TGIF May 2015: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
|
A 10 7 6 5 4
A K Q 9 6
5
6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
|
3
| |
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4NT
| 4
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 90
|
|
5
| 3
| 90
|
|
5NT
| 2
| 80
|
|
4
| 2
| 70
|
|
4
| 1
| 50
|
|
6
| 1
| 50
|
|
Pass
| 2
| 50
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: This problem may have set a record for the number of different calls by the panelists, a reminder that bridge is not a black-or-white proposition.
Steve Weinstein: 4. I'm not willing to force to slam or pass 3NT, so I'll make a general force and see what partner does.
Mike Lawrence: 5NT. Not easy. Slam is likely, but not guaranteed at all. If there is a slam, it's probably in hearts or diamonds. Or even notrump. 4 wouldn't be forcing, so if I am looking for slam, it will be something of a grope. So, I grope with 5NT, pick a slam.
Jill Meyers: 4. My hand is too strong not to make a forcing call. I have a lot of high-card points in the majors, and to jump to 3, partner has to have a good suit. We could easily have a slam.
Steve Robinson: Pass. I have enough to make a forward-going call, but what should I bid? 4 on a singleton? 4? I'm not sure that's forcing and partner might not have three hearts. Pass has the advantage of going plus.
The Sutherlins: 6. The only forcing bid we can make is 4. This is likely to lead to confusion. We think this hand is a favorite to make six of a major, so we take a shot with 6. If partner is short in both majors, he can convert to 6NT.
Geoff Hampson: 4. 3 might have been perceived as an attempt to get to 3NT facing a club stopper. I still need to convey that I have big majors.
Mel Colchamiro: 4NT. Pass is my 2nd choice. At first I thought that the obvious 4 would be my conservative choice, but opposite so many North hands that contain a one-loser diamond suit (as is likely), plus the A, slam is highly likely. So I'll give him one poke.
Cynthia Handley: 5. The controls are too good to bid just 4. If partner's diamonds are solid, the hand has to be cold for at least 12 tricks. And if they aren't, hearts may be our best trump suit.
Stephen Vincent: 4NT. The most flexible forward-going move.
Larry Meyer: 4. Bid out my shape.
Eugene Chan: 5. Best slam probably in spades if partner has doubleton K. Making a slam try despite a risk of potential minus.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. Bid something ambiguous and forcing to see if partner can give a preference.
Perry Khakhar: 4. If we have a slam, it's in diamonds. I will make a move towards slam and see what we get.
Paul Mcmullin: Pass. Tempting to bid 6 on partner's apparently running suit.
Timothy Wright: 4. I have sympathy for 4 here--it would show the 5th heart--but I want partner to upgrade a spade holding like Q J.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. The misfit makes me cautious. Slam could be on (we probably have the points).
Roy Bolton: 4. Slam chances are slim with this misfit.
Chris Diamond: 4. Still looking for a major suit.
David Gordon: 4. Probing for more.
Amiram Millet: 5NT. Inviting slam.
John Gillespie: Pass. No spades over there feels like 2 club stoppers and a 0-1 loser diamond suit.
Bob Todd: 5NT. . . pick a slam. I think 6 is the clear winner but at matchpoints the J x is huge.
Beverley Candlish: 4. NT is not an option in my mind. With two singletons, it spells disaster.
Kf Tung: 5NT. If pard wants to play in a game, choose 5N. If pard wants to be in a slam, it can be 6, 6 or 6 up to his choice.
|
| 2. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
10 7 5 4 2
A Q 2
A K Q J
A
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
Dbl
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 12
| 100
|
|
1
| 4
| 80
|
|
2
| 0
| 60
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
1NT
| 0
| 40
|
|
2NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: With 20 HCP, the majority of the panel bust out the cue-bid.
Roger Lee: 1. If we belong in spades, someone has to bid them.
Don Stack: 2. What about subsequent rounds? If partner bids 2, we will raise to 3, and if partner bids 2NT, we will raise to 3NT. Somehow, bidding 1 on this wretched suit after the double has no appeal.
David Waterman: 2. I will not introduce my spades - partner may bid a 3-carder next.
Larry Meyer: 1. Maybe our most likely game is 4 - someone has to make a move in that direction.
