TGIF January 2014: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
|
A K Q 4
A
4 2
Q 10 9 8 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
2
|
Pass
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 9
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 8
| 90
|
|
5
| 0
| 60
|
|
Moderator: Who's afraid of overcalling a four-card suit at the four level?
Larry Cohen: 4. Taking the principle of 'when in doubt, bid 4 over 4' to a new extreme, I've never overcalled on the four level with a four-card suit. There's always a first time.
Geoff Hampson: Dbl. I hope to land in 4 or have partner ask for my longer minor if he pulls.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. The usual.
Martin Henneberger: Dbl. I have too much to pass, plus I am short in hearts. Double, though imperfect, seems automatic. We need to uncover a spade fit if we have one.
Larry Meyer: 4. They have a fit, so we must have a fit. Pard passed, so slam is unlikely.
Yue Su: Dbl. This is hard so I will let my partner deal with it.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. . . 5, and pass are all pretty equally matched in my book.
Bob Kuz: Dbl. In a past event pard held J x 3 x A Q J x x x x 3 x and it took a club lead from A J x to beat it. Will history repeat itself?
Mike Roberts: Dbl. Many things could go right, and only a few could go wrong.
Brian Zietman: 4NT. If partner bids 5, I will bid 5 showing my 2 suitor is not the minors but spades and clubs.
Timothy Wright: Dbl. Partner will strain to bid spades here; with no more than 2 hearts, our worst case is a 3=2=5=3 hand.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 5. It could be horribly wrong but feel it's the best chance for a good score.
Chris Diamond: 4. This HAS to be the hand for a 4 card overcall at the 4 level. Larry Cohen says 4 over 4 plus it's MPs.
Amiram Millet: Dbl. Partner will correct to 4 with something like J 9 x x 3 x K J 10 x K J x and it will be better than 4 minus 3 doubled.
John Gillespie: Pass. Partner may well have cards with heart length but the colours are wrong.
Plarq Liu: Dbl. Take out.
Beverley Candlish: Pass. Getting into the bidding is dangerous because of the vulnerability and the shape of the hands.
Kf Tung: Dbl. Make-or-save double against make-or-save game raise!
|
| 2. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A Q J 5 3
Q 5
A K
Q 7 5 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
(1)
|
2
| ? |
| (1) Semi-forcing.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 10
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 6
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
2
| 0
| 40
|
|
3
| 0
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 40
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The modern style is to play double here for takeout.
Betty Ann Kennedy: 3. I'm too strong to pass, nor do I have the right type of hand to double. All that's left is to bid my second suit. 2 is tempting.
Daniel Korbel: Dbl. Nobody plays double for penalty anymore. If partner chooses 3, I'll be guessing again, but any other call and I'll be very well placed.
Roger Lee: 2NT. Because making a takeout double leaves me poorly placed if partner bids 3, I'll show my general shape and strength. I don't like 3; partner will expect less strength and more shape and, in particular, better clubs.
Martin Henneberger: Dbl. What are my options? Bidding 3 is not forcing and doesn't seem right on an anemic 4-bagger. 2NT is right on values but unilateral on a fake heart stopper. Double is very flexible. Let's see where that takes us.
Larry Meyer: Dbl. Showing extra values, denying a heart stop and denying a 6th spade.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Allow partner to confirm a real heart stopper. We might still be okay in a 5-2 fit.
Bob Kuz: Dbl. I hope partner figures it out.
Mike Roberts: 2NT. Marshall lives!
Brian Zietman: 3. If partner has a heart stopper then 3NT will be much better at matchpoints than 5.
Timothy Wright: 3. Thanks to East, I can show my values without forcing to game AND show doubts about hearts.
Chris Diamond: 3. Guess I can't make a semi-forcing pass so I guess I'm semi-forced to bid something. Is my semi-forced bid alertable? I don't like 3 but I like everything else less.
David Gordon: Dbl. . . showing extra values.
Amiram Millet: 3. Asking for a stopper in hearts for 3NT.
John Gillespie: 3. The points make up for a lousy suit.
Plarq Liu: 3. Forcing one round, showing my suits.
