May 2020 - 36

It's Your Call
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY

❘ SCORES: KAREN WALKER

Problems 1 and 2 come from Southern California Bridge News.
1. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
♠K J 6 5 ♥K 9 ♦Q J 6 5 ♣10 3 2
West
2♦

North
1♥
Dbl(1)

East
Pass
Pass

South
1♠
?

(1) Three-card spade support
Call
2♥
Pass
2NT
2♠
3♠

Votes
6
6
4
0
0

Award
100
90
80
50
20

Passive aggressive
Rigal's 2♥ is imminently practical:
"Facing the typical 12-14 balanced
hand, this is a partscore deal. 2♥ gets
my hand type across, and although I
have a maximum, this is still legal in 38
of the 50 states. (Virginia OK'ed it in
January.)"
Korbel doesn't think this hand is all
that great. "2♥. If I tried 2NT, I'd have
to worry about either clubs or diamonds being a weak enough spot that
the opponents could successfully run
the suit. I'm going to go low and hope
partner bids again with extra values."
2♥ by guest panelist Becker. "If
partner can't bid again, I doubt that
this average-looking hand will produce
a good play for game. My weak options are 2♥ and 2♠, and showing the
preference on honor-doubleton looks
clearly better than repeating the so-so
four-bagger to play opposite three-card
support."
Shi's not brave enough to pass the
double. "I'll offer up 2♥ as a possible
contract."

36 Bridge Bulletin May 2020

Meyers bids 2♥. "I would rather play
the 5-2 fit than the 4-3 fit. 2NT is an
extremely reasonable alternative, but
not if partner has a stiff diamond."
Grossack: "2♥. Also pass. Those
are my two answers, as I'm just about
50-50 to do either one depending on
my mood. Logic for 2♥: too much stuff
in the majors to pass. Logic for pass:
lots of defense, trump length in their
suit, over half the deck and no clear
eight-card fit. It also depends on what
types of hands my left-hand opponent
overcalls - let's just say I'd be more
likely to pass with a junior on my left!
I'll start low with 2♥, planning on bidding 3NT if partner takes another call."
Lawrence passes. "You have fair
chances of getting 500. Worth the occasional risk of their making 180. You
could lose out, however, if partner has
a maximum hand with six hearts and a
stiff diamond. One thing about support
doubles is that they don't show partner's range."
Lee calls his pass a little random.
"But the odds look very right here."
Donn uses the same word about his
pass. "It's a bit of a random guess, but
the potential payoff is huge, and we
might easily not even have a game. So
let's go for it."
Colchamiro's pass is a bit more calculated. "With game uncertain, this is
the best way to go plus - maybe even a
big plus. 2♦ should fail even opposite:
♠A x x ♥A Q x x x ♦x ♣Q x x x.
Even plus 500 or plus 800 is not out of
the question."
Pass, agrees Sanborn. "This looks as
good as anything."
The mild-mannered Meckstroth:

"Pass. This could be a bonanza or it
could work out very poorly. Looks to be
a reasonable shot."
Boehm reaches for 2NT: "A slight
stretch for the vulnerable game bonus.
Might pass at matchpoints, aiming for
plus 200 (or minus 180)."
Robinson likes 2NT. "Because
partner could be void or have a singleton diamond, I don't want to pass the
double for penalty. 2NT is natural and
invitational, which is a good description of my hand. Partner could have
a 15-count and would be happy to bid
3NT. If I bid 2♥ or 2♠, I could have a
lot less."
Vulnerable at IMPs, Cohen likes the
aggressiveness of 2NT. "I love my ♥K
and envision something useful where
partner can raise, like:
♠A Q x ♥A Q J x x ♦x ♣Q x x x."
2NT by Weinstein, flashing his
Flannery wit. "Did I have a club in with
my spades when I bid 1♠?"
2. Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
♠A ♥J 8 6 3 ♦A K 10 9 8 7 3 ♣A
West

North

Call
3NT
Dbl
3♦
4♦
5♦

East
3♣

Votes
7
5
2
1
1

South
?
Award
100
80
70
70
60

Diamond heist
Robinson, 3NT. "I can't double
because partner could hang me in
spades. I can't bid 4♦ because that is
May 2020

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