May 2019 - 41

doubtful. Therefore I bid 4♠ and pray."
"4♠. Might as well be hung for a
sheep as a lamb," says Rigal. "Here,
while 3NT could be right facing solid
diamonds, passing 3NT would be a la
Casabianca (not Casablanca!). 'The boy
stood on the burning deck' rather than
'play it again Sam.'"
Robinson: "4♠. Partner made a takeout double and usually has four spades.
If not, he can bid 5♣. Why not double
2♥ to show two places to play?"
Donn bids 4♠. "This hand wants to
play in a suit. Either spades or clubs
should suffice."
Boehm bids 4♠. "Consistent with
trading on my distribution, I'll regret
it only if our limit is nine tricks in
notrump - a narrow target."
Theurer, 4♠. "I guess I bid 3♣ initially hoping to bid 3♠ over an opponent's 3♥, but partner had other plans.
With this much shape, a heart void and
weak clubs, I'm pulling. I admit that
passing could be right - it's a guess."
Cohen: "True, clubs might run and
partner could have hearts well stopped,
but with my void, I prefer to play in a
suit contract. Picture:
♠A K x x ♥A x x x ♦A x ♣Q J x.
Even if partner has two heart stoppers
and ♣Q J x, my clubs could get shut
out in notrump."
Sanborn offers 4♠. "Sure, we might
have nine tricks at notrump, but bidding gives us two chances to be right.
Must be 6-4 for this auction."
While tempted to bid 4♠, Meyers
passes. "Nothing guarantees that my
partner has four spades on this auction. Partner is marked with extras.
Assuming partner has three reasonable clubs, nine tricks in notrump may
come easier than 10 in spades."
Pass, says Shi. "I was not invited to
this party even though I knocked on
the door a little."
Lee passes. "No reason to doubt that
this is the right spot, especially if the
clubs are good for five or six tricks.
Partner likely has a hand that was just
too good to overcall 1NT."
Pass by Meckstroth. "Hopefully the
clubs will run. We might survive here

with a 4-4 spade fit."
"Hard problem," says Grossack, who
passes. "I like my clubs as a source of
tricks. Likely partner has a balanced
19-plus and at least four hearts on this
auction, with the opponents bidding so
calmly. I'm really just worried that if he
has four spades, 4♠ would likely be the
best contract. Also, if clubs don't run ...
perhaps I will go to the bathroom after
I put my hand down."
Korbel passes. "It looks like partner has four or five hearts over there,
which means he has 19+ HCP and no
longer guarantees support for any particular suit. I better let sleeping dogs
lie, as bizarre as it looks."
4♣ by Lawrence. "Yikes."
3. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
♠7 5 4 3 ♥A 6 ♦K 5 4 2 ♣Q 7 3
West

North
1♣

Call
1NT
1♠
1♦
Redbl
Pass

East
Dbl

Votes
8
5
2
1
0

South
?
Award
100
80
60
40
20

What spade suit?
1NT is the top vote-getter. Cohen explains. "Not enough for redouble. Pass

Panel's answers
August Boehm
Larry Cohen
Mel Colchamiro
Josh Donn
Zachary Grossack
Daniel Korbel
Mike Lawrence
Roger Lee
Jeff Meckstroth
Jill Meyers
Barry Rigal
Steve Robinson
Kerri Sanborn
Sylvia Shi
Brad Theurer
Steve Weinstein

1
3♣
2NT
Dbl
Dbl
Dbl
Dbl
3♣
Dbl
3♣
3♣
3♣
3♣
3♣
Dbl
Dbl
Dbl

2
4♠
4♠
4♠
4♠
Pass
Pass
4♣
Pass
Pass
Pass
4♠
4♠
4♠
Pass
4♠
4♠

will leave us behind on the next round.
We could have a 4-4 spade fit, but even
if we do, they might split badly. So this
way, I get my values in and can leave
the rest to partner. Also, I am preempting their potential 4-4 heart fit. 1♦
wouldn't do that."
Korbel bids 1NT. "There's no law that
says you have to bid a terrible four-card
major over a double. The bridge police
will not arrest me."
"OK, I'll bite. 1NT," says Rigal. "This
gets my values across better than 1♠
if the opponents join in with hearts. I
want to be able to compete facing club
length, and I really don't have four
spades ... do I?"
Colchamiro, 1NT: "Am I supposed to
have all four suits stopped? By the way,
I 'always' bid a major in these situations, but four to the 7 is too much (or
little) for me."
Weinstein bids 1NT. "Not happy
about wrongsiding notrump, but otherwise this is right on shape and values.
If West's 2♥ passes back to me, I'm
now well placed for a takeout double."
1NT by Lee. "I'd rather get my approximate values/shape off my chest in
one bid than introduce this spade suit."
Shi goes ahead and introduces the
spade suit. "I am not bidding 1♠
because I particularly want to play in
spades (although if partner has four,
3
1NT
1NT
1NT
1♠
Redbl
1NT
1♦
1NT
1NT
1♠
1NT
1♦
1♠
1♠
1♠
1NT

4
2NT
2NT
3NT
2NT
2NT
2NT
3♦
2NT
3♥
2NT
2NT
4♥
2NT
2NT
3♥
3NT

5
Pass
Pass
Pass
Dbl
Pass
2NT
3♣
Pass
2NT
Dbl
Pass
2NT
2NT
Dbl
2NT
Pass

Total
490
450
460
450
430
470
310
490
430
430
490
380
460
440
430
460

May 2019 Bridge Bulletin

May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2019