TGIF July 2013: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. Both vul.
|
K Q 8 7 6 4
---
K Q J 10
9 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
| |
|
2
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 11
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 2
| 60
|
|
Dbl
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 0
| 50
|
|
2
| 1
| 40
|
|
Moderator: Most of the panelists favor moving forward with a cuebid holding this pointed collection.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3. I think I need better defense to double. I would prefer to double, but I think that can be left in, so I'll gamble we can make something and cuebid 3.
Jill Meyers: 4. I have to choose between forcing to game and inviting (in which case I would bid 3). Because my diamonds are so good, I am taking the high road. Partner has already denied three spades, but if I bid 4, she might bid 4 on ace or jack doubleton.
Mel Colchamiro: 4. The splinter leaves room for 4 from partner on A x or J x, or a high-level contract in diamonds. I would prefer to have a club card, but life is like that sometimes.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Partner no doubt is sitting there with four hearts and is hoping for some bid other than this but 3NT looks a highly unattractive contract.
Martin Henneberger: 4. Inviting with 3 is ultra conservative. Game will make often when pard passes, not to mention my agony should they choose 3NT. Pard who has denied 3 spades can now show an offer to play 4 or 5.
Chris Diamond: 3. 3 will probably win but I don't want to crowd a complicated auction.
Larry Meyer: 3. If pard has as little as A x and a minor suit trick, 4 should make.
Eugene Chan: 3. At IMPs 4, but this is matchpoints. If my partner is known to open all 12 point hands, then for sure only 3.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. If I double and partner leaves it in, he will surely be disappointed by my lack of defense. Besides, I'd rather defend 3-x.
Mike Roberts: 3. I'm not very happy about this, and think that diamonds may play far better.
Perry Khakhar: 3. Pessimistically, the worst possible hand for partner is a 0454 11 count. But I am NOT a pessimist!
Brian Zietman: 3. We have to show partner we are headed for slam.
Timothy Wright: 3. Partner may well try 3NT here, but I'll have to pull to 4. Fortunately, that will show this kind of hand.
David Gordon: 4. If initial negative dbl shows 4 spades then 1 shows 5 of them. Therefore partner's pass denies 3 spades. If partner always opens 1 with 3-3 in minors then partner is now marked with at least 4 diamonds. So I hope this is a belated splinter supporting diamonds.
Amiram Millet: 3. 6 or 6 is a possibility.
John Gillespie: 3. Pard will discount heart values and 5 is a long way off.
Plarq Liu: 3. Show support by cuebidding.
Kf Tung: 3. Hope for 3 (A x) response from pard and then 4. Hope pard can make 3N if he bids it, otherwise you will end up in 5.
Bob Todd: 3. This hand is not as good as it looks.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
K Q 5 4
A Q J 6
J
A 6 5 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 11
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 5
| 80
|
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1
| 1
| 60
|
|
1NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: We're taught from day one that a takeout double shows support for the unbid suits. Here, not so much. Yet it's the call most of our experts make.
August Boehm: 1NT. If partner insists on notrump or diamonds, we'll see if the lone jack serves as well as two low diamonds. Meanwhile, a number of good things can happen.
Mike Lawrence: Pass. I have bid Michaels on this hand more than a few times, and I usually get stuffed by the moderator for this. So in my heart, I would bid 2 but recognize that it is not mainstream enough. This time I am passing for the score, not the result.
Don Stack: Dbl. We must choose between two flawed options, which are double and 1NT. I double. If partner has a major, we will hit the jackpot. If partner bids 1, then I will have to decide whether to bid 1NT or one of the majors.
Stephen Vincent: 1. The club texture, not to mention the diamond singleton, is inappropriate for 1NT while if you double and partner bids diamonds you are badly placed.
Gilbert Lambert: 2. 1 puts all my eggs in the same basket. Double risks having pard bid too many diamonds. I am left with an imperfect Michaels, but I have extras.
Martin Henneberger: 1NT. I have had success bidding 1NT with these hands. The alternative of dbl will be sweet when pard competes in diamonds, and I don't have enough to correct to NT (showing 19 or more).
