February 2013 - 37

It's Your Call

call. You hope you've managed all
this mental stammering in tempo, and
then you ...
"Bid 2NT," ventures Sanborn. "Help!
I just can't pass. Second choice is
3ࡗ."
"2NT," says Kennedy. "My five-card
heart suit looks more like a four-card
suit."
The Sutherlins elaborate: "Our
heart suit isn't good enough to bid -
partner might think K-x-x is great
support when it would be barely
adequate. 3NT is likely to be a better
contract than 4ࡖ."
Cohen breaks it down. "At least they
won't beat me in the spade suit. Opposite ࡗA-Q-J-x-x-x and out (and
partner's vulnerable two-level overcall
surely shows more than that), I have
play for 3NT on a spade lead."
"Got to try for the game bonus
here," says Meckstroth.
Meyers, too: "It's too good a hand
to pass, and bidding 2ࡖ or 3ࡗ would
paint the wrong picture. My whole
hand is in the enemy suit."
Boehm agrees. "2ࡕ would imply
better diamonds and 2ࡖ would imply
better hearts."
The Coopers and Stack bid 2ࡖ.
"After partner leads the ࡖK from
ࡖK x, we'll explain that game in
hearts was still a remote possibility,"
argue the Coopers.
"This hand is worth a bid and even
with the anemic heart suit, this is the
best call," according to Stack. "Pass
is taking the low road and could be
correct, but at IMPs, we should make
some move toward game."
Lawrence and Falk pass.
"It is close to being worth 2NT,"
says Lawrence. "I would like one
more useful something to bid that."
Sometimes it's hard to figure out
where Falk stands on an issue. "I
hate to pass, but 2ࡖ is just sick and
2NT sicker. With spades not being
raised, partner rates to have a few, so
notrump has a fatal weakness somewhere and LHO will not be leading
spades."

5. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
ࡕA K 6 ࡖJ 10 9 8 3 ࡗK Q 9 5 4 ࡔ-
West

North

Call
4NT
Pass
Dbl

East
4ࡕ

Votes
11
7
2

South
?
Award
100
90
60

Hope for the best
How surprising that the enemy's
opening salvo is 4ࡕ rather than a club
preempt! With this decent (though not
spectacular) two-suiter, all vulnerable,
what do you want to do?
"4NT, showing any two suits," says
Colchamiro. "Passing could be right,
but there's more ways to win by bidding. Double and correct 5ࡔ to 5ࡗ is
sort of the same thing, but 4NT tells
partner the two-suited nature of my
hand right away."
Rigal bids 4NT. "Yes, this could be
catastrophic, but facing a minimum,
ࡕx ࡖQ x x x ࡗA x x x ࡔx x x x,
we are almost cold for 5ࡖ and they
rate to make 4ࡕ."
Weinstein bids 4NT. "Having more
than half my high-card points in
spades makes pass tempting. But we
could be making a slam or they could
be making 4ࡕ - or even both. As
usual, in close decisions, I take the
high road and hope for the best."
4NT from the Joyces: "If we have a
fit, and we hope that we do, this hand
has too much offense to pass."
"4NT, any two-suiter," suggests
Cohen. "Experience says to bid with
these hands (two suits and a void)."
"Ugh. I hate to bid and I hate to
pass," declares Falk. "I decided to bid
4NT because as little as ࡖK and four
cards in either red suit gives us play
for 5ࡗ or 5ࡖ."
Stack, too, bids 4NT, showing two
places to play. "Scary, but I can't see
taking the low road with this hand by
passing."
Hampson, Lawrence, Meyers, Robinson, Sanborn and Walker walk the
low road.

"Pass," bids Walker. "I predict a
unanimous panel." (Don't you love it
when panelists call their shot?)
Hampson lets it go. "I am very
defensive and need partner to have a
reasonable hand with spade shortage
to belong any higher than 4ࡕ, so I
will pass and hope he has enough to
reopen."
Meyers says, "I have a reasonable
chance to beat 4ࡕ and no reason to
think we can make something at the
five level."
Robinson shrugs and passes. "If I
bid 4NT, I'll probably go minus. I play
double is takeout here. If partner
is short in spades, maybe he'll bid.
Sometimes the preempts get you."
Sanborn takes the justification for
passing a step further. "If we can
make five, we will likely wind up in
six."
Meckstroth doubles: "Too much to
pass, too much in spades to bid 4NT."
The Coopers take "hoping for the
best" to a new level. "Double. If partner is broke, he'll pass and we may be
able to scramble four tricks. Or we'll
win IMPs because minus 790 or even
minus 990 is less than we'd go for in
five of a red suit."
❒
You can participate in It's Your
Call. Go to www.acbl.org and click
on It's Your Call under the MyACBL
heading. You may submit answers
for a given month until the 21st,
at which time the next month's
problems will be available. The top
scores for December:
David Pearlman, Trophy Club TX
Jonathan Herman, Decatur GA
Allan Rothenberg, West Hartford CT
Mariann Farrelly, Rancho Mirage CA
Richard Wan, Dundedin FL
Mahmoud Elguindy, Newport Beach CA
Andrew Rosenthal, New York, NY
Daniel Miles, Toronto ON
Kris Klamut, Aurora CO
Barry Balof, Walla Walla WA
Wei-Bung Wang, Seattle WA
Corey Cole, Oakhurst CA
Toni Latimer, Westlake LA
Vladimir Oudalov, Waukesha WI
Ken Cohen, Philadelphia PA

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continued on page 41 ➤
February 2013 Bridge Bulletin

37
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2013
