August 2008 - 35

It's Your Call

I don't play it as forcing because I'd
have cuebid 2 with:
Q 9 A J 8 7 4 9 8 2 A 4 3.
"With all of partner's values in
the black suits, slam seems way too
pushy and there's potential for misunderstanding. I'm opting for the safe
game."
The Colchamiros agree. "We've
been down that road too often of
whether or not 2NT is forcing, so
3NT ensures getting to game. 2 did
not necessarily show five spades, just
no diamond stopper and no three-card
heart support. If partner is really 5-6,
he can bid again over 3NT."
Robinson bids 4. "This is a
splinter slam try in spades. In Bridge
Bulletin standard bidding, partner is
probably 5-5 or better in the black
suits, and 4 is my only slam try."
The Coopers believe partner has
shown five spades. "3," they say.
"This sets trumps and is forcing,
hoping to hear more. We will bid
Blackwood next. Partner should be at
least 5-5."
Falk comments on the scoring.
"This is a very hard problem to
score," he says. "The plurality gets
100, and 3 is not a bad bid. The
2NT bidders are merely offering
a suggestion, hoping to clarify the
black suit length ambiguity. The 3NT
bidders essentially give up on a hand
with a great deal of slam potential.
The spade raisers think North has
five spades, or a 4-3 fit is right."
5. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
Q 9 8 3 K J 3 A K 2 9 4 2
West
North
East
South
3
Pass
Pass
Dbl
Pass
?
Call
4
4
Pass
5

Votes
10
8
0
0

Award
100
90
50
0

What does a 4 cuebid mean?
The panel split into two camps.
Eight of them jumped to game in
spades.
"4," says Cohen. "I'd like to have
better spades, but what else am I
August 2008

going to do?"
Several panelists chose 4 because
in their methods, 4 would offer two
suits as trumps.
"4," say the Stansbys. "We don't
see a good alternative, because a
cuebid of 4 followed by 4 would
suggest a second place to play."
"4," echoes Robinson. "If I bid
4, partner will bid 4 any time
he has four hearts, even with five
spades. If I correct 4 to 4, I'm
showing diamonds and spades. 4
may be a bad contract, but I have no
other choice. By the way, I might
have doubled 3 and then partner
would have the problem!"
The majority cuebid 4.
"4," say the Coopers. "Over
partner's bid, we can correct to 4 to
show extras. If partner has:
A K 4 2 A Q 6 4 Q 8 7 3 3,
slam is very good indeed."
Sanborn agrees. "I hate it, but I
don't really want to pass the double
and I hate jumping in spades. So I
will show strength via the cuebid on
my way to game."
"4 is easy," says Baze. "We will
correct 4 or 4 to 4. An immediate 4 bid is not enough, as we
would bid that with less, such as if
the K were the jack."
"4, planning to rebid 4 over
four of a red suit," agrees Rigal. "I'm
clearly too good to jump directly to
4, which would suggest less playability in other suits."
None of the panelists passed 3
doubled, although some considered it.
"I suppose pass could work out,"
says Cohen, "but I wouldn't dream of
it here."
"Pass is tempting because there's
no guarantee of game," says Meyers.
"On the other hand, we could be cold
for slam."
"No expert passed," says Falk, "but
given that their actual choices may
work out poorly, the pass has much to
recommend it."
Eagle-eyed readers may have
noticed the similarity between this
auction and the one in Problem 1 discussed in the It's Your Call article in
the June issue of the Bridge Bulletin.
As South you hold:

A K J 10 A Q 10 8 6 2 3 K 3.
West
North
East
South
3
Pass
Pass
Dbl
Pass
4
Pass
?
Fourteen panelists passed 4. Here
are some of the expert's comments
from June:
"It's tempting to make a move toward slam," said the Sutherlins, "but
there are many hands that partner
could have with which 4 is our
limit."
"Pass and hope to make it," said
Rigal.
Other panelists made similar remarks. Their message was that when
the opponents preempt, survival is
paramount.
Baze said, "Because partner's suit
is spades, he had the option of bidding 4 before he bid 4. Partner
did not do that, so it is clear I should
pass."
Notice that he is consistent in that
he cuebid 4 this time.
Freeman and Cohen raised to 5,
asking for a club control. That would
work well with this deal. It should be
played by the hand with the protected
K as declarer, however, and in
notrump to avoid a club ruff.
Robinson's bid of 4NT was spot-on
in his analysis back in June: "We
should have a slam unless we're
off two key cards or they can take
two club tricks," he said. "If partner
shows one key card, I plan on asking
for the Q, and if he shows it and
the K, bidding 6NT."
r
You can participate in It's Your Call.
Go to www.acbl.org and click on My
ACBL. You can submit answers for a
given month until the 21st, at which
time the next month's problems will
be available. The top scores for June
are:
Marshall Kerlin, Americus GA
John Doucette, Aurora ON
Steven Johnson, San Diego CA
Jeff Aker, Briarcliff NY
Frederick Morris, San Francisco CA
Brad Theurer, Gaithersburg MD
Gary King, Houston TX
Michael Stein, Highland Park IL
Brandon Buzzell, Naperville IL
Keith Connolly, Minneapolis MN
Stephane Turcotte, Saint-Laurent QC

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2008