Chris Diamond: Dbl. Can't stand passing these hands just because I'm missing diamonds. Might have to decide which lie to tell next.
Larry Meyer: 2. Michaels for the majors - my lack of length is compensated by my extra strength.
Eugene Chan: 1NT. Not necessarily the best bid but defenders usually under defend 1NT.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Dbl. If this is a part-score hand then we need to find our major suit fit. I'm willing to rebid NT over a possible diamond response.
Mike Roberts: 1NT. WWJD? (J = Joe Grue)
Perry Khakhar: 1NT. Stoppers are overrated. Dbl is an option but 4-card overcalls suck. I prefer the value bid.
Paul Mcmullin: Dbl. The offshape 1NT is equally unattractive.
Norm Tucker: 1NT. Makes partner aware of strength and puts systems on.
Bob Zeller: Dbl. If partner bids diamonds I will bid NT.
Brian Zietman: Dbl. If partner bids diamonds we bid NT.
Timothy Wright: 1. I can understand 1NT here, but the ACBL won't let you agree to overcall 1NT with this shape. Double is just wrong.
David Gordon: 1. A 1NT overcall could work as well. My intention is to rebid 2 and then maybe 2NT after that. Since I only overcalled initally, partner cannot play me for more values than this.
Amiram Millet: Dbl. Hope partner isn't going to call 2. With my regular partner I'd bid 1.
John Gillespie: 1NT. Brings both majors into play via Stayman but this never works for me at the table.
Plarq Liu: Dbl. Don't want to bid 1NT with singleton.
Beverley Candlish: 2. Hope my partner has a 4 card major. I shouldn't double with my singleton diamond and my Ace empty club suit.
Kf Tung: Dbl. If the hand is yours you can find the contract starting with the double. If the hand is theirs your takeout double will be the safest way to avoid a penalty.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
9 6 4 3
K 8
7 2
Q 9 7 6 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 10
| 100
|
|
2
| 4
| 70
|
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3
| 4
| 70
|
|
Moderator: Ten panelists make a negative double to get spades in the picture. The minority raise clubs.
Allan Falk: 2. . . limiting my hand. If the auction returns to me at 2, I can bid 2 showing (a) four terrible spades and (b) a fifth club.
Kerri Sanborn: 3. I like 3 better than pass or a negative double. It puts the most pressure on the opponents and might be the right landing spot.
The Coopers: Dbl. We don't really like it, but at matchpoints we don't really have a choice. There's no reason partner can't have four good spades and three low clubs.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Not interested in showing a bad spade suit in a bad hand when there's an attractive alternative.
Martin Henneberger: Dbl. I believe in the get-in, get-out principle. This is a 1-level negative dbl in my standards, albeit a dead minimum.
Chris Diamond: Dbl. There's a problem?
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Showing a sign of life with 4 spades.
Eugene Chan: 2. I would rather pass than make a mangy takeout double. Nothing wrong with raising partner on 5 trumps headed by an honour. Too balanced for 3 pre-empt raise.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. My hand seems somewhat preemptive. But I honestly have totally no idea what the panel will choose.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. All this says is that I would have responded 1. Which I would have.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. It is matchpoints. Can't miss out on the 4/4 spade fit.
Norm Tucker: Dbl. Minimum response gives opener options.
Brian Zietman: 3. Simply weak.
Timothy Wright: Dbl. Pass is too wimpy, even for me.
Ivy Pye: 3. Inverted minor with the K onside?
David Gordon: Pass. I have to draw the pass line somewhere. Without interference I would have bid 1.
Amiram Millet: Dbl. The time to show spades. Clubs - maybe later.
John Gillespie: Dbl. I never give up on spades at matchpoints.
Plarq Liu: Pass. I can't support partner's clubs since it is 3+ clubs, and I can't double because of my crappy spade holdings.
Beverley Candlish: Dbl. . . a negative double to show my 4 lousy spades. I have to protect my partner who may have a huge hand.
Kf Tung: 2. Show your club support. Partner will be grateful for it.
|
| 4. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A J 7 5 3
K 4
10
K 8 6 5 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
3
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
Pass
| 5
| 80
|
|
Moderator: This problem has the panelists fairly knotted up. Three reasonable calls emerge, all justified.
