TGIF June 2016: Scores
| 1. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
|
A 4
3
A Q J 2
A 8 6 4 3 2
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
(1)
| |
|
2
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Limit raise in clubs or better.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 8
| 100
|
|
3
| 5
| 90
|
|
3NT
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 0
| 70
|
|
4NT
| 0
| 70
|
|
6
| 2
| 70
|
|
5
| 0
| 50
|
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Pass
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: The favourable position of the diamond suit and the vulnerability encourage the panel to cue-bid, trying for slam.
The Sutherlins: 3. 3NT should be an easy make, but is it enough? We cuebid the opponents' suit - we are loaded. A club slam is a possibility.
Daniel Korbel: 3NT. At other colours I might pass, but with this extreme of a hand, I won't pass even though we could be getting plus 800. I'll be a matchpoint pig and bash out 3NT, knowing full well that slam could be cold.
Roger Lee: 3. I could bid 3, but this makes it absolutely clear that I have short hearts and a move, though I'm going to drive past 3NT anyway.
Gene Benedict: 6. I suspect partner has 4-4-2-3 shape with strong hearts. Because his hearts are over the heart bidder and my diamonds are over the diamond bidder, all finesses should work. There could be a hole in the club suit. 6 should be enough.
Stephen Vincent: 3. Try and coax partner into a cue bid.
David Waterman: 2. We need lots of space.
Anssi Rantamaa: 3. Give partner an opportunity to cuebid the A.
Chris Diamond: 3. Hard when the cult will open 2 small clubs and 4 honours in hearts with 1, but still too much potential.
Larry Meyer: 4NT. If pard has A and K Q, then 7 looks good, else settle for 6.
Eugene Chan: 4. Making a forceful slam try. 4NT from opener denies slam interest and we will play there.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. Partner is marked with a likely minimum 4-4-2-3 and wastage in hearts. Look for 3NT in preference to 6.
Larry Pocock: 3. Keeps NT in the picture and shows a game force or better.
Laurence Betts: 4. . . minorwood. That's what I would have bid the first time.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. . . slamgoing in clubs. Even opposite K x x x, Q J x x, x x, Q J x (which is not a 1-opening) 12 tricks are possible. So I'm going hunting for 13 tricks. This leaves more room than the 4-splinter.
David Gordon: 2. Advance cuebid.
Mike R and Monica W: 3. Partner, with no aces, will bid 3NT. Then 4 will get on track to 6.
Plarq Liu: 3. I want to show my extra values and heart shortness.
Beverley Candlish: 4NT. Investigate for a slam in clubs or NT.
Kf Tung: 3. We have power, we have clubs, and diamonds are not a worry.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
J 6 5
A K 9 5 4
A 7 3 2
5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
3
|
4
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
5
| 3
| 60
|
|
4NT
| 1
| 50
|
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Pass
| 1
| 50
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|
Moderator: Though many of the panel want to break discipline and pass, many suck it up to make the least awful bid.
Larry Cohen: 4. Problems like this make me glad I retired. Will anyone pass partner's forcing bid? I sure am tempted.
Steve Robinson: 4. Make the cheapest bid and hope to survive. I must admit that on some days, I would pass partner's forcing 4 bid.
Richard Pavlicek: 5. Ugly, but the lesser of evils, the alternative being 4, which sucks worse. Of course 4NT - natural - might be the least of evils, but the standard interpretation is surely Blackwood.
Stephen Vincent: 4. Not sure what else I can say.
Eurydice Nours: 4NT. Not key card, but to play.
David Waterman: 4. I would like to slow this down, but all I can do is bid my hand.
Anssi Rantamaa: 4. Best of the worst.
Chris Diamond: Pass. There are other partners out there. And it's only a board.
Larry Meyer: 4. Can't pass pard's free bid of a new suit at the 4-level, so make my minimum bid.