Beverley Candlish: 3. . . asking partner for a heart stopper. If she doesn't have a heart stopper, she can bid 3 or 4.
Kf Tung: Dbl. You don't want to defend 2 undoubled. Pard will pass to get +300 or find another bid.
|
| 3. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
A 7 2
A 9 6 3
4
A K J 6 4
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
Pass
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Dbl
| 6
| 100
|
|
2
| 5
| 90
|
|
1NT
| 3
| 70
|
|
2
| 2
| 60
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 60
|
|
Moderator: All but one of the panel agree not to sell out to 1, but the hot debate is the best way to proceed.
August Boehm: 2. Partner is likely to hold a weak hand, reducing the danger that he will get us too high. Meanwhile, we bring the other major into the picture and show at least five clubs.
Allan Falk: 1NT. 2 is too much when no one may have a fit. I can't sell out to 1. Even if it is going down, 50 a trick rates to yield a subpar matchpoint score. Technically 1NT is an overbid - it should show 18+, but the alternatives - pass and 2 - are worse.
Kerri Sanborn: 2. I want to make it easy for us to compete later if possible. It's all about the best possible plus or minus.
Don Stack: Dbl. The only downside is that partner may bid diamonds. If this happens, we can hopefully land on our feet by bidding 3. I'm not willing to pass with a hand this strong.
Mel Colchamiro: Pass. I usually achieve plus 100 or plus 150 by passing, usually more than the plus 90, plus 110 or minus 50 I could get by bidding. 2 is my second choice.
Stephen Vincent: 2. Try and get them up a level.
Martin Henneberger: 1NT. I have no qualms about bidding 1NT here. Double distorts my hand pattern in 2 places, spades and diamonds. Bidding clubs again leaves pard in the dark as to the wide range of strength and shapes you could hold.
Larry Meyer: 2. Bid out my shape and show a bit extra.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Dbl. They may squirm, but I still like our chances at defending 3 better than 1 undoubled.
Bob Kuz: Dbl. I sense a pattern developing!
Mike Roberts: 2. I hate to sell out to 1, and this is the bid least likely to beget 2 by partner.
Brian Zietman: 2. Double may be more flexible here, but 2 reverse shows my hand much more accurately.
Timothy Wright: Dbl. Catering to an unlikely spade stack; the harder question is whether to pull 2 to 2.
Chris Diamond: Dbl. Toss up between double and 1NT? But the hand looks suity.
David Gordon: 2. Enough extra values to stretch for a 2 call. I do not like dbl.
Amiram Millet: Dbl. Will convert 2 from partner to 2.
John Gillespie: Pass. No negative double? I think they are in the wrong spot.
Beverley Candlish: 2. Partner didn't negative double so she doesn't have 4 hearts. It would be dangerous to double as partner will surely bid diamonds.
Kf Tung: 2. You have a good hand, clubs, hearts, and you do not want to defend 1.
|
| 4. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A K 2
A K 4
J 10 8 5 4 3
5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 11
| 100
|
|
2
| 2
| 70
|
|
1
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 2
| 60
|
|
Moderator: A common bidding-contest problem, raising to 2 with only 3-card support, but with extras.
Steve Weinstein: 2. Vulnerable at IMPs, partner will bid aggressively with a diamond card, and whatever he bids, I am well placed to bid hearts next. I have a lot of respect for 1 - I just can't bring myself to do it. White (or at matchpoints), I would raise to 2.
Barry Rigal: 2. Again you are tormenting us with a hand that doesn't meet any really nice options. I could imagine bidding 1 with the plan of bidding 2, but the simple raise is not far off what I have.
Martin Henneberger: 2. Another typical impossible bidding contest problem playing regular standard methods. Overbidding looks wrong as my 6 card suit is fugly and I do have only 3 hearts. 2 it is.
Larry Meyer: 2. Support with prime trumps and a ruffing value.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 1. Bidding 2 doesn't quite do my hand justice. This looks like one of those setup questions where you fake a 1 bid and pray you don't end up in a 3-3 fit.
