TGIF October 2010: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. None vul.
|
J 6 5 2
K Q J 10 8 7 2
A
K
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 11
| 100
|
|
3
| 4
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 20
|
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Dbl
| 1
| 20
|
|
3
| 1
| 10
|
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2
| 0
| 0
|
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2
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: The majority prefers to play in the excellent heart suit. North's 1 bid improves South's hand, so 11 experts bid a direct 4. What are their reasons?
Larry Cohen: 4. Surely this will handle better with hearts as trumps. Because I have a play opposite K 10 9 3 and out, I think I am worth jumping to game.
The Joyces: 4. Seven-card suits with one hundred honors deserve to be trumps. Partner's spade bid improves our chances.
Kerri Sanborn: Dbl. How about a support double, then a jump to 4? It isn't clear which suit we should be playing in, so this could determine how good our spade fit is.
The Coopers: 3. Let's make a forcing noise to find out more and put us in a forcing pass situation later on. We wish to be in game - perhaps 4 or perhaps 4.
Eugene Chan: 4. Not likely to miss a slam. Why tip off the opponents that we have a spade fit?
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. If spades are 4-4 then it's better to play in hearts. I also fancy double as a clever mastermind bid to determine partner's spade length (and strength), but I'm too chicken to bid it.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Rare to conceal 4-card support for partner's major but this is the time: hard to see spades playing better than hearts. Spade support, albeit not 4 cards, is sort of implied.
Mike Hamilton: 3. With a solid suit and good support, which strain and how high? If partner has only 6 points and wasted values, the only way to stay out of an unmakeable game is to make an invitational call that he can pass. Otherwise, we’re on for at least game.
Eurydice Nours: 3. Tell me more of your hand.
Martin Henneberger: 4. This hand is a guess and somewhat problematic. Raising spades could be right, but my heart suit is so good even opposite a void I think hearts need to be trump. Bidding 4 is an overstatement on values, but about right on playing strength.
Rock Yan: 4. Partner's response has made my hand look prettier. However, I don't see any reason that a spade contract might be better than hearts. Also, 4 is more like a two-way shot.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Walking the dog... some hands are made for masterminding. 2 second choice. Jumps are overbids that may push opps to 5 of minor leaving our side with difficult choices.
Larry Meyer: 4. Bidding what we can make.
Mike Roberts: 4. Spades might play better for slam, but hearts is the better game.
Kees Schaafsma: 4. Looking for the A, thanking East for intervening.
Merv Adey: 4. Sorry pard.
Yu Wang: 4. Splinter! With only K Q x x, we have 4; one more ace, we have small slam.
Chris Buchanan: 3. No need to jump around. A simple game forcing Q-Bid will do.
Brian Zietman: 3. I need a further description of his hand from partner. The sky is the limit here.
Amiram Millet: 3. Better than splinter. Inviting control bids.
Chris Diamond: 3. It's likely best to play this in hearts, but the spade suit will be key in slam decisions. I hope bidding 4 next gets this across.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. The cue-bid gives partner room to show me if she has a good hand or not. 4 is just piggy.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
7
Q 8 6 5 4 3
K 9 4 2
A J
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
1
| |
|
Dbl
|
2
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 6
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 50
|
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3
| 2
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The majority make a game try despite the mere 10 HCP.
Barry Rigal: 4. Why beat around the bush? Bidding 3 does not show diamonds, but is the only game try available, so it's non-specific.
Allan Falk: Pass. Partner has not announced heart support, just a good hand. I don't want to give partner the impression I have more than a minimum by bidding in front of him.
Mike Lawrence: 3. I don't play the cuebid as forcing to the three level, so bidding 3 says I have a hand I like, but not good enough to bid game.
August Boehm: 3. I choose 3, a game try. The negative double shows four spades, but needn't hold diamonds.
Eugene Chan: 3. Not quite good enough to bid 4 directly.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. My hand is good for both offense and defense so I'll leave the decision up to partner.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Partner rates to have 5 spades, so his high cards won't mesh too well with yours. Yet you still have a 9-card fit and should compete to the 3-level.
Mike Hamilton: 4. Too many HCP in this deck and not enough spades. If everyone is bidding honestly, partner must be 4-4 or 5-4 in the majors with good hearts and invitational values. I’ll try game.
Martin Henneberger: 4. Having no idea whose hand it is I want to bid 'em up right now. That gets my vote for 4.
Rock Yan: 3. I will need partner's help in diamonds to make 4. Six-four, bid more!
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Pard has 5 or 6 spades and 3 or 4-card hearts ergo the opps have a lot of minors. I will try to push them to 4. If they bid 3NT, want heart lead, not a diamond lead, based on foregoing analysis so I can rebid my bad suit without jeopardizing defense to 3NT.
Larry Meyer: 3. Maybe I should have bid 2 earlier, so now I have to bid 3.
