. 3 makes it easier for opponents to find a fit and express extra values if they have them. 4 is what you should bid.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Not opening 1 and every other number of clubs is wrong.
Robert Sauve: Pass. Too much in the majors.
Larry Meyer: 4. Show my decent 8-card suit.
Perry Khakhar: 5. Seems to be the logical bid!
Paul McMullin: Pass. Ace in my suit AND a void? Whose side would be preempted if I bid some number of clubs?
Allan Simon: 4. Too many losers and too much defense for 5.
Louk Verhees: 4. I don't like 3 on this type of hand. Then again I don't play matchpoints that often.
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