Eugene Chan: 4. I hope partner does not think this implies club support. In any event partner should have heart support for his 4 bid.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 4NT. Presumably a direct 4NT is weaker than cue-bidding and then being endplayed into bidding 4NT anyway.
Larry Pocock: 4. Ugly problem. Bidding 5 may well be the only right action. Partner didn't negative double so clubs must be long.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 4. I hate to do this, but I don't see any real alternatives with my singleton club. Partner rates to have at least three hearts as LHO and I have at least 10 diamonds. Hoping partner can move, if not 4 is (probably) a good matchpoint effort.
David Gordon: 4. Waiting bid.
Mike R and Monica W: 4. Either 4 or 4NT should be a grope. I'll pick 4, and reserve 4NT for RKC.
Plarq Liu: 4. I introduce my second suit.
Beverley Candlish: 5. Where can I go? Partner has to have a solid club suit and values to come into the bidding at that level.
Kf Tung: 4. I have the A!
|
| 3. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
| |
7 6 5 2
A K J 8 7 6 4
---
A 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4
| 5
| 100
|
|
3
| 5
| 90
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
2
| 2
| 70
|
|
3
| 1
| 60
|
|
2
| 0
| 50
|
|
3
| 2
| 50
|
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4
| 0
| 50
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Moderator: There are a wide variety of opinions on this hand: to support spades, insist on hearts, and then there's the issue of how high.
August Boehm: 4. This is far from ideal with such weak trumps. 6 might be our only slam, e.g., when partner holds A x x x and strong minors for spade discards. Still, the alternatives are even less appealing, and if partner cooperates, I could jump to 6.
Jill Meyers: 2. I don't think it will go all pass.
Kerri Sanborn: 3. Although I am worth 4 here, I don't want to give up on spades. Obviously I will not sit for 3NT. A spade raise at this point is potentially disastrous, and how high if I raise? I can feel shivers when 4 is doubled!
Geoff Hampson: 3. The opponents are conspicuously silent, which might suggest that partner has a good hand. I would like to force this hand to game, but I am not yet sure what trump should be, and I may get overboard if I bid more strongly now.
Daniel Korbel: 4. It's gotta be worth a shot at game, and 7-4 is usually best in your long suit unless you find a nine-card (or more) fit on the side. The spade fit will take tricks in hearts, too. My second choice is 3 because going low is sensible at matchpoints.
Larry Meyer: 4. Splinter to show the great support for spades and the diamond shortage.
Eugene Chan: 4. Invariably, always better to play in a long trump suit. This risks missing a potential spade slam but I am not going to pursue a marginal slam at matchpoints.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 3. It's tempting to blast 4/4 right away, but that could get us overboard if partner takes us seriously.
Larry Pocock: 3. 2 too cold, 4 too hot.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 3. Slam moves need something more from partner than a scattered 6 points.
David Gordon: 4. Stretch for the splinter with this offensive hand.
Mike R and Monica W: 4. The correct bid is 4 sparts. Stupid legal restrictions.
Plarq Liu: 3. We have double fit, jump to show it.
Beverley Candlish: 3. . . showing support and hope that partner has the values to go to 4. Slam is a possibility.
Kf Tung: 3. Beware of exciting partner too much.
|
| 4. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A 8 6
K
A K 8 5 3 2
9 7 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
1
|
2
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5NT
| 8
| 100
|
|
6
| 4
| 80
|
|
4NT
| 3
| 70
|
|
Pass
| 3
| 70
|
|
4
| 0
| 40
|
|
5
| 0
| 40
|
|
5
| 0
| 30
|
|
Dbl
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: The majority of the panel are slam-bound: some involve partner in the decision; others have their eyes on just the club suit.
Steve Weinstein: 4NT. . . straight Blackwood. If partner takes it as keycard in spades, it's not the end of the world. I'm playing at least 6.
