TGIF February 2012: Scores
| 1. IMPs. Both vul.
|
8 6
Q J 6 5 4 3 2
---
A 10 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
5
|
5
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 15
| 100
|
|
6
| 3
| 70
|
|
6
| 0
| 50
|
|
5NT
| 1
| 40
|
|
6
| 0
| 10
|
|
Moderator: Confronted with an auction already at the five-level, a preponderance of the panel choose simply to pass, allowing partner some leeway for his 5 bid.
Steve Weinstein: 5NT. On this auction, I like 5NT pick-a-slam, but pass and 6 are reasonable too. I would be able to objectively say I would bid 6 if East had bid 6 because that's what I did at the table.
August Boehm: Pass. Partner may have already done something heroic to get us into the auction. No need for two heroes.
Barry Rigal: 6. This looks like a hand from a recent semi-final KO. No point in trying to land on the head of a needle. The grand looks too hard to bid, and why would we make exactly 11 tricks here? I rate to be offering partner 2-3 tricks, so I bid the slam.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. 7 could be laydown or 5 could be quite high enough. Preempts sometimes work.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. Anything here is a pure guess. Everything from down 2 to making 7 is possible. I will guess to pass.
Larry Meyer: 6. With first round controls in two suits, give pard a raise.
Eugene Chan: Pass. I will be quite happy if it makes!
Andrew Krywaniuk: 6. Passing only works if we can make exactly 5. I would rather be -2 in 6 than +1 in 5.
Aidan Ballantyne: 6. Middle of the road. Not sure how to make two cue bids in one, or even if I have quite enough to try for seven. Pard was under pressure and my support is marginal.
Bob Kuz: 6. Not surprised to make 7 or 1 down in 6.
Mike Roberts: Pass. Staying fixed.
Ranjan Bhaduri: 6. Depends on my partner (I might pass otherwise).
Chris Diamond: Pass. Tempting to raise with 2 first round controls and trump support, but pard might have stretched and splits don't rate to be friendly.
Amiram Millet: 6. . . although partner bid under pressure.
Joel Forssell: 5NT. Grand Slam Force.
John Gillespie: Pass. Too much shape around and my pard is aggressive when cornered.
Brian Zietman: Pass. Anything else is poker not bridge.
Plarq Liu: Pass. Never underestimate the danger.
Beverley Candlish: 6. What to do? No information. Why not go to 6? My partner must have a great hand to bid 5 over 5. I have two outside controls.
Kf Tung: Pass. 5 may be better than 5 but now you must refrain from making it worse.
Bob Todd: Pass. Under pressure - go for the plus - if they sac I will bid 6.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
A 2
---
A Q J 8 3
A Q 10 9 7 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4NT
| 14
| 100
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
5NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
5
| 1
| 50
|
|
Dbl
| 0
| 40
|
|
4
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Every panelist wants to show minors, but they feel it is worth a bid of 4 1/2 NT.
The Coopers: 4NT. What else? When playing non-leaping Michaels, we can bid 4 with this hand, showing both minors with better clubs (some use it for the better hand).
The Gordons: 5NT. Double begs for disaster. 4 and 5 should mean something different (one-suit powerhouse and major/minor respectively) and 4NT is just strength showing.
Martin Henneberger: 4NT. Minors. This will pose a greater problem whether to raise 5 of a minor by partner to 6 next round.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Intending to bid 4 next, then 5.
Eugene Chan: 4. Over an expected 4, I plan to go forward with 4NT to show a minor 2-suiter with more clubs than diamonds.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. Unusual NT. If partner bids a minor I will raise to 6.
Aidan Ballantyne: Dbl. Trying to save room and get a feel for what pard has. If pard insists on spades that may well be the best strain. If they raise hearts on my left and pard bids 4 I'll probably just bid 6.
Mike Roberts: 4NT. I believe this is natural in BWS. It's minors for us plebians.
Chris Diamond: 4NT. After double things could get messy. 4 might get passed with game cold in diamonds so show the minors and hope you guess right next round.
Amiram Millet: 4. Intending to bid diamonds later.
