May 2009 - 37

It's Your Call

right if partner has the A, and we
can often survive without it. Rebidding your diamonds doesn't come
close to describing this hand's playing strength. There are many deals
like this where making a game just
depends on where partner's honors
are, rather than how many points he
holds. So, why not be optimistic and
try for the game bonus?"
"There's a good chance that partner
has the A, or West will have no
entry after we duck clubs," say the
Coopers.
"Bidding 3 aims at a plus score,
so it's not ridiculous," says Falk, "but
it aims rather low. Because I'm able
to hold up in clubs to the third round,
it seems reasonable to play West not
to have a fast entry, in which case
I should be able to scramble nine
tricks."
"A good partner would have the
A or some other good cards," say
the Joyces.
"3NT," says Rigal. "Macho, macho
man, I want to be a macho man."
Five experts were not willing to bid
3NT. Bidding 3 doesn't necessarily
end the auction.
"3," says Lawrence. "I'm not
willing to bid 3NT. Perhaps if I bid
3 and play it there, it's the opponents' deal."
"3," echo the Colchamiros. "No
A, no 3NT."
"3, for now," says Kennedy.
"3," agrees Cohen. "At IMPs, I
would make a bigger move, not wanting to miss a vulnerable game. In this
case, I'm willing to take the low road
as partner might have stretched with
some major-suited hand. This could
easily be our last plus score. Picture
partner with:
A K 4 3 Q J 5 3 5 3 2 6 4."
"4," says Robinson. "This shows
extras. Bidding 3NT would be a
gamble."
As in problem #2, most of the experts look to notrump when that is a
reasonable choice. Yes, it's a gamble,
but they are willing to take the risk
for the big reward.
5. Board-a-Match. E-W vulnerable.
J 9 Q A Q J 10 6 A 10 7 3 2
May 2009

West

North

4

4
Call
Pass
Dbl
5
6

East
Pass
5

Votes
12
5
1
0

South
1
?
Award
100
90
50
10

Pass when you don't know what to do
Once again preempts have given
you a problem. The majority of the
experts pass the decision to partner.
"Pass," says Boehm. "This is a
neutral action, holding decent prospects for both offense and defense.
Whether partner doubles or bids on,
I'll be charmed. Why guess in the
direct seat?"
Sanborn agrees with pass. "This is
not a forcing auction because nobody
knows whose hand it is," she says.
"If partner has stretched to bid with a
long spade suit, we should probably
be defending."
"What bad can happen if I pass?"
asks Deas. "This is not a forcing pass
auction in my book. If partner passes,
we will try for a plus score. If pard
doubles or bids 5, I am thrilled."
"Pass," agrees Freeman. "5 could
be right, but I'll let partner decide. If
he passes, so be it."
Falk also passes. "It's not clear
we can beat 5 or make 5. The
vulnerable opponents are presumably
not crazy."
"I'm not sure what to bid," says
Rigal. "Pass shows that."
"Pass," echoes Lawrence. "This
is not forcing because 4 was bid
under pressure."
Robinson agrees with pass. "Partner does not promise a lot of values
for his 4 bid. He could have:
K Q 10 8 5 3 2 9 7 2 9 5 4.
"If he has a good hand, he can take
further action and know I will be
happy with any action he takes. If it's
the opponents' deal, we've pushed
them up."
The Colchamiros agree with
Robinson. "This is not a forcing pass
situation because who knows what
partner's 4 bid was based on. Partner may have already won the board

with his 4 bid when nothing makes
at the five level."
The Colchamiros give a sample
hand for North that is similar to
Robinson's.
"You don't have enough spades
to bid 5," says Cohen, "and not
enough hand to insist on a slam.
I don't want to double, however,
and discourage partner from taking
further action. Pass is middle of the
road."
Several experts choose double,
including Meyers. "There is no
guarantee that we're making 5,
and I think they are going down. East
should have some freak hand for
bidding 5 as a passed hand at unfavorable vulnerability, and that means
at least one of my suits is not splitting. Of course, if East has a freak,
they may make 5. I don't play that
pass by me is forcing in this auction."
Walker agrees with double.
"There's no guarantee that we have
more than a seven-card spade fit. Because 4 was bid 'under duress,' this
is not a forcing pass situation.
"I don't think they can make it and
5 doesn't look like it will make,"
says Stack.
"Partner should know that double
is not based on trump tricks," say the
Sutherlins. "He can pass or pull to
5 with a seven- or eight-card suit.
Partner was under pressure over 4,
so we need to give him some slack."
"Double," agree the Coopers. "We
have good defense."
"5," says Kennedy. "Partner
was under pressure to bid at the four
level."
Presumably, she expects to make
5 and doesn't bid more because the
4 bid put partner in an awkward
position.
The Joyces sum up the problem
well. "Vulnerable opponents usually
have the values to justify their bids,"
they say. "We pass because there is
no guarantee that anything will make
or that we can set them. Maybe partner will know what to do."
Because of technical problems,
no online high scores for March
are reported.

r
37
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2009
