September 2021 - 42

2 by Sanborn. " We already know
that partner has a minimum, so game
is out. We also know the opponents
have eight or nine hearts, so defending
is out. It's possible that the two
level is as high as we can make in any
suit, so let's play lower in a known
seven-card fit. "
" I must admit this is the most topheavy
1NT I have ever seen, " notes
Molson, who is content to bid 2.
" Partner is 5-3-3-2 in some form, so
this seems as good a spot as any. "
Robinson, too, is happy with 2.
" Because I'm treating this hand as a
partscore hand, I'll follow the Law of
Total Tricks and get the opponents
out of their eight-card heart fit. On
this hand, my eyesight is so bad that
I didn't see the 'K. If I had, I would
have forced to game over 1. "
Meyers, 2. " I must admit I would
have bid 2l to start off, but now that
I didn't and partner is showing probably
11-12, I'm just signing off in 2. "
Donn retreats to 2. " I know
doubles are always takeout, but this
one sure looks like it would be penalty
to me. Because we don't have game
and we want to get the opponents out
of their eight-card heart fit, 2 looks
as good a place to play as any. "
Korbel says he'd love to double for
takeout, " but I don't think that's a
sensible agreement here. I will content
myself with 2. We may have 12
high-card points, but our side is settling
for a partscore on this hand and
I will respect that. "
2 is Grossack's call. " I would really
love for a double here just to be
extra values - no clear direction, but
without discussion on a balancing
auction like this, I would fear partner
might take it as more penalty-oriented,
based on trump length. With
the opponents holding eight or nine
hearts between them and the IMP
scoring, I will bid 2 and hope to
go plus. At matchpoints, I might try
double anyway. "
42 | Bridge Bulletin | September 2021
Meckstroth bids 2. " Can't risk a
penalty double. "
Lee, 2. " I'd risk a penalty double
at matchpoints, but there's too much
that can go wrong at IMPs. 2 ought
to be a reasonably safe plus score. "
Colchamiro settles for 2. " I'm not
gonna make a big board out of a little
board by doubling. For all I know, they
have nine hearts. We were about to
play 1NT until East stuck his nose in.
2 is as far as I'm willing to go. "
What does Mr. Semi-forcing Cohen
bid? " Double. Let the explanations/
excuses/justifications begin. "
Rigal hazards a double, too. " Easy
to gamble someone else's IMPs. After
all, they do have only 16 HCP between
them. I'm glad you didn't ask me to
lead. (I think the 'J.) "
Boehm protest-passes. " Give me
another 60 IYC panel points, but
until it is declared illegal to double
low partscores for lucrative penalties
sitting with a trump stack over
the bidder, and with today's overcalls
getting lighter and lighter, I'll stick to
my (old-fashioned?) ways. I wonder
if today's younger experts ever played
high-stakes money bridge, where collecting
numbers was crucial. Anyway,
lacking a takeout double leaves me
with pass. But when partner passes
1NT, I'm not worried about missing
game, and I have decent defense if
partner sells. "
4. Just don't
IMPs. Both vulnerable.
8 kK J 9 5 4 l- 'K Q J 10 7 6 3
West North
East
1NT
Call
2'
4'
5'
3'
2NT
Dbl
Votes
5
4
3
2
1
South
?
Award
100
90
80
70
40
40
What is your goal? To construct a
delicate, informative auction (reality
check!), hoping your partnership
finds a suitable game? Or to blockade
the opponents, making it as hard for
them as possible to exchange information?
Bridge Bulletin Standard
plays DONT: two-level suit bids
(except 2) show two-suited hands -
the suit bid and one higher.
Cohen shows clubs and a second
suit by bidding 2'. " Too much game
potential to preempt to 3'. The big
question is whether I correct partner's
2l to only 2k or to 3k. "
Weinstein's 2': " I'm willing to bet
this does not end the auction. I'm not
going to trust partner to be on the
same page if I bid an immediate 2NT
or double and then bid 2NT; even I
don't know what that means. "
2' by Korbel, who intends to jump
in hearts later in the auction - betting
there will be a later. " What do I know?
If I were playing Woolsey, I would
double, showing a four-card major
and longer minor and then jump to
4k, which I like to play as showing
5-6 or 5-7 with a lot of playing
strength. "
Donn reaches a little higher. " 4'.
2' showing clubs and another suit
would probably give us another
chance to bid hearts later, but I am
more interested in making it hard for
the opponents to find spades. "
Grossack: " A vulnerable 4' over
their 1NT opening should be a highly
constructive hand, not based on
points, but rather on tricks and shape.
I am sure some of the time we will
miss a heart game, but 4' allows me
to put a lot of pressure on the opponents
while showing the trick-taking
power of my hand. "
Lawrence: " 4'. The auction isn't
over yet. I might be able to backdoor
into hearts later. "
4' by Meyers. " I would love to
show clubs and hearts, but with the
disparity between my suit lengths and
September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2021
