TGIF August 2008: Scores
| 1. IMPs. Both vul.
|
K J 4
8 6
K 10 3 2
A 5 3 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1
|
1
|
3
(1)
| ? |
| (1) Weak.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 12
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 90
|
|
Dbl
| 2
| 50
|
|
4
| 0
| 0
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: What do you do when you don't have values for a 4 bid, but 3 seems like an underbid? The majority of the panel took a conservative view.
Mike Lawrence: Dbl. This shows a limit raise. This is a better treatment than using double (at the three level) to show the two unbid suits.
Kerri Sanborn: 3. I have the death holding in hearts. If we are off the first two tricks, we have to hold the other losers to one (to make 4). Partner has another bid.
Kai Zhou: 3. If pard has two hearts, the prospect is not promising.
Stephen Vincent: 3. With such good spades it seems preferable to support directly rather than make a competitive double.
Roy Li: Dbl. Shows invititional hand.
John Hurdle: 3. Admittedly, a mild underbid, sometimes one has a maximum. Partner might still be able to stretch if she is strong enough to make game opposite this.
David Breton: 3. Vulnerable overcalls are usually sound, but I'm still bidding only 3.
Aidan Ballantyne: Dbl. Don't like this double with support but no option this time as 3 is not enough, 4 is too much and 4 is misdescriptive. Will end up bidding 4 but will show minors on the way, see what happens.
Martin Henneberger: 3. All bids have some risk here. I'm a middle of the road guy with 3 here.
Larry Meyer: 3. Expecting pard to bid 4 if his overcall was full value.
Mike Roberts: 3. Dull shape, dull cards. Yes, it's right to push for a vul game, but it's wrong to go -500, too.
Perry Khakhar: Dbl. With potentially a 30 point deck, I would think that if we can find partner with a good 16 count and a stiff heart, slam in a minor may be a great idea. No other way to explore without this responsive double.
Bob Todd: Dbl. This is a partnership style issue and is right on line of choices.
David Gordon: Dbl. Tough hand. Death holding in hearts. I will responsive dbl to show minors. Some might play this as a game try.
Chris Buchanan: 4. The jump to 4 after the preempt shows the limit raise that I have.
Brian Zietman: 3. Just in case partner overcalled light I cannot risk 4. West's strength is as yet unknown.
Alex Wang: 4. Pard, game is ours, slam potential here if you got singleton or void in hearts.
Chris Diamond: 3. Close to bidding game, some spot cards short.
|
| 2. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
Q 9 3 2
8 6
2
A K 9 7 5 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
1
|
5
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
5
| 16
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 1
| 30
|
|
6
| 0
| 10
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 10
|
|
Moderator: Even though it is usually wrong to bid 5 over 5, this was the panel's near-unanimous choice.
Allan Falk: 5. .. a two-way shot. We might easily be cold for 5 and they can make 5. I can hardly pass, and double with four good spades and a singleton diamond is not partnership bridge.
Mike Lawrence: Dbl. East says he is weak and my hand has too many losers to try 5.
Kai Zhou: 5. Insurance bid, you might even make it.
Stephen Vincent: 5. Everyone else is bidding, why shouldn't I?
Roy Li: 5. If 5 not making, 5 is almost cold.
John Hurdle: 5. Rather play than defend.
David Breton: 5. I know this score: -1370. Maybe if I psych 5 on the way they won't take the push, hmm... it's probably wrong to psych in a contest.
Aidan Ballantyne: 6. Only because it feels like they will bid 6 over 5. Worth the slight gamble. 5 is a greedy bid that may buy it, but these days they always bid more which would leave us badly placed.
Martin Henneberger: 5. Who knows who can make what. 5 level belongs to the opponents gets disregarded with a big double fit. Could be a 2-way shot.
Bonny Lee: Dbl. No game for us.
Larry Meyer: 5. Good support, working singleton, long strong side suit all argue for bidding on.
Mike Roberts: 5. Don't know, but either could make, and I should take insurance.
Perry Khakhar: 5. They have pre-empted what may be their hand! It appears that they also have a heart fit. It isn't clear whether they have a slam or not. However, we have the boss suit and the vulnerability working for us. I can outbid them and I may have to!
