TGIF August 2010: Scores
| 1. IMPs. Both vul.
|
Q 9 3
J 9 8 6 5
---
K 9 8 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Dbl
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
5
| 3
| 40
|
|
2
| 0
| 10
|
|
2
| 0
| 10
|
|
Moderator: After partner reverses, your weak hand starts to look pretty good. Of course you want to raise clubs, but to what level?
Mel Colchamiro: 5. Unusual hands call for unusual bids. 5 just feels right.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3. Maybe I should bid 4 or 5, but it seems best to save bidding space.
The Sutherlins: 4. This clears up any confusion as to what the trump suit is and whether we will reach game. Partner is likely to cuebid over 4. When we return to 5, he should get the picture.
August Boehm: 3. We're in a game force, so let's see where partner is headed.
Eugene Chan: 3. Would have bid 3 to begin with rather than the anemic heart suit.
Gilbert Lambert: 3. If Lebensohl applies here, I am happy with 3.
Aidan Ballantyne: 5. Good trumps, not much else. It's true that on some hands 3NT may make when 5 doesn't but that is too deep.
Martin Henneberger: 3. . . natural and forcing if one plays leb over reverses. Don't see any reason to jump around like a leap frog.
Mike Hamilton: 2NT. Lebensohl. The diamond void is wasted value and my weak majors won’t cover partner’s losers. Partner puppets to 3 only with a minimum reverse, and I will pass. I’ll show the club fit over anything else.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 5. Too many options here. The final contract will inevitably be 5, so why give away information with useless probing bids? Lebensohl relay followed by 5 is perhaps a better way to do it.
Larry Meyer: 3. Pard has reversed, so expecting him to bid again - 3 should not end the auction.
Mike Roberts: 3. This hand belongs in some number of clubs.
Perry Khakhar: 3. I can't be sure which game (or slam, if partner is short in hearts) we might belong in. So, for now I will support partner. Presumably we are playing Lebensohl.
Kees Schaafsma: 3. Game is by no means certain, pard is still there.
Bob Todd: 5. Who knows how much we can make?
David Gordon: 3. Definitely interested in a club game. Better go slow in case slam is on.
Chris Buchanan: 3. No hurry to leap to game. Partner can now finish describing their hand.
Brian Zietman: 4. Amazing how a lousy 6 points can improve after just one round of bidding! Must invite now for the minor suit game.
Chris Diamond: 3. No idea. Right bid is probably 4, wish 2NT was available so 3 was constructive. Pard has too many hand types for me to make a decision.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. I'd feel better about this if we played a weakness-showing 2NT here. 4 is not only too optimistic about a club slam, but it also goes past 3NT.
Amiram Millet: 2. 3NT might be better than 5 and it may play better by North.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
K 4
Q 7 5 3 2
A Q J 10 7
3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
3
| 6
| 60
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 20
|
|
Dbl
| 1
| 10
|
|
Moderator: Reverse the two red suits, and this wouldn't be a problem: bidding 3 would be almost automatic. The majority bid 3 even though they recognize the danger. It aims at the heart game and a big reward.
The Gordons: 3. We are not averse to overcalling a five-card major at this level, but this one could put us on the road to oblivion.
Allan Falk: Dbl. 3 is masochistic. Bidding 3 aims at an 11-trick game on minimal values. So I'll hope partner has something useful to do, even though I'm clearly one spade short for this action.
Steve Robinson: 3. When in doubt, bid over preempts. If it goes double, pass, pass back to me, I'll have another decision.
The Coopers: 3. The hand with shortness must strain to bid. We have good playing strength and our most likely game is 4.
Eugene Chan: Pass. Have gone -1400 too many times to overcall this crap.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Pick your disaster. Running into a big hand on your left is one; finding partner with a flat 12 count on which he can't balance and consequently missing a game is another.
Gilbert Lambert: Pass. I have a partner. If he can't act in fourth seat, we won't miss anything.
David Walker: 3. Waiting for the action.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Not pretty but this call is flexible. Pard can raise, bid spades or bid 3NT. I lose if pard passes with a misfit and we have diamonds, but so be it.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. I strive to act with shortness and badly want to here, but at what cost? If I'm going to look for game 3 is the only consideration and my suit is just too anemic to stick my neck out in IMPs. Some will bid 3 accomplishing nothing.
Mike Hamilton: 3. My values are too compelling to sell out. I would like a 6th diamond, but I’m persuaded by my strong suit and 5-5 distribution to get the diamonds into the auction.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. A few points light for this bid, but my club shortness suggests I need to take the initiative.
Larry Meyer: 3. Good shape for overcall - want to bid my 2 suits cheaply.
Mike Roberts: 3. Best of a bad lot.