Mike Roberts: 3. It seems like partner has 5 spades. If he only has 3 hearts, this isn't worth that much.
Kees Schaafsma: 3. In my view this is a long suit try.
Yu Wang: 4. Bid prompt, before they find their spade fit.
John Gillespie: 4. Cards appear to be well placed....... as long as pard has a few of them.
Chris Buchanan: 4. 50/50...either it makes or it doesn't. I am going to jam the auction as best I can.
Brian Zietman: 3. Presumably partner is asking for a stopper to bid NT but I cannot envisage that with such a lousy string of hearts.
Amiram Millet: 4. Making it harder to find a spade sacrifice.
Chris Diamond: 3. Where's the spades? Pard likely has 5. With east having 9 or 10 black cards splits aren't going to be great, but I'll make one game try.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. Pass would be weaker and/or show shorter hearts; 4 would be stronger.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
A K 6
A J 10
J 10 9 7 3 2
A
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
1
| 6
| 100
|
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3
| 6
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 4
| 50
|
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2
| 1
| 10
|
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3
| 1
| 10
|
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2
| 0
| 0
|
|
2
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: A classic bidding problem, with all choices flawed!
Steve Robinson: 3. Any other bid is too dangerous. If I bid spades and partner has four of them, he will insist on spades, no matter how many hearts he has.
Mel Colchamiro: 1. I hate to bid 1, but it may be the least worst bid. Bidding 3 would be my second choice.
The Gordons: 2NT. We cannot stomach a diamond jump on a jack-high suit. At least this way, we can find our eight-card fit.
Eugene Chan: 1. I am a firm believer of 1 forcing although that is not a standard treatment. If partner passes 1, we likely cannot do much damage to a club contract. If opps compete, I have another chance to show my strength.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 1. Offshape 1 just to keep the auction going. Anything else is too committal.
Stephen Vincent: 1. This sort of bid usually works out badly for me in practise.
Mike Hamilton: 2. This is the smallest lie, showing a 16-20 count with a one-round force. At least I’m bidding my values. Does BBS play Lebensohl over reverses to stay out of unmakeable games?
Gilbert Lambert: 3. I'd like to be able to bid 2 1/2.
Martin Henneberger: 3. Everything is flawed or a small lie so I will bid a middle of the road 3. Right on values, but 1 heart short.
Rock Yan: 1. There is no perfect way to bid this hand in standard methods. There are so many possibilities, so I choose the lower road with more flexibility.
Aidan Ballantyne: 1. The hand is oriented to suit play. I can bid hearts next at appropriate level. If pard insists on spades with 4-5 in spades and hearts I will just have to play it well. A jump to 2 is a slight overbid.
Larry Meyer: 3. Let pard know that any diamond honours he holds are golden.
Mike Roberts: 3. I really just want to bid 1, but can't handle partner raising. A small lie.
Kees Schaafsma: 3. Not nice, anything else looks misguided.
Merv Adey: 1. This is the cheapest of all flawed answers.
Paul Mcmullin: 2. An advance Q-bid?
Yu Wang: 1. 3 was the classical bid, but the suit quality not; temporize with 1 and hear more from pard.
John Gillespie: 1. If it's a partscore hand on a moyse, spades = hearts and I bid 3 next to show my 4-3-5-1 shape.
Chris Buchanan: 1. Oh sorry, is that only a 3-card suit? I will raise hearts next. In theory this should show a 4-3-5-1; 15-17 count but close enough.
Brian Zietman: 3. The best description of my hand.
Amiram Millet: 2. Better than 3.
Chris Diamond: 3. A 17-18 HCP 3-card support hand again and still no right answer. I really want to bid 1.
Tim Francis-Wright: 3. 3 would show 4 hearts; 3 better diamonds. I'll lie about the hearts. (This is why some people play strong club openers.)
|
| 4. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
A 8 6 3 2
K 9 7 2
5 4
A K
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
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Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
2
|
4
(1)
|
5
| ? |
| (1) Splinter raise of spades.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 9
| 100
|
|
6
| 3
| 80
|
|
5
| 1
| 50
|
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Dbl
| 3
| 50
|
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5
| 2
| 40
|
|
Moderator: Instead of guessing, pass, and let partner help you make the decision.
Steve Robinson: 5. Partner is a passed hand, so I'm not making a slam try.
Don Stack: Dbl. I double and expect to score at least plus 500. Because it's IMPs, I don't have to beat a score of plus 650. I have great defense, and we may not have a plus score above 5.
Jill Meyers: Pass. If partner doubles, I will pull to 5 showing a better hand than bidding 5 directly. If partner bids 5, I will raise.
The Sutherlins: 6. There are few hands that partner would bid 4 with that don't make slam an odds-on favorite. We like our chances when partner is aceless, but has a diamond void. We can't expect partner to get us to slam with most of his hands.
