October 2006 - 35

It's Your Call

makes bidding slam routine. If clubs
are not splitting, however, your hand
loses value. As this deal shows, one
of the strengths of experts is that
they can reevaluate their hand as the
auction proceeds.
The other lesson point the experts
make on this deal is that you should
think twice about making a bid such
as 4 if that won't help partner
make a good decision.
A 4 cuebid would give you more
room and is more likely to elicit
cooperation.
5. IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
K 7 5  A K J 8 2 A K 10 8 3
West

North

1NT (1) Pass

East
1
3

South
Dbl
?

(1) "Good" raise to 2.
Alert: two-part question.
a. Do you agree with South's
double of 1?
Call
Yes
No

Votes
11
7

Award
50
40

b. What is your call?
Call
Pass
4
Dbl

Votes
8
8
2

Award
50
45
40

The panel is divided
The yes/no part of this problem
reflects a difference of style among
experts. Some feel this hand is too
strong to overcall. If you overcall
2, partner may have an awkward
responding hand and pass.
Others are willing to overcall with
very good hands to avoid problems
such as this one. The double leads
to the second problem. When you
double, expecting to bid a suit next,
bad things may happen. Also, when
you have two suits, the best way to
show them is to begin bidding them.
Meyers agrees with the double.
"The hand is too good to overcall,"
she says.
October 2006

"If I overcall 2," says Robinson,
"I would have bad follow-up
choices."
"We thought we could double and
convert to 2," says Sanborn, "but
the auction has taken an odd twist."
"I absolutely agree with double,"
says Meckstroth. "The way the
bidding has proceeded, it would have
been better to have overcalled, but
that is playing results."
"The double is okay (borderline),"
says Cohen. "If I knew the auction
would continue this way, I would
have started with 2."
"Just a little too much to overcall,"
agree the Sutherlins.
Others are just as adamant that an
original 2 is better than double.
"A 2 overcall," says Walker,
"should promise a good to great
hand, and this is in that range."
"Would prefer 2 by several
country miles," says Boehm.
"We don't like the original double
at all," say the Colchamiros. "This is
a 'bad' 18-count because the A is
singleton."
The panel is also divided on the
second part of the problem. There are
cautious bidders and risk takers.
"4," says Robinson. "Should
catch spade shortness and some
hearts."
"Can't bear to pass," admit the
Sutherlins, who bid 4. "All bids
are a gamble. Sometimes you roll the
dice and see what happens."
Rigal agrees with 4. "Could be
suicidal, but I've been down before,"
he says.
"Maybe they won't know I'm
bluffing," says Soloway, "and take the

push to 4."
Boehm and Lawrence also bid 4
and mention they hope the opponents
bid on to 4.
"Could be trouble," says Baze, "but
bidding 4 will win more matches
than it will lose."
The conservatives pass.
"I'm hoping for a plus," says
Kennedy. "If I double and partner
bids 4, I'll have to correct to 4.
My suit is neither long enough nor
strong enough."
"Pass," agrees Cohen. "If I
double again, partner will surely bid
diamonds, and if he has no heart
fit, we could be dead. Dangerous
to bid, but also dangerous to pass.
I'm praying partner doesn't have
anything."
"Pass," echoes Montin. "I am just
guessing now," she admits. "If partner
has four or five hearts or long clubs,
I should be bidding. But he could
just as easily have no points or long
diamonds."
"Pass. No choice at this point,"
explains Freeman.
The Coopers prefer double and
elevated the score for that call:
"Bidding 4 seems too kamikaze
to us with a less-than-great five-card
suit opposite a probable yarborough."
"Double," says Walker. "It sounds
like partner has a singleton spade and,
therefore, some heart support, but it's
not guaranteed. Double gives us an
extra option, as we can play in clubs
if partner surprises me with 4. If
he bids the expected 4, I'll bid 4
and pray."
The lesson is that on some hands,
even experts don't agree.
r

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2006