Paul Hardy: 6. Pre-empts work, but sometimes they get opps to bid a slam they normally wouldn't.
David Gordon: 5. I don't think we are getting 2 clubs or 2 spades on defence.
Chris Buchanan: 5. Is there any other choice? At worst this will be 200 away, at best +650.
Brian Zietman: 5. Can partner find the club rather than heart lead when I double them in 6?
Alex Wang: 6. ... ready to compete to 6.
Chris Diamond: 5. This is easy. Over 6 it is going to be much tougher.
|
| 3. IMPs. Both vul.
| |
A
Q J 7 6 4
A Q 9 3
A 4 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
2
|
Pass
|
3
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 17
| 100
|
|
4
| 0
| 30
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 10
|
|
Moderator: The panel is near unanimous with their sentiment: don't tell the same story twice.
Jill Meyers: Pass. I have already shown my extra values and my distribution.
Mike Lawrence: Pass. This is 100% with no other choice. I would like to back up to 2. Further bidding is insane.
Kai Zhou: Pass. It seems that you have told your pard everything.
Stephen Vincent: Pass. Partner could well have a completely worthless hand for you such as K Q x x x and out.
Roy Li: Pass. 3 has shown everything.
John Hurdle: Pass. My previous bids were appropriate; to bid again insults partner.
David Breton: Pass. What else can I do? If I'm going to bid 4 now why did I bother with 3?
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. Logical alternative over partner's presumed tank over 3. There is an argument to bid on (3?/3NT?) because pard may have avoided 3NT due to worry about them running spades, but the argument is not a persuasive one.
Martin Henneberger: Pass. My hand is not great. Pard has not shown very much. I made a game try which is what this hand is worth and pard didn't cooperate with 3 or make a move so I am done.
Bonny Lee: 5. Partner knows my distribution. He should bid slam with any fitting honors in my 3 suits.
Larry Meyer: 4. Not enough strength or shape to look for slam.
Mike Roberts: Pass. If I wasn't going to pass this, I should have bid 3. Doing anything other than this is a gross insult to partner.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. You have shaped out and shown your extras. At some point you have to give up even if you are vul and at IMPs.
Bob Todd: Pass. Hope I have enough for 3!
David Gordon: Pass. I showed my extras with 3. 3 is minimum.
Chris Buchanan: Pass. I trust partner and pass. Partner has shown K Q x x 9 x J x x 8 x x. 3NT and 4 will have little play.
Brian Zietman: 4. Partner is putting the brakes on. No slam here.
Alex Wang: Pass. Pard got no aids in minors, game not possible.
Chris Diamond: Pass. I've described my hand and pard sounds broke.
|
| 4. IMPs. E-W vul.
| |
Q 7 5 4 3
A Q 3
Q 3
K J 3
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass
|
1
|
Pass
| |
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
Pass
| 8
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 4
| 70
|
|
1NT
| 4
| 50
|
|
2
| 1
| 10
|
|
3NT
| 1
| 10
|
|
Moderator: On defense, not only do you have a passed-hand partner, you have no spots in the spade suit and no clue about what to lead. If you bid, no level of notrump seems correct. This is a very tough problem.
Barry Rigal: Pass. The Q. Oh, this is not a lead problem? Yes, bidding might work, but I'm going to convert the double. We should have the balance of the high cards.
Grant Baze: Pass. If they make it, it's no big deal. If they go for 800, that is a big deal.
Kai Zhou: Pass. We may get 500 on a good day or -360 on a bad day.
Stephen Vincent: 1NT. My kingdom for the 9. Even the 8 might be good enough to make game or get a nice penalty.
Roy Li: 2. Passing is never a good idea when holding this kind of trump suit.
John Hurdle: 1NT. Partner, who couldn't open, doesn't want to see this bid, but I am pessimistic about defending with such weak trumps.
David Breton: 1NT. Partner's a passed hand without a 6 card suit. I'm not going to hang him by looking for 3N or by passing.
Stephen Ottridge: Pass. Looks like down 2 for 500.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. See this theme a lot. Message is same: take out the take-out doubles. Show a full opening bid and try to get NT played from other side. Not yet ruling out game even though facing passed hand. Once again, I will be in the minority!