Bob Kuz: 2. A slight underbid because I am short a heart.
Judi Carter: 3. Splinter.
Mike Roberts: 2. Insufficient, but can't really bid 3. I don't mind 1. 3 is useless.
Brian Zietman: 2. A Moysian fit may play well here with the singleton club, but I cannot bring myself to bid 2 with only 3 times.
Timothy Wright: 3. . . a far better description of the hand than 2. (The Bridge World Death Hand strikes again.)
Chris Diamond: 1. If the first hand was the right time for a 4 card spade suit, this has to be the right time for a 3 card suit. I don't know if I can extricate myself but it's cheap and gets more info.
David Gordon: 3. Almost right on values. Not a great suit but you have 10 and 8 of diamonds.
Amiram Millet: 2. Not 3 with such a weak suit.
John Gillespie: 1. The most flexible bid...... and often wrong.
Plarq Liu: 4. Splinter, prepare for moysian fit in hearts.
Beverley Candlish: 2. I would show my lousy 6 card diamond suit first. If partner continues to bid, I will support hearts with my nice three card suit.
Kf Tung: 2. 3-card support with a ruffing value.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
9 6 4
6 5 4
9 6 5 4
7 5 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
3
(1)
|
Pass
| |
|
3
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) 4+ hearts, 5-8 HCPs.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
3
| 4
| 70
|
|
Moderator: With no good options, the favorite call is pass. Over half the panel bid something, however, split among the 3 and the 4 camps.
Mike Lawrence: 3. I refuse to believe we can set 3 doubled. I can bid 3, which may slide by if no one doubles. Down quite a few, but hopefully an undoubled quite a few. Or, I can bid 4, which may get us a better trump suit, but which is more likely to get doubled.
Jill Meyers: Pass. The good news is it is matchpoints and we may be collecting 200. I know we could also be minus 730. If 3 makes and I bid, we could be going for more than 730 anyway. This is the joy of matchpoints!
Steve Robinson: 4. While cheaper, 3 could easily lead to playing in at least 4. What if partner has only three spades?
Stephen Vincent: Pass. What's the best chance of avoiding disaster? Pass and hope partner has it off in his own hand? Or bid and hope both that partner doesn't bid again and that the opponents can't double?
Martin Henneberger: Pass. Generally takeout doubles should be taken out. In this case however even though the opps have a 9 card fit, the Law suggests there are likely to be 17 or 18 max on the deal. Partner is sitting over opener and 200 is a great incentive to pass.
Larry Meyer: 3. Leaving maximum room for pard to bid his own suit.
Andrew Krywaniuk: Pass. To bid now would be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Partner could easily have 5 defensive tricks when we aren't making 4.
Bob Kuz: Pass. It's only 1 bottom score if they make. If I knew partner had 5 diamonds then 4 is the correct call.
Mike Roberts: Pass. Rule of thumb - if we're getting a zero, I don't want to play it. Easier to take 5 tricks than 8 or 9.
Brian Zietman: 3. Trying to keep the bidding as low as possible. Partner is probably 4-0-4-5. My superior declarer play will ensure I make the contract. :)
Timothy Wright: Pass. Fortunately, other tables will face similar auctions (a 3 preempt over the first double), so I will have company.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. The least of evils.
Chris Diamond: 3. Refuse to pass. 3 awful since he will raise often but 4 is still the 4 level and he doesnt't guarantee 4 diamonds. Silly problem really since it's a guess as to what will work.
David Gordon: 4. First dbl is takeout and so is the second. So simply bid your longest suit.
Amiram Millet: Pass. Taking 5 or more on defence is easier than finding and making the correct game.
Joel Forssell: 3NT. Lebensohl situation?
John Gillespie: 4. Least likely to get doubled and should play 1+ trick better than spades.
Plarq Liu: Pass. It may be better to defend, rather than declare as Yarborough.
Beverley Candlish: 4. I have no points and I don't have 4 spades. If partner had 5 spades, she would bid them instead of doubling. I don't know if 3 could be defeated.
Kf Tung: 4. You don't have a trick in defense, but you can contribute to playing 4.
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