TGIF March 2012: Scores
| 1. IMPs. Both vul.
|
A K J 10 9 7 6
K 2
K 7
J 10
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 9
| 100
|
|
1
| 8
| 90
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
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Moderator: Most of the panelists are evenly split between doubling 1 with this strong playing hand or overcalling 1.
Karen Walker: 1. 4 is a close second but if the auction suggests that partner is broke, I'll be glad I started low.
The Coopers: 4. Take ALL their room away. We are unlikely to have slam and likely to make this.
The Gordons: Dbl. No leaping for us. Bidding 3NT or 4 takes us out of the running if the other contract is the successful game. With spades, you don't have to hurry.
Stephen Vincent: 1. You can rely on my overcalls, partner.
Martin Henneberger: 1. This hand does not meet my strength requirements to start with double, and bidding 4 is just solo bridge.
Larry Meyer: 4. When you know where you want to be, just bid it.
Eugene Chan: Dbl. Too good to overcall 1. 2 as an intermediate jump overcall works well but that is not systemic for the purposes of this bidding contest.
Stuart Carr: Dbl. Partner's bid may help on choosing to go for 3NT or 4.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Dbl. Partner could pass a 1 overcall with too many hands that make game. No need to mastermind with 4 (or 3NT).
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. Keeping it simple. If they bid more, I'll double to show I was serious. Bidding 1 to keep 3N open is for perfectionists.
Paul Mcmullin: Dbl. Luckily, my suit is spades; switch the hearts and spades, and I'd bid 1 and be prepared to double back in later to imply the strength.
Chris Diamond: 1. Old fashioned to double. 4 is possible, but with the master suit what's the hurry?
Amiram Millet: 1. No need to rush holding spades.
John Gillespie: 1. I hope to know how many to bid next round and I will raise 1NT to 3.
Brian Zietman: 4. Is there any point in doubling and then bidding spades? Yes we may miss 3NT, but who wants to play in NT with 100 honours in spades?
Perry Khakhar: 4. Slam seems to be not a consideration so I will bid what I think we can make.
Plarq Liu: 4. Makes life simpler.
Beverley Candlish: 4. My hand has little value other than in spades. With East opening 1, it is doubtful we will be missing a slam.
Kf Tung: Dbl. Start with a double and you will be easier to stay within plus territory. A fast 4 bid, however, may win the day with a friendly diamond lead when 9 tricks only would otherwise be available.
Bob Todd: 1. My 1 is not getting passed out.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
8 7 4
Q 9 7 5
A K 10 9 7 6
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 7
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 6
| 90
|
|
1
| 5
| 80
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: The panel is of three minds on this problem: it's not our hand; it's our hand; it's our hand as long as we preempt them out of their suit.
Larry Cohen: 2. If we have game in a major, so be it. I'll be content with any plus in a diamond partial and hope that the preemption keeps the opponents out.
Jeff Meckstroth: 1. I have to bid. We could easily be cold for 4.
Barry Rigal: 3. I close my eyes and try to hit it where they ain't. Having paid my entry fee to this competition, I can hardly pass it out with the lame excuse that I have only 9 HCP. Point counting is for wimps.
Mel Colchamiro: Pass. The Rule of 15 suggests pass, but really, who knows?
Stephen Vincent: 2. Who's more likely to have a game, us or them? Us probably.
Martin Henneberger: 1. This hand has a lot of playing strength if partner has 5 spades or 4 hearts. I think gambling to pass is equal to or worse than bidding. Opening anything higher than 1 loses the potential major fit.
Larry Meyer: 2. Expecting to make, and if opps buy the contract, pard knows what to lead.
Eugene Chan: Pass. No reason to believe this is our hand.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. I might fool around with a 1 opener at MPs. At IMPs it's just silly.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Passing it out is too unilateral at IMPs. 1 is okay but I'm trying to shut out clubs. I don't subscribe to the theory that a 4th seat weak two-bid is better than other weak two-bids, this case in point.
Paul Mcmullin: Pass. No points, no spades... no bid here!