Allan Falk: Pass. We are in a forcing auction, so why would I get in partner's way? If partner next bids 4, I'll bid 6; if double, 5NT pick-a-slam; if 5, I'll bid 5, trying for a grand slam. I want to find out if partner has first-round heart control.
Barry Rigal: 5NT. . . the ubiquitous pick-a-slam. Not the least of its attractions is that it acts as a transferrer of blame. Who could ask for anything more?
Don Stack: 6. It is tempting to bid 5NT asking partner to pick a slam, but we are looking at 3-card support for what must be a tremendous club suit. In 6, the diamond suit can surely be set up for any discards that partner may need.
Stephen Vincent: 6. The irritating interference leaves no room for a delicate approach.
David Waterman: 6. No good way to investigate 7, and the breaks will be bad.
Anssi Rantamaa: 5NT. Pick a slam partner.
Chris Diamond: 4NT. Bidding 6 anyway, so I might as well check.
Larry Meyer: 4. Being able to ruff hearts in the hand with the short trumps makes this worth bidding game.
Eugene Chan: 4. Partner may have a minimal 5-5 in the blacks. If so, 4 will be the best place to play.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 5. Assuming 2 is a strong jump-shift, there is hardly room for the opponents to have 2 tricks.
Larry Pocock: 6. Partner should be showing a BIG 2 suiter. Cue bidding 5 may convince partner you have a void. So, a practical 6?
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 6. Best shot I think.
David Gordon: 6. Give up on 7.
Bob Todd: 5. Are all hands cue bids?
Mike R and Monica W: Pass. Will pull partner's double to 5 - he might be able to bid 6. If pard bids, shoot 6.
Plarq Liu: 5. Clubs is the better trump suit. Assuming partner has two diamonds, I can establish my diamonds.
Beverley Candlish: Dbl. Couldn't find our fit before the 4 bid. Partner reversed so has a strong hand, it seems that doubling for penalty is the best bid.
Kf Tung: 6. 7-loser hand, club fit, partner has a 5-loser hand. Good controls and good trumps.
|
| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
Q 5 4
A Q 10 5 4
9 8 2
7 5
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 11
| 100
|
|
1NT
| 1
| 60
|
|
2
| 2
| 60
|
|
2
| 1
| 60
|
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Pass
| 3
| 60
|
|
Moderator: The majority of the panel go for the simple preference.
Mike Lawrence: Pass. Actually 2 is a reasonable choice as it allows partner a second chance. 55-45 for pass.
Don Stack: 2. . . rebidding a decent suit and hoping to land on our feet. There is a bit too much in this hand to pass 1 and not enough reason to raise to 2 or rebid 1NT.
Mel Colchamiro: 2. With three low diamonds, 4 seems a long way away, so paradoxically, that leads me to support diamonds. Once again, at matchpoints, this is a more difficult problem.
Stephen Vincent: 1NT. Passing abandons all hope of a vulnerable game while 2 and 2 both overstate the length of the suit.
Chris Diamond: 2. Hey, an easy one for a change.
Larry Meyer: 2. Pard's diamonds must be real, so support with support.
Pearl Minkoff: 2. . . New minor forcing.
Eugene Chan: 2. I have enough for another bid and my suit is definitely rebiddable.
Andrew Krywaniuk: 2. Partner will get the message about the club weakness and correct back to hearts with 3 of them.
Larry Pocock: 2. Also pass and 2 could be right. Normally I would bypass 1 with a balanced minimum.
Ig Nieuwenhuis: 2. This hand is why I play short club.
David Gordon: 2. If partner bids 2 raise to 4. If 2 raise to 4. If 2NT bid 3NT.
Mike R and Monica W: 2. . . just like they did in 1950. 2 is mighty attractive if it goes all pass.
Plarq Liu: 1NT. . . limited to 6-10.
Beverley Candlish: 2. . . and hope that partner passes.
Kf Tung: 1NT. Pass or 2 are dangerous options.
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