May 2011 - 35

It's Your Call

Lawrence: "All choices have serious
flaws."
Falk: "This looks like too many
losers to go venturing to 4. Partner
could produce two aces and a club fit
and we still can't make game. Sometimes, you just gotta pass."
Colchamiro: "Bidding 3NT is too
rich for me. Bidding 4, while tempting, is an overbid because my Q is
wasted. Double is out because my
partners always bid 4."
Cohen: "Oops, I hope I passed in
tempo so maybe my partner can balance with light values. I want to bid
3NT, but just can't do it. I wish they
wouldn't open 3 when I hold this
hand."
When all choices have flaws, do
what Robinson says: Pick the call that
is a good description of your hand.
2. Matchpoints. North-South vulnerable.
K 10 2 9 8 2 A K 4 J 10 9 2
West
3

North
Dbl

Call
Pass
4
3NT
4
5
3
4

East
Pass

Votes
11
6
1
1
0
0
0

South
?
Award
100
70
50
40
40
10
10

Obey the law?
Rigal: "Pass. The law of total tricks
suggests that they have nine trumps
and we have eight, and Larry Cohen
has promised to pick up my losses
whenever I do this. If it doesn't work,
he will explain how to adjust the law
- just kidding, Larry!"
The law of total tricks (LOTT),
sometimes simply called The Law, is
a guideline used to gauge how high
to bid in competitive auctions. The
LOTT is a complicated subject, but
a simple definition is that the total
number of tricks available on a deal
is equal to the total number of trump
cards held by both sides in their

respective best fits. Cohen wrote two
books that popularized the LOTT.
What does he say?
Cohen: "This causes me lots of
conflict. I preach to 'win it on some
other board,' and don't take actions
that might lead to bottoms. On the
other hand, there is no good action
available. I suspect that pass will be
the long-run winner, but I will score
minus 530 every now and then with
this choice.
"Because there will be LOTT references, my take is to imagine partner
with 4=1=4=4 distribution opposite.
This means nine trumps for them plus
seven trumps for us or 16 total trumps
usually and 17 tricks due to their long
suit. With 17 expected/approximate
tricks, it isn't really obvious what to
do. Probably there is a better spot for
us than defending 3 doubled, but
there is no clear way to reach that
spot."
Colchamiro: "I went back and forth
on this between pass and 4. My
LOTT analysis is that either both sides
are down one or if we make 10 tricks,
they make only seven, so it's a guessing game."

Robinson: "I don't often pass takeout doubles, but minus 530 could be
the same matchpoint 0 as minus 200
in whatever contract I bid."
Sutherlins: "The most likely result
is that we'll be plus 300 when we have
no game."
Kennedy: "I will go for the plus."
Boehm: "We probably have a better
spot, perhaps a much better spot, but
really no assurance of finding it."
Sanborn: "I don't like it, but there
seems to be no better call."
Joyces: "What else can you do?"
Stack: "Bidding 4 doesn't show my
strength and bidding 5 is too unilateral. I know stoppers are for children,
but I can't bring myself to bid 3NT."
Six experts choose to cuebid 4.
Walker: "4, then 5 over partner's 4 bid. I'm tempted to pass and
take a tiny plus score, but if partner
has a typical minimum, such as:
A J 8 3 3 Q J 8 7 A Q 5 3,
for example, 5 should make. My
hand is not the right dummy for a 4
contract."
Gordons: "Partner could be 4-2
in the majors and pass is right, but ➤

Panel's answers
August Boehm
Larry Cohen
Mel Colchamiro
The Coopers
Allan Falk
Bob Giragosian
The Gordons
The Joyces
Betty Ann Kennedy
Mike Lawrence
Jeff Meckstroth
Jill Meyers
Barry Rigal
Steve Robinson
Kerri Sanborn
Don Stack
The Sutherlins
Karen Walker
Bridge Baron

1
4
Pass
Pass
Dbl
Pass
4
4
Dbl
4
Pass
Dbl
Dbl
3NT
4
Dbl
3NT
4
4
4

2
Pass
Pass
Pass
4
4
3NT
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
4
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
4
4

3
Pass
Dbl
2
Pass
2
Pass
Pass
Pass
Dbl
Pass
2
2
Dbl
2
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Pass
3
3
3
3
Pass

5
3
3
3
3
Pass
Pass
Pass
3
3
3
Pass
3
Pass
3
Pass
3
Pass
3
Pass

Total
500
400
420
430
340
430
450
460
440
460
370
390
360
420
440
440
480
470
410

May 2011 Bridge Bulletin

35
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2011