Perry Khakhar: 3. As much as I don't want to bid this suit, I cannot see how partner can balance if he has a balanced opening hand which would easily make game here.
Kees Schaafsma: 3. 17 total tricks and 14 HCP are enough to bid.
Bob Todd: 3. 3 may get us to 3N, 3 may get us in trouble.
David Gordon: 3. Ugly start but hopefully leaving you better placed if auction continues.
Chris Buchanan: 3. 3 is tempting but the best opportunity for game is in hearts meanwhile keeping diamonds in the picture for later.
Brian Zietman: 3. I don't want to double because it is inevitable that partner will bid spades. If he now bids spades, I will show my 2 suiter.
Chris Diamond: 3. May miss a game unless pard can bid a major freely, but need to compete.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. Double here is playing with fire.
Amiram Millet: Pass. Not strong enough for an overcall at this level.
|
| 3. IMPs. None vul.
| |
Q J
9 4
K J 3
Q J 10 9 8 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 7
| 100
|
|
2
| 6
| 90
|
|
3
| 4
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 20
|
|
Moderator: There are several attractive choices for South. Panelists go for 2NT, 2 and 3.
Barry Rigal: 2. I know that raising with two-card support is hardly the norm, but if there ever was a hand where it made sense, this has to be it.
Bridge Baron: Pass. Pass is a standout. Humans want to bid something where there are many choices- very primitive. I want to hear what North says, and then I'll have a better idea. I can always bid some number of notrump or raise spades the next time. What's the rush?
Betty Ann Kennedy: 3. The diamond suit is well-placed, and I have a decent six-card suit.
Mike Lawrence: 2. I rather dislike bidding 2, but at least I have two honors. This is an unusual choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were unanimous.
Karen Walker: 2NT. This limits my hand and shows the diamond stoppers. That rates to be of more interest to partner than my club suit.
Eugene Chan: 2. Two honors in partner's suit is always worth a raise.
Stephen Vincent: 2NT. Well-placed diamonds and good spade cards compensate for the slight deficiency in the point department.
Gilbert Lambert: 3. I have too much to pass.
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. If you bid 3 you are going to game and that is overstepping. 2 is sick. I don't really want to play NT based on what I know so far. I'll see what partner has to say first. Seems like passing never gets much score in these competitions, however.
Martin Henneberger: 2NT. I have a 10 count with a 6 card club suit, a partial spade fit, and diamonds stopped. Looks like a 2NT bid to me.
Mike Hamilton: 3. A good suit takes priority over a stopper. I have no control card, but my 10 HCP are all working. Over a red-suit bid by partner, I’ll try 3NT. If he can rebid spades to show 6 cards, I’ll raise because my diamonds are well-placed.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2NT. Looks like all my values are working. Hope partner has a club honour and something in hearts.
Larry Meyer: 2. Q J is no worse than 4 3 2, so I support with support.
Mike Roberts: 2NT. Anything else is too committal.
Perry Khakhar: 3. On a good day, 6 might be making; so bid naturally. I have decent bail out options in either 4 or 3NT depending on the rest of the auction.
Kees Schaafsma: 3. My honors are working overtime, spades and notrump are still in the picture.
David Gordon: 3. Stretch for game.
Chris Buchanan: 3. There is no hurry to bid NT. I have a reasonable 6-card suit to bid so I do it.
Brian Zietman: Pass. If partner reopens with a double I bid clubs, if he bids hearts I bid NT.
Chris Diamond: 2NT. If I pass I won't know what to do. If I bid 3 will pard reach for 3NT with the right minimum? So 2NT and hope he can raise.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. This is optimistic, but the bidding has improved my hand a lot. 2NT is a bit too off-shape for me.
Amiram Millet: 2NT. Better than Pass. There might be a sacrifice in diamonds for them.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
8 3 2
---
A K Q 9 8 7
A K 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
2
|
2
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 10
| 100
|
|
5NT
| 3
| 50
|
|
6
| 2
| 40
|
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6
| 1
| 40
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 30
|
|
4
| 1
| 10
|
|
5
| 0
| 10
|
|
6
| 0
| 10
|
|
Moderator: South has an amazing hand opposite a partner who could bid their spade suit at the two level. Surely slam will make, but what about the grand? Ten experts cuebid 5.
Larry Cohen: 5. Last month, a five-of-a-major bid was looking for control in the opponents' suit. This month, I can't use the same call to claim it is asking for good trumps (I wish I could).
Mike Lawrence: 5. Because partner may have A K Q x x x, we have a shot at a grand. I'm bidding 5, hoping partner can bid 6 with a good spade suit.
The Sutherlins: 5NT. This is pick a slam, not grand slam force in spades because we have not confirmed spades as trump. Bidding 5 would confirm spades. Why pick a slam? Playing 6 or 6 may be our ideal trump suit.