Eugene Chan: 1. Not perfect, but maybe opps will balance or partner is able to take another call. I would be very surprised if auction dies in 1.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. Allow partner to pattern out, though it may be difficult to identify any spade wastage. Suddenly slam (and 3NT) are back in the picture.
Ian Greig: 3. I don't need much more than a fifth diamond and the K (or A) to make 3NT reasonable. I don't think that 2 (or 1NT or 2NT) will encourage partner sufficiently.
Perry Khakhar: 1. Yes, I would also like a more robust suit! 5 is a long way off and 3NT may have communication issues. More likely game is in spades.
Timothy Wright: 1. 3 could be very right, but if partner has spade support, we want to play in some number of spades.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. Cue tells the strong hand. I'll pass 2 if partner bids that (signifying an absolute minimum).
Chris Diamond: 1. This could end the auction, but that might be right. If not I'll have a better idea where we are headed.
David Gordon: 2. Fit bid?
Amiram Millet: 2. A strong diamond support and checking for NT.
John Gillespie: 2. I only have 4 spades don't I?
Bob Todd: 2. 1 is non forcing and misdirected. Time to show strength first.
Beverley Candlish: 1. I trust partner will not pass after I double and bid. I would like to play the contract in 4, however I need a little boost.
Kf Tung: 1. No regrets if pard passes your 1.
|
| 3. IMPs. None vul.
| |
6 4 2
---
Q J 8 4 3
A Q 7 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 10
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 80
|
|
Dbl
| 3
| 70
|
|
2
| 1
| 50
|
|
3
| 0
| 30
|
|
3
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Again, the panel cue-bid, this time showing "support".
Barry Rigal: Dbl. Minors and cards, planning to compete in spades unless partner lowers the boom on 4, and even then, maybe.
Steve Robinson: 4. . . bidding what I hope to make. The void in hearts makes it likely that West might bid 5, which will make 4 the next-to-last bad bid.
Kerri Sanborn: 3. I could have a very useful hand for partner. It would be nice to be playing a lead-directing transfer, but I need to get the raise in now.
David Waterman: 4. This will be the winner in the long run - if he has only 4 spades, not in the short run.
Larry Meyer: 3. Invite pard to game.
Eugene Chan: Dbl. Classic textbook responsive double followed by raise to 3 adequately describes this hand.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. Stretching all the way to a splinter with 2 potential sources of tricks. A logical alternative is to responsive double and then support.
Ian Greig: 3. Prepared to leave it up to partner over a 4 bid by West.
Perry Khakhar: 4. They may not lead a trump. Or, we may be able to set up a side minor. What the heck it's IMPs: just in case it makes.
Paul Mcmullin: 3. I'd splinter to 4 if I had a fourth spade.
Timothy Wright: Dbl. This is why they make responsive doubles, right?
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. With probably 5(+)-4(+) in the majors in partner's hand and three little spades this hand goes low.
Roy Bolton: Dbl. Covers the bases. Will bid spades next time to bid.
Chris Diamond: 3. Tough hand. I'd like a 4th spade. If I double intending to bid spades next time it might have to come after 4, or higher.
David Gordon: Dbl. . . followed by competing to 4.
Amiram Millet: 3. A strong raise to at least 3.
John Gillespie: Dbl. . . followed by spades will show a heart shortness invite, just not this short.
Beverley Candlish: 3. Cue bid opponents suit to show a limit raise or better in partner's suit.
Kf Tung: 2. 2 is enough if pard cannot invite you for a game.
|
| 4. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
J 9 7 3
J 9 7 3
9 7 5 4 3
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
1
|
Pass
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
|
3
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 6
| 100
|
|
3
| 4
| 80
|
|
4
| 3
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 3
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
Dbl
| 1
| 50
|
|
Moderator: While some of the panelists cue-bid again, the most common bid was the straightforward 3.
August Boehm: Pass. I'm close to bidding, but the vulnerability is even more daunting than the 2 HCP. Trading on the good distributional fit, I would have bid 1 initially - the get-in, get-out philosophy. At this stage, I feel I'm guessing.