Eugene Chan: Dbl. Take my plus against vul. opps. Should net +500 against +450 in 5. With a third seat opener opposite a passed hand, forcing pass would not apply. Double should suggest a good hand with defensive values. Not interested in slam with bad trumps.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Dbl. 6 will make on a good day, but on an average day I'll be content with just +500 or +800.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. Partner's a passed hand, and unless specifically has a void in diamonds, will need perfect cards to make 6. The vulnerability is particularly attractive for a double.
Mike Hamilton: Pass. We have a good play for 11 tricks and chances for 12, so a double would be premature and a direct bid too conservative. The most flexible action is a forcing pass.
Eurydice Nours: 5. No wasted values in the diamond suit means slam is possible depending on the quality of trumps.
Martin Henneberger: 5. Well, a 3rd seat opener opposite a passed hand does not create a forcing auction in my world. Therefore eliminating pass as an alternative that might go all pass, I will try for slam with a 5 call. If pard has heart cards they will know what to do.
Rock Yan: Pass. Opposite a passed hand, slam is still possible if partner has a perfect hand. I don't want to totally shut the door. I don't mind partner to bid on if he/she has extras (i.e. void in diamonds). If he/she doesn't have anything special, he/she will double.
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. If pard is void in diamonds, expect to play in 5 which will be cheap insurance. They could have stiff spade opposite stiff club w/K onside for them (pard mostly black) in which case a double game swing is possible. Need diamond wastage to double here.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. I think we are more likely to set 5 than we are to make 5.
Mike Roberts: 5. Normally, pass would be forcing, but I'm not sure it is when I'm in 3rd.
Kees Schaafsma: 5. Pass could provoke pass facing a possible weak third hand opening bid.
Paul Mcmullin: Pass. Surely this is a forcing pass-n-pull situation; I can't queue the hearts, so I'll see if partner can.
Yu Wang: Pass. Forcing pass, let pard bid 5 if he had it.
John Gillespie: Pass. Giving pard room to show the A.
Chris Buchanan: Pass. Forcing. I have no clear reason to want to defend yet no clear reason for wanting to declare. Simple forcing pass.
Brian Zietman: 5. Second round control.
Amiram Millet: Dbl. I'm going to collect at least 500. If partner goes on there is slam for us.
Chris Diamond: 5. Pard could have the magic all-major hand. I'll try once with 5.
Tim Francis-Wright: Dbl. They're in trouble if we lead trumps and 5 is hardly laydown here.
|
| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
3
A K
A J 10 6 4 3
A 10 9 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 9
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 60
|
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5
| 3
| 40
|
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4
| 1
| 10
|
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4
| 1
| 10
|
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Moderator: Half the panel chooses to double. When the opponents bid and raise a suit, double shows values.
Larry Cohen: 4. This hand is way too good to do anything less. If partner has a weak hand with just hearts, maybe I've blown it big time. Sorry, partner.
Jeff Meckstroth: Dbl. I want to see what partner bids. If he bids a minor, I will follow with a 4 control bid.
Karen Walker: 4. Double would show extra values, but it suggests a hand that has no obvious bid. Bidding 4 might hide the club fit.
Eugene Chan: Dbl. Opps are pre-empting. Make them pay! We could miss a game. On the other hand, 4 of anything might go down.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. My hand is very powerful, but a lack of entries may still cause problems in the play.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. Even without agreement as to the meaning of double, partner, looking at a likely spade holding of 2 or 3 small, should be in a position to work out the nature of my hand.
Mike Hamilton: Dbl. The only call below 3NT must be asking for a spade stopper. If partner can bid 3NT, we have a good play if he has K x x or better. With no stopper, he can bid diamonds.
Martin Henneberger: Dbl. Double here as responsive denies 4 hearts and says let's play 3NT if we can, else I have another spot to play. I call it the 2 places to play double, or no clear direction double.
Rock Yan: Dbl. Responsive double shows extra values and no proper bid. I will be happy whatever my partner’s decision is. What's the problem?
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. Leaving room for pard to show hearts with long hearts. A jump to 5 is too unilateral.
Larry Meyer: 4. Support with support.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. Responsive, clearly. I'll pull 4 to 5, pass 3N, raise 4 of a minor.
Kees Schaafsma: 4. Just getting my suits in, I'll pass 4.
Bob Todd: 4. I'd like to bid 4N to show 2 more diamonds than clubs.
John Gillespie: 4. Give partner a say but if he raises to 5, that's my problem.
Chris Buchanan: Dbl. 4 is attractive but double is the most flexible.
Brian Zietman: 4. We should have game on at least. If partner has long hearts he can bid them, otherwise game in a minor.
Chris Diamond: 4. Pard likely needs some pretty good clubs to make game. If he can bid only 4, I'll pass.
Tim Francis-Wright: 4. This is pushy but the scoring and the vulnerability reward pushiness.
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