Eugene Chan: 6. This gives us more options. Partner should understand that this implies a spade fit.
Stephen Vincent: 5. Not easy to describe every feature of your hand.
Aidan Ballantyne: 5. Pard will bid slam with good trumps and that is what I want him(her) to do.
Martin Henneberger: 5. Partner needs great spades to make a cold grand, decent spades for a small slam. I will make a strength showing 5 bid and leave it up to them.
Mike Hamilton: 5. I’m interested in slam, but worried about 2 spade losers. 5 can’t be a trump-ask here, so if partner is missing top spades, 5 gives me a chance to show I don’t have them. I will either pass 5 or bid 5 myself and pass any bid except 5NT.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. I take 4NT as RKCB for spades here (will assume pard doesn't have A). It still leaves us enough room to sign off in 5.
Larry Meyer: 5. Show heart control, inviting pard to bid 6, or bail out at with 5 with a bad hand.
Mike Roberts: 4. When in doubt, stay pre-empted.
Perry Khakhar: 6. I should imagine that partner will play me for a heart void and spade support to have forced the auction to the 6 level. And yet since I did not make a GSF, he should recognize that I have no honours in spades. Bid 7 with AKQ pard!
Kees Schaafsma: 5. For now, forcing. Over 5 I'll bid 5, over 5, 6. This denies a spade-honor, else a direct 5NT would suffice.
David Gordon: 4NT. The unlikelyhood of partner having the A is such that I will discount it.
Chris Buchanan: 5. Pesky opponents always get in the way. 5 asking about trump quality should work well here.
Birol GüVenç: 5. Josephine convention.
Brian Zietman: 5. Inviting partner to slam if he has a good suit.
Chris Diamond: 6. RKC would be great if the opps could be trusted to hold the A. But they might bid like me. Maybe pard with A K Q will bid the grand.
Tim Francis-Wright: 5. The downside of the standard agreement about 5 (asking for heart control, see #3 from last month) is that there's no good way to ask directly about spade controls.
Amiram Millet: 4. Will go later to 5 if needed. Immediate jump to 5 may propel to a grand if partner is holding 2 high spade honors.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
Q 7 5 4
---
K Q 10 9 6 5 3
6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1NT
| 11
| 100
|
|
1
| 7
| 70
|
|
2
| 0
| 10
|
|
Moderator: Most of the panel bypassed their major suit. They prefer to try and play in their seven-card suit.
Don Stack: 1. I have great admiration for bidding 1NT forcing, followed by a nonforcing diamond bid, but we might have a spade fit. If partner rebids 1NT, I can jump to 3 showing six or more diamonds and a weak hand.
The Joyces: 1NT. Because 1NT is forcing, we will bid that rather than confuse the issue with a spade bid. Our hand is about diamonds, not spades.
Eugene Chan: 1. Pretty obvious choice unless you play non force 2/1.
Stephen Vincent: 1NT. Going to treat it as a 1-suited diamond hand. You'll only lose out on those hands where partner has four spades but is not strong enough to reverse.
Gilbert Lambert: 1NT. If I respond 1 I won't be able to rebid diamonds over a 2 rebid without overstating my spade suit.
David Walker: 1NT. Don't want 3 to get passed out.
Eurydice Nours: 1NT. I plan to rebid 3.
Aidan Ballantyne: 1NT. Bidding diamonds next. Going with the percentages that pard does not have exactly 4-card spades.
Martin Henneberger: 1NT. I will go with the law of averages that partner doesn't have 4 spades and bid 1NT forcing, planning to play in diamonds.
Mike Hamilton: 1. Playing a forcing 1NT, a 1 response is mandatory to show 4 spades. If we need it, a 2NT rebid by me is played as a relay to 3, pass or correct, to bid out 4-6+ hands like this one to the minor-suit partial.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. A forcing bid is very unlikely to improve the final contract. Pass and hope to save/balance later.
Larry Meyer: 1. If we have a game, it will likely be in spades or notrump - not diamonds.
Mike Roberts: 1. I don't mind 2 - I just don't see why.
Perry Khakhar: 1NT. What do you call a 7 card suit? Trumps! I give up on the slight chance of a 4/4 spade fit.
Kees Schaafsma: 1NT. Toss a coin, next time I have Flannery on the card.
Bob Todd: 1NT. I am going to play in diamonds.
David Gordon: 1. What else?
Chris Buchanan: 1. Up the line. 2 is just too strong for this hand.
Brian Zietman: 1. Too weak for 2.
Chris Diamond: 2. Don't want to play in spades unless pard can bid them. This is the set from hell.
Tim Francis-Wright: 1. Why couldn't they dredge up a 1 or 2 overcall so I could bid 3, weak?
Amiram Millet: 1. A sound beginning. A punishment of their contract might be best later.
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