October 2006 - 34

It's Your Call

"Partner has a strong balanced
hand," says Robinson who bids 2.
"With a strong unbalanced hand, he
would have bid. Hope partner doesn't
hang me."
Yes, that's the problem. The
strength of your hand has a wide
range. Partner will often give you
credit for more than 3 high-card
points and make a game try. Will that
get us too high?
"Pass," says Sanborn. "I would
probably bid if not vulnerable. It's too
likely that partner has a good hand
and wants to bid something and we
could easily go for minus 200."
Rigal agrees with pass. "All the
experts bid (2) and their partner
passes with a balanced 17 HCP?" he
asks.
Montin echoes this thought. "Partner
has a good hand, but if I bid, we will
surely get too high," she explains.
Something else to consider: What
if you balance and the opponents
compete? Do you really want a spade
lead?
"Pass," says Meyers. "Partner will
play me for more. Also, my suit isn't
good enough. I might bid if my K
were the K instead."
"Partner has values, but will he
ever play me for this little for a
vulnerable balance?" asks Walker.
"If he has enough for us to make
2, he'll probably think it's enough
to make a lot more. I feel minus 200
coming."
Baze sums up the case for passing.
"We don't have a zero yet,"
he says. "At some point, respect
for vulnerability has to outweigh
matchpoint madness. For me, this is
that point."
Yes, you don't have a zero yet,
but half the panel feels that you are
headed for a bad result in 1NT and
are willing to try to improve that by
bidding 2. Is the risk worth it?
4. Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
A Q 8 7 5 A Q 6 3 A 8 4 2
West
Pass
Pass
34

North
1
2
4

East
1
3
Pass

South
1
4
?

Call
Pass
4NT
5
6

Votes
12
4
1
1

Award
100
40
20
10

Listen to the bidding
This is a strong hand, but Pass is a
clear winner with the panel.
"Pass," says Sanborn. "I'm very
concerned with the 3 bid. That was
supposed to be our double fit, but
RHO has very good clubs (or none),

It's Your Call
October 2006
From the District 8 Advocate
1. Matchpoints. N-S vul.
10 A J 6 3 A Q 10 3 2
West
North
East
Pass
Pass
Pass
1
Dbl (1)
(1) Negative.

A J 7
South
1
?

2. IMPs. N-S vul.
A 7 6 2 A 10 9 7 K Q 6 5  8
West
North
East
South
1
1
Dbl (1)
2
3
3
?
(1) Negative.
3. Matchpoints. None vul.
K 10 8 7 6 A J 7 4 2
West
North
East
Pass
1
Pass
2
Pass

K J 5
South
1
?

4. IMPs. Both vul.
K Q 9 8 7 A 10 9 6 A
West
North
East
1
Pass
Pass
2
Pass
Pass
3
Pass

K Q 7
South
1
2
?

5. IMPs. None vul.
Q 10 7 6 3 J 5 4 10 2 A 6 3
West
North
East
South
Pass
Pass
1
2
?

so that scares me."
Rigal agrees. "I've made my slam
try, partner has discouraged me," he
says, "and clubs don't appear to be
splitting. Okay, I'm a coward."
Soloway agrees. "The 3 bid
worries me about clubs," he says.
"Pass," echoes Meyers. "I made a
try, partner said no. It looks like we
are getting bad splits."
"Pass fast!" exclaims Baze. "The
3 bid, as well as respect for
partner's judgment, destroys any
thought of another slam try."
"Bidding seems overly ambitious,"
say the Coopers, "when there may
well be two club losers."
Robinson agrees with pass.
"Partner failed to bid 4, so he has
a minimum bad opening bid with
wasted diamond values. What can
you make opposite:
K J 4 J 8 4 K Q 5 Q 7 5 2?"
"Pass," says Montin. "We probably
have a club loser (or two), maybe the
A, and possibly even a heart loser.
I would not have bid 4 - it took
up too much room."
Yes, 4 may not have been the
best bid. While it describes the
shortness in diamonds, you have all
the controls. What can you expect
partner to do? Other panelists agree.
"The 4 bid was terrible," say the
Colchamiros. "You knew partner was
going to bid 4, and now what?"
Some panelists bid again, but don't
like the 4 bid.
"Don't like the auction so far," says
Lawrence. "Given the auction, I am
guessing to bid 4NT. You have to do
something. I am not sure 4 was the
best bid. A 4 cuebid might have
been better. If partner bids 4, you
follow with 4."
The Sutherlins also bid 4NT.
"Don't want to pass. The splinter 4
was a bad bid. Partner was a cinch to
bid 4 since we have the controls.
This bid only helped the opponents."
"5," says Kennedy. "I make one
more push for slam, hoping to hear
5 from partner."
Most of the panel pass 4. Why?
The 3 by LHO raises a red flag.
Before he bids that, you assume your
side has a club fit. The double fit,
along with your wealth of controls,
Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2006