Chris Diamond: 1. Got a suit, got the majors, got a rebid, got an opening bid.
Amiram Millet: Pass. Don't start a war you're not going to win.
John Gillespie: Pass. If I open this I'm afraid of all 3 opponents.
Brian Zietman: Pass. I am going by the Rule of 15 here.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. I don't like entering a gun fight with a pocket knife!
Plarq Liu: Pass. May not have a positive score if I bid.
Beverley Candlish: 2. . . showing a 6 card suit and a full opener in fourth seat. I may be cheating regarding points but I do have a void. My second choice would be to pass.
Kf Tung: Pass. You have been doing fine. Do not give your opponents to get a chance for a plus score.
Dennis Caswell: Pass. Does not meet the Rule of 15.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
7 2
A K
A K J 10
A Q 8 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
3
(1)
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Constructive: 8 or more high-card points.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
3
| 3
| 70
|
|
3
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
5
| 1
| 50
|
|
4NT
| 0
| 30
|
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6
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: 3 and 3 are ostensibly natural here - partner will interpret either as showing one more card in the suit than we have. The panel thinks that's worth the risk, and must have a plan to confirm they were intended as advance cue-bids for a club slam.
August Boehm: 3. With a possible club slam on the horizon, I'd rather not confuse the issue of spade control by bidding 3. Besides, 5-2 hearts might be our highest-scoring game.
Mike Lawrence: 3. This may confuse partner as to my shape but my values are good enough. This may end up right-siding notrump. Was there a reason I didn't open 2NT?
Don Stack: 3. . . stopper asking. If partner bids 4, I can bid a club slam. If partner bids 4, 5 is probably the limit of the hand. If partner bids 3NT, there may still be a slam, but I will pass.
Martin Henneberger: 3. A 3 probe accomplishes 2 things: it will right side a no trump contract and perhaps disclose a 2 loser spade position. I will follow up a 3NT bid by pard with a quantatative 4NT.
Larry Meyer: 3. Give pard the option to bid 3NT with a spade stopper.
Eugene Chan: 3. At matchpoints, a great need to explore potential slams in NT or in hearts.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Getting greedy here. The A/K of spades could be worth a trick in either 3NT or 6 but there isn't time to investigate both. Hope partner won't take me for a half-stopper.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Trying to elicit more info, not ruling out a 4 game and I'm keeping notrump as a possible strain. I don't think this sequence promises 1-3-4-5.
Paul Mcmullin: 3. 3 HAS to be a 'tell me more forcing' bid here - I could bid 3NT with spade stoppers.
Chris Diamond: 3. Automatic, looking for spade control but could be a problem next round.
Amiram Millet: 3. Let partner decide between 3NT and 5.
John Gillespie: 3. Forcing and most likely to help partner.
Brian Zietman: 4NT. Where are partner's 8 or more points? They are surely in spades so slam is a good prospect.
Perry Khakhar: 3. It may be that with the right cards, a slam is possible. Then again, we might go down in 3NT. Let's make a temporizing bid and see what partner can contribute.
Plarq Liu: 3. Waiting bid, I have nothing more to say.
Richmond Williams: 3. This has to be a cue bid.
Beverley Candlish: 3NT. I hope my partner has a spade stopper or two.
Kf Tung: 3. Pave the way for NT or hearts by partner and get ready to cooperate if partner steers towards a slam.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
A K J 10 9 7 3
4
6 5
A 7 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
2
(1)
| ? |
| (1) Strong.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 6
| 80
|
|
2
| 3
| 60
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Perhaps all the spade bids should get 100, since any of them could be right. In real life, the choice of level might well depend more on table feel than any objective evaluation.
Steve Weinstein: 4. If they were looking at my hand, I would bid just 3. But since they're not, I expect them to bid five of a red suit.
Allan Falk: 3. While it is possible East as a balanced 22-plus, there's nothing to say they can't make game or slam, and I certainly don't want them to have a convenient exchange of information. On the other hand, 4 is too much.
Steve Robinson: 2. I'm interested in seeing if partner has spade support and some distribution or strength.
Martin Henneberger: 3. I think vul vs not a 3 bid should look exactly like this hand.
