January 2012 - 35

It's Your Call

is not likely to be a club raise. I'll see
what partner is up to."
2. IMPs. None vulnerable.
K Q J 7 2 K 10 7 6 5 9 3 K
West
3

North
Pass

Call
3
4
Dbl
Pass

East
Pass

Votes
8
8
2
0

South
?
Award
100
100
40
30

Bidding up to find trump
Almost half the panelists choose to
make a Michaels call with this hand
while almost half elect to enter the
auction with a 3 call. Here's why:
Meckstroth says, "While I would
love to bid Michaels at a lower level,
I don't think my hand is good enough
to bid 4 to show both my suits here.
We need to stop below game. At least
spades is my best suit."
For Sanborn, all the hand's negatives add up to a 3 call: "I'm not
quite good enough for a four-level
Michaels cue. Not the right shape for
a double. I don't have to force us to
play in a major with this hand. And I
don't have to force us up a level."
Fear motivates the Joyces' call as
well. "3 is less likely to get doubled
if East is lurking in the bushes with a
good hand and short diamonds."
Cohen says he doesn't have quite
enough to bid 4, but too much to
pass. "If I doubled, my partner would
bid 4." So he bids 3. "If partner
bids 3NT, I will bid 4 next."
Meyers bids 3, but she doesn't
mind a double on the hand. Her only
misgiving would be that partner, holding 3-3 in the majors and a five-card
club suit, would bid 4.
For Colchamiro it boils down to the
minor suit configuration. "I'm 2-1 the
wrong way with a semi-useless K,"
he grumbles. "If I had K-x and a
stiff diamond, I would probably risk
4, investing a level to insure getting
to the right major."
Almost to a man (woman), the 4

bidders agree their action is anywhere
from a mild to a huge overbid. But its
pluses are that the Michaels cuebid
zeroes in on what is likely to be the
best trump suit.
Robinson is oblivious to the level.
"4. Michaels shows 5-5 or better
in the majors." Is it really just that
simple?
Boehm is of the school that 4 is
a "mild" overbid. "The alternatives
appeal less."
Lawrence, on the other hand, calls
4 "a huge overbid, but one that will
get us to the right major. We might be
minus 500 instead of minus 800, but
there is a fair chance of this working
well."
Walker, too, is willing to invest in
the strain even if it means playing a
level higher. "We could be a level or
two too high, but at least we'll be in
the right trump suit."
Rigal, ashamed of his 4 bid, asks
that anyone who knows him to skip
to the next paragraph. "It works for
Lauria-Versace. In a Bermuda Bowl,
one of them once did this in the direct
seat on a hand Rodwell passed. But
as everyone knows, I'm no Versace,"
he says, pointing out the obvious. "I'll

explain I was balancing when they
collect their 1100 penalty."
Stack wishes he had the Q-J for
his Michaels bid, "but we must work
with what we have. I don't believe
that double or pass are good options,
though either could be the winner."
The Coopers call 4 "tempting," as
it gets to the right strain but may be
too high. They call pass tempting, "but
cowardly." Then their bidding hand
settles on the double card. "If partner
has a diamond stack, double is the
winner. Double also has the advantage of stopping in three or bidding a
major suit game. If partner bids 4,
we can bid 4 showing majors with
no extras."
With their double, the Sutherlins
recognize that "there are lots of IMPs
up for grabs here. We can be on for
a major game or headed for minus
800 when partner has a poorly fitting
subminimum."
3. IMPs. None vulnerable.
8 6 Q 6 4 A J 10 A J 10 3 2
West

North

2

Dbl

East
1
Pass

South
Pass
?

➤

Panel's answers
August Boehm
Larry Cohen
Mel Colchamiro
The Coopers
Allan Falk
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
4
3NT
4
4
4
4
3NT
4
3NT
4
3NT
4
3NT
3NT
3NT
3NT
4

2
4
3
3
Dbl
4
3
3
4
4
3
3
4
4
3
4
Dbl
4
3

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

4
2
2
2
3
2
2
2NT
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
3

5
6
Pass
5
4NT
Pass
Pass
5
Pass
4NT
Pass
4NT
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
5
5
Pass

Total
450
500
470
330
450
490
390
460
400
460
410
450
500
490
470
360
470
420

January 2012 Bridge Bulletin

35
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2012