John Gillespie: 4. Likely followed by 6 over spades. Maybe we'll make, maybe they'll dive.
Plarq Liu: 4NT. Pick a minor, we should have game. If partner bids 5 or 5, bid 6
Beverley Candlish: Dbl. When partner bids spades, I will bid 4. If she repeats the spades, I'll bid 5.
Kf Tung: Dbl. If pard accepts the double you should have a good score. Other bids will have their merits with different hands, but the take-out double will cater to +300 as well as the probable game contracts.
|
| 3. IMPs. None vul.
| |
K Q 4
A J 2
A J 10 3
Q 7 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 6
| 100
|
|
4NT
| 5
| 90
|
|
4
| 3
| 70
|
|
5NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
6NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: Mercifully, this hand completes the trifecta of auctions involving unusual 4NT and 5NT bids over a preempting opponent.
Larry Cohen: 6NT. It really just jumps out at me, though I'd like to have just a little bit more.
Betty Ann Kennedy: 4. . . to set up a game force and go from there. Seven is not out of the picture. 6NT is going to be my next call.
Mike Lawrence: 5NT. If I can find a diamond contract, the spade honors may gain nothing. Having them tells me that partner will have all of his high cards in the other three suits. I am willing to bid a slam, but not in NT until all other avenues have been considered.
The Sutherlins: 4NT. Shows about an extra ace. If partner also has an extra ace or a good source of tricks, he can accept slam, which will almost certainly have play.
Mel Colchamiro: 3NT. . . another application of Hamman's Rule: going past 3NT punishes partner.
Stephen Vincent: 4NT. For all its 17 points the hand has serious flaws as far as slam is concerned. The spades aren't going to be combining with anything and there's no obvious fit.
Martin Henneberger: 4NT. This problem looks very familiar. I'm certain we have seen this question before. I know that pass and 3NT got the most votes, but I still believe a quantitative 4NT is a better description. And for me this is a natural and quantitative bid.
Craig T. Wilson: 4NT. Quantitative.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. Reluctant to look for slam with such a flat hand.
Eugene Chan: 3NT. Slam may be cold but which slam? I generally take very conservative actions when 4333.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. With spade wastage and no source of tricks, I don't have enough for a 4 cue-bid. 4NT is a milder slam try.
Laurence Betts: 4. If I'm procrastinating it must be right.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3NT. I have a lot of losers so pard needs a pretty good hand to make slam. Pard may raise to 4NT, then I come to life. 4NT by me now would likely be minors or ace asking so it's either 3NT (underbid) or 6NT (overbid). Am going with the percentages.
Bob Kuz: Pass. Easy plus. If dummy has no entry +800 vs 990? or +500 vs no slam.
Mike Roberts: 6NT. Red suit honours rate to be onside.
Chris Diamond: 4. The other side of the coin. I'd like 4NT to be natural here, but I don't know if it is. So cue and hope to back into NT although it'll probably be at the 5 level.
Amiram Millet: 5NT. Pick a slam partner.
John Gillespie: 5NT. Pick a slam? Hopefully with 5 cards in diamonds.
Brian Zietman: 4. We have 6 almost almost for sure, if partner has 2 aces maybe 7 is on.
Plarq Liu: 4. Start our slam try.
Beverley Candlish: 5NT. I could pass and leave the Dbl in for a nice big penalty. However, I think we have a slam. Hopefully partner will realize I am asking her to go to 6 if she has an Ace and a good hand.
Kf Tung: 3NT. 3NT should be OK even when the K is off-side. To beat 3NT you need to be in a slam and you need a lot more luck.
Bob Todd: 5NT. I would like to bid 4NT quantitative.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A 5 4
7 6
K 9 8 3
A Q 8 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
2
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
2NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 13
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 4
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 40
|
|
Moderator: What is partner doing? Most of the panel think it's clearly for the minors.
Mike Lawrence: Pass. You have to choose between 2NT being natural, a hand that wanted to double 2, and unusual for the minors. I vote for the natural interpretation. If pard had the minors, their side might still be bidding.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3. This 2NT bid is for takeout in my book.