Larry Cohen: Pass. This is a pure penalty double (since we are in a game force). Hopefully, partner knows what he is doing. I have reasonable defense. I would pull with a diamond void, but in that case, I likely would have bid directly over 3.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. I definitely need to pull this double with a stiff. It might very well be right to bid 3, but I think I should show my other five-card suit before showing the doubleton heart.
The Joyces: 3. We could have shown three-card support immediately, so 3 now should show a doubleton honor in support.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Partner will probably expect me to have a flat minimum but there's nowhere really to go: the hand looks like a misfit.
Martin Henneberger: 3. I can bid 3 now without distorting what I hold, while keeping the auction low to explore further.
Chris Diamond: 3. Try for the most likely game first. Tempted to bid more right now.
Larry Meyer: 3. Pard should know that this is good 2-card support, because with 3-card support, I would have supported earlier.
Eugene Chan: 3. Partner knows I opened and partner should also know I don't have 3 hearts. The rest is up to partner.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. It's easier to deal with this kind of interference when you're in a game force already.
Mike Roberts: 4. Yeah, it's a nice hand. But I'm still not sure where we belong, so take it slow.
Perry Khakhar: 3. There is no way that I open that hand! I suppose that leaves me making weak little mewling noises now!
Paul Mcmullin: 3. Why didn't I open this 1?
Norm Tucker: Pass. Trust partner; your high cards should be well placed.
Brian Zietman: 4. Looking better after our weak opening.
Timothy Wright: 4. 5-5: come back from the dead.
David Gordon: 3. Partner has less then 3 spades, less then 6 hearts. This feels like a penalty dbl. Your pass showed fewer than 3 hearts.
Amiram Millet: Pass. Looks better than 4.
John Gillespie: 4. I'll play a 5-2 major suit game but we might even have slam in clubs.
Plarq Liu: 3. Absolute minimum, I just rebid because I can't support partner's hearts.
Beverley Candlish: 4. No point in introducing a K-empty club suit with my weak opener.
Kf Tung: 4. Your hand improves after this auction. The 4 bid shows clubs and you can welcome 4.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
8 7 2
K J 9 7 6 5
A 4
A K
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
2
|
2
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 7
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 4
| 90
|
|
3
| 3
| 80
|
|
3NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: The vast majority of the panel make some sort of game try.
Geoff Hampson: 3NT. Hopefully the same number of tricks as in a heart contract.
Don Stack: 2. Why not bring partner into the picture and let him know we need help in spades to make game?
The Gordons: 3. We are not fond of any alternative.
Stephen Vincent: 2NT. The prospect of 3NT is quite alluring, particularly if LHO is the sort who will dutifully lead partner's suit without thinking too much.
Martin Henneberger: 2NT. This hand is certainly worth a game try, and as such I will try 2NT now. I dislike 2, 3 or 3 as game try alternatives.
Chris Diamond: 3. I'd bid 4 at IMPs but a general invite good at MPs. Likely any help he has is outside clubs and therefore useful.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Willing to compete to 3, but do not want to invite game.
Eugene Chan: 4. Most of the field is likely there so why should I be any different?
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Quantitative game try? BBS doesn't specify a game try method, which is unhelpful.
Mike Roberts: 3NT. Notrump feels right if partner has, say, A x x Q x x 6 x x x 4 x x, isn't this cold?
Perry Khakhar: 3. To play, only because the Law is on my side! Where is the spade suit? I don't want to defend against the opps backing in to 2.
Norm Tucker: 3. Simple invitation with 16+ hcp.
Brian Zietman: 3. Invitational.
Timothy Wright: 2. Oh boy, another big hole in Bridge Bulletin Standard. Game tries! I'll guess we're playing help-suit.
David Gordon: 3. Invite game.
Amiram Millet: 2. To play at least 3.
John Gillespie: 2. A bit of help here and a winning finesse = game.
Plarq Liu: 4. With partner's limit raise, slam is unlikely.
Beverley Candlish: 4. I like the shape of my hand.
Kf Tung: 4. 4 makes more frequently than 3N.
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