Allan Falk: 3. Partner just has a really good hand. Because I have a club void, he is a favorite to have at least two, so he could have any of a number of flat hands with 19+ HCP. The only thing of which I can be certain is that diamonds is a fit of some sort.
Geoff Hampson: 3. I won't keep silent, and no action is clear, so I opt for the most rewarding suit.
Daniel Korbel: 4. . . which should imply two places to play and a weak, shapely hand. Partner should be able to infer that I have spades and diamonds.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Doubtless we have a fit somewhere but it may not be easy to find.
Larry Meyer: 4. Looks like our hands will fit well.
Eugene Chan: 4. Would have bid 2 over 1 initially instead of wimpy pass. Now time to play catch up.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4. It sounds like East may be jerking us around. If for no reason other than that, I'm going to overbid.
Ian Greig: 3. A takeout double risks pass from partner and +100 might be insufficient (if we can beat it). Prefer 3 to 3 as I can run to 3 if 3 is doubled (even though West might hold long diamonds but unlikely long spades, and partner is more likely to hold 4 spades).
Perry Khakhar: Pass. Clearly, they have a massive club fit and probably RHO has fewer hearts than he showed. Knowing all this, you are still Vulnerable and broke, so pass for now.
Timothy Wright: Pass. I know it's a 30-point deck for us, but my hand leaves it as (almost) a 30-point deck.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: Dbl. For the nothing I offered last round this hand has become quite nice. Let's tell partner we have a fit and let him choose the best suit.
Roy Bolton: 3. I know it's matchpoints but this is safer.
Chris Diamond: 3. Not much but the void makes it worth a call.
David Gordon: 3. Play the safer contract.
Amiram Millet: 4. To play at least 4 of a major.
Beverley Candlish: 3. Partner is insisting on a bid from me.
Kf Tung: Pass. Sorry, pard, I am not excited.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. E-W vul.
| |
A K Q 4
A 4
J
K J 10 9 6 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
3
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Dbl
| |
|
Pass
|
4
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 7
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 90
|
|
4NT
| 4
| 80
|
|
5NT
| 2
| 70
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
6
| 0
| 30
|
|
6
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: Another another cue-bid. To slam, and beyond!
Larry Cohen: 5NT. Partner is driving to game opposite a possible 10 count. He must have a very good hand and at least one of the missing aces. In case partner chooses clubs, I bid 5NT on the way to 6 (if he doesn't pick clubs).
Betty Ann Kennedy: 5. This will take up room, but it will force partner to bid a suit. After his expected 5, we will continue with 6. This should imply that we can stand a correction to 6 if partner holds a doubleton club. This seems the best plan to get to 6 or 6.
Mike Lawrence: 4NT. Simple aces. Will bid 6 if partner has one ace. Will consider more if he has two.
Jeff Meckstroth: 4. I'm not going to be greedy. I'm happy to get to spades. We might be missing slam, but I'll settle for a plus score.
Stephen Vincent: 4. First duty is to show my better major.
David Waterman: 5. . . and 6 over 5; 6 over 5.
Larry Meyer: 5. Pard wanted to force to game even if I was a minimum takeout double, and I am much stronger than that.
Eugene Chan: 6. Weirdest set of problems ever. Can't be wrong to bid what you think you can make.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. . . 2 places to play (including clubs) with slam aspirations.
Ian Greig: 5. Willing to risk the five level - partner may only have fairly minimum values and be striving for the correct major suit game. Will correct 5 to 5 and pass 5.
Perry Khakhar: 4. Sometimes preempts work! We may have more if partner has perfect hand. But 5 may not be safe, so a plus is a plus.
Timothy Wright: 6. I was not expecting that. Over a balancing double, 4 has to show real values.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. I may miss 6 (or 6) but I will take the certain plus.
Chris Diamond: 4. Pick your major first. If pard's interested in slam we might be able to catch up.
David Gordon: 4. Partner usually has both majors.
Amiram Millet: 5. Inviting a slam.
John Gillespie: 4NT. Should be for straight aces (I hope) on the way to spades.
Beverley Candlish: 4. I believe partner's 4 bid is asking me to pick a major suit.
Kf Tung: 6. 6 is easier than 7. West has opened 3 vulnerable, after all.
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