The Joyces: 3NT. We're making the assumption that partner wanted to penalize 2, and we're hoping that we have enough for game.
Paul Sontag: Pass. Seems like pard has a trap pass of hearts yet no double. Perhaps nervous about a doubleton spade.
Joel Martineau: 3. Partner must have more diamonds than clubs.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Partner no doubt has a trap pass in hearts, but it doesn't really improve your minimum balanced hand.
Martin Henneberger: 3. Another familiar question. Partner is asking to play clubs or diamonds and since I've never shown diamonds this has to be the place to play. 2NT cannot be natural as it wasn't bid 1st time around.
Larry Meyer: Pass. I have nothing more than what I have already told pard.
Eugene Chan: 3. Partner's balancing action looks more like pick a minor than natural. Go with the known diamond fit.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. If 2NT is natural then partner has a trap pass of hearts and game invitational values, i.e., nothing to get excited about.
Laurence Betts: Pass. What, no preempt?
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. It's natural, not diamonds with club support. Sometimes you need to bid 2NT in a competitive auction at matchpoints trying to make or hoping down 1 is good if they make their contract.
Mike Roberts: 3. Dunno what partner's doing, so I'll bid naturally. 5-3 in the minors, maybe.
Chris Diamond: Pass. Maybe I have this wrong, but I think pard's got a penalty pass of hearts. Should he double with that hand even with short spades? If he's got club support he shouldn't torture me like this.
Amiram Millet: 3NT. Must be a sound contract.
John Gillespie: Pass. 2NT should be 9-ish flat assuming an alert on the non-forcing 2 bid.
Plarq Liu: 3. Assume partner has minors.
Beverley Candlish: Pass. It is obvious that partner has some heart stoppers. Possibly a spade stopper. I don't think we have the points for 3NT so I would pass 2NT.
Kf Tung: 3NT. Pard has good hearts for his pass and then 2NT bid, planning to welcome your re-opening double had East passed. You are likely to have 9 fast tricks in 3NT, and pard is well placed to declare the game contract.
Bob Todd: Pass. Looks like partner had a trap pass without a lot of extras.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
6
K
A 10 9 8 6 3
10 7 5 4 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 7
| 100
|
|
5
| 2
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 6
| 70
|
|
3
| 3
| 60
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: A majority of the panel bid diamonds, and made a strong move towards game, at that.
Jill Meyers: 4. I almost bid 5, but I wasn't quite sure how to handle ruffing clubs (without being overruffed) if partner has only three diamonds.
Steve Robinson: 3. Partner could easily have a major-suited hand and 3 allows him to get it out of his system.
Karen Walker: 5. If partner has extras, he may be able to bid 6. I considered passing for about one nanosecond.
Don Stack: Pass. Partner has made a takeout double and I have a six-card suit to bid, yet I am passing for penalty because it is far from sure we can make game. I am betting on plus 300 or more.
Martin Henneberger: 5. I will bid what I think I can make. Bidding 3 is wimpy. 4 just tortures partner. Passing could be right or wrong. I'm a big believer in bidding rather than passing for penalty.
Larry Meyer: 3. Takeout doubles should be taken out.
Eugene Chan: 3. No compelling reason to get too excited just yet. Partner expects approximately 7 hcps in your hand and that is exactly what you have.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Everything is poorly placed for our side, so bid a calm 3 and let someone else be the hero.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Keeping it low. I don't think this is the end of the auction!
Mike Roberts: Pass. Not sure about this, but it feels right.
Chris Diamond: Pass. 5 is a long way away, 3NT is possible but probably requires 9 runners, so pass and see what we can get against vul opps. It's only a board.
Amiram Millet: 4. Looking for 6 or 6NT from partner.
John Gillespie: 4. 90% forcing. Pard may have the wrong shapely min or the right one for slam.
Brian Zietman: Pass. Looking good at this vulnerability.
Plarq Liu: Pass. Pray for some plus score.
Beverley Candlish: Pass. Hopefully partner has a good hand and with my 5 clubs we should get a nice vulnerable score from E/W.
Kf Tung: Pass. +200 beats all part scores. +500 beats all game scores.
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