Martin Henneberger: 1NT. With my spade spots so poor and that being my longest suit, I will downgrade the potential of this hand and bid 1NT. Pard is an original passed hand after all, so where are we going? I would never consider passing with these spades.
Bonny Lee: Pass. We have the HCP and trump length; down 2 is better than making game our way.
Larry Meyer: Pass. It's our hand, if we can lead trumps often enough, should beat it.
Mike Roberts: Pass. I'll lead a low trump, and hope dummy is dead. Game is unlikely - probably depends on a random spade spot by partner.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. Why should we go minus when they can! Besides which, 1 doubled is not game!
Paul Hardy: 1NT. Playing with my regular pard I **know** we don't have game, since we open all 10 counts.
Paul Mcmullin: 1NT. Partner IS a passed hand - no game.
David Gordon: 2. I will follow this up with a minimum no trump bid to show my 13-14 balanced. Spades are not good enough to pass.
Chris Buchanan: Pass. Either pass or 3NT. The vulnerability leans me towards the penalty but this is a tough choice. At worst I will lose 5 IMPS but if we manage to hold him to 4 tricks, we gain 9.
Brian Zietman: 1NT. The spade spots are too small to leave the double in and partner was a passed hand so his double may be very light.
Alex Wang: Pass. Pard made the bid I love most.
Chris Diamond: 2. With one better spade spot I'd pass. But AKJ1098 of spades and and an ace is only down one, while we're on for probably 3NT but other games are possible so I will delay bidding 3NT.
|
| 5. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
---
A K 9 7 6
A 3 2
A Q 10 9 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
2
|
Pass
|
4
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
4NT
| 10
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 7
| 70
|
|
5
| 0
| 20
|
|
Pass
| 1
| 10
|
|
5
| 0
| 0
|
|
5
| 0
| 0
|
|
Moderator: Do you bid to show two suits or do you double?
Mike Lawrence: Dbl. I expect partner to pass my double, which will net us a small to decent plus. If he does pull, I will consider bidding a slam because he will not do that without some playing values.
Jeff Meckstroth: Dbl. I have good enough defense to double. With less defense, I would bid 4NT.
The Coopers: 4NT. This could be wrong when partner is totally broke, but if we double, he will almost always pass. That will not be best for us a high percentage of the time.
Kai Zhou: 4NT. Natural take out of a two suiter, I would assume.
Stephen Vincent: Dbl. Most flexible.
John Hurdle: Dbl. My pattern is more conducive to 4NT takeout, but I prefer Double (flexible) with prime honour tricks. Partner should bid with shape.
David Breton: 4NT. I hope partner can bid slam/5/5N otherwise I'm probably going to raise him unless he chooses 5.
Aidan Ballantyne: 4NT. Probably suggests more 2-suiter than 3-suiter. Will cue bid spades over 5 or 5; will bid 6 over 5. In latter case, perhaps pard will get the idea that I have diamond tolerance since I didn't start with 5NT but am now insisting on slam.
Martin Henneberger: Dbl. Again double is self explanatory. Hopefully pard will pass only when right, not bid a 4 card diamond suit and use a very useful 4NT to find where to play.
Bonny Lee: 4NT. I'll bid hearts if partner bids diamonds.
Larry Meyer: 4NT. Show 2-suiter, asking pard to bid the cheapest suit he can stand.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. Staying fixed. A little bit more, and I'd bid 5. Stupid preempts!
Perry Khakhar: 4NT. The preempt has worked. I can't afford to remain preempted with this hand.
David Gordon: Dbl. I will make my standard takeout dbl which I expect partner to convert most of the time.
Chris Buchanan: Dbl. This shows cards. Partner will bid with a suit and decent values or pass with squat. Either way, I'm happy.
Brian Zietman: 4NT. If partner bids 5 I bid 5 to show hearts and clubs.
Alex Wang: 4NT. If pard bids 5 or 6-pass; 5/6, bid 5/6.
Chris Diamond: 4NT. Too offensive a hand for double. Will pull a 5 bid to 5 and hope to reach the right slam if pard bids again.
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