Larry Meyer: 3. Even if pard has only 2 spades, we should be safe at the 3-level.
Eugene Chan: 4. Could prove too expensive. But these days superlight 2 openers are legal, so maybe you are cold for a slam. Who knows?
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. I bid 3 on the theory that it's probably down 1 on average. Not sure if they can make game, but might as well make them guess as to the trump suit.
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. Two-way bid, making life harder for opps and being more or less descriptive. Risking -500 vs non vul game but bridge is not for the timid.
Chris Diamond: 3. 3 is high enough at this vulnerability since a lot of doubles of 4 would be left in.
Amiram Millet: 3. Maximum pressure, taking vulnerability under consideration.
John Gillespie: 3. They haven't bid their hand yet but they will. Partner takes over from here.
Brian Zietman: 4. Is this enough to prevent the opponents getting to slam in a red suit?
Perry Khakhar: 3. I may have enough defense against 4. I need the opponents to guess at the 4 level.
Plarq Liu: 3. Maybe we should just be more cautious because of vulnerablity.
Beverley Candlish: 2. It is unlikely my partner has any points and therefore doubled vulnerable and down 5 or 6 is not good bridge. It is unlikely E/W can make a slam with South having two Aces. Spades may not hold for a trick.
Kf Tung: 3. Maximum pressure. Watch them moving their butts and fingering about the bidding box.
Bob Todd: 2. Starting slow!
|
| 5. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
4
A Q 7 6
A J 9 7 5
Q 8 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 15
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 60
|
|
2
| 2
| 50
|
|
2
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: The panel as a whole is vehemently opposed to dropping partner in 1NT. Most are also opposed to rebidding the feeble five-card diamond suit and choose, instead, to try 2 with a three-card suit, figuring they'll hit partner in one minor or another.
Betty Ann Kennedy: 2. Partner is short in both majors and may have clubs.
Jeff Meckstroth: 2. Perhaps I should bid 2, but I don't want partner to get too excited.
The Gordons: Pass. It could be right to bid 2, but we're passing because it will be harder for the opponents to find their fit. Partner might have spade concentration and even if they run spades, we might have seven tricks.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Yes, you have some sort of minor fit. But you can't both find it and necessarily stay low.
Martin Henneberger: 2. Well we know the opponents have at least a 9 card spade fit. This hand has the shape to play in a suit contract so I will bid 2 now so pard can compete in a minor should the auction get competitive.
Larry Meyer: Pass. We have no game, so stop bidding.
Eugene Chan: 2. Beating a hasty retreat from NT. Opponents will probably discover their 9+ spade fit soon enough.
Stuart Carr: 2. Partner has 7+ minor cards, so 2 of a minor looks safer than 1NT.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. Torn between 2/2. 2 could play a trick better when it's right, but there is also some chance of an unwelcome courtesy raise from pard.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. I have to bid a 3-card suit at least once in every bidding contest set. This is one of many reasons you should not open 1 with 4-5 in diamonds and clubs. Passing is too unilateral at IMPs and vul.
Chris Diamond: 2. If he doesn't have 4 hearts or 4 spades he's got at least 3 diamonds or 5 clubs.
Amiram Millet: Pass. They have at least 10 spades together. Let them find the proper level.
John Gillespie: 2. Caters to short(ish) diamonds and long(ish) clubs opposite and a 4-3 fit should play ok+.
Brian Zietman: 2. For the life of me I cannot think of any other bid with this minimum opening. Partner has not got 4 spades so we are probably wide open there. At IMP's 2 looks the safest spot by far.
Perry Khakhar: 2. It's possible that we have a better fit in clubs than diamonds. However, I have a minimum opener that doesn't wish to play in NT or over the 2 level. Beware the dreaded courtesy raise in clubs!
Plarq Liu: Pass. If 1NT is not forcing, I will pass.
Beverley Candlish: Pass. I hope North holds some spade stoppers.
Kf Tung: 2. You have an 8-card fit in a minor suit. If partner bids 3 you pass. 1NT is not a safe contract.
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