March 2022 - 44

Robinson, 2'. " If I get past this,
I'll be in good shape. My spade suit is
too weak to jump to three. If partner
passes 2', he'll have a singleton or
void in spades, and 2' could be our
best contract. 2' allows partner to
bid two of a red suit, which 3 does
not. Consider partner holding:
- kQ x x x x x lQ J x x 'x x x,
where 4k has play and 3 is a disaster.
2NT could fail opposite:
K x kK Q x lx x x x x 'x x x.
If partner takes a 2 preference, I
can raise, which shows my hand. "
Despite the obvious flaws, Korbel
produces a 3 call. " Yes, my suit
sucks. Yes, we could belong in hearts.
I would also accept 2' or 2NT as a
rebid. At IMPs, I might even bid 2'. "
Meckstroth says his 3 is not ideal,
" but I need to show the extras. "
Rigal takes the modern 2' approach.
" I hope we are playing BART
(even though I know we aren't). "
Lawrence agonizes. " I have no likeable
bid. 2: feeble. 3: acceptable
on values, but not so good facing a
singleton spade. 2'/2l: Sometimes
you can bid a three-card minor at
some risk. Here, those choices do not
exist. 2k: Hmm. Works if partner
bids 2 or 3k. If he bids 2NT, he has
values and any bid I make keeps the
auction alive. 2NT: promises a little
more, but survives if partner bids
again. So my choice is 2k. If North
bids 3k, I'll follow with 3NT. Facing:
x kQ x x x x lx x x 'A x x x,
we have a cold 4k and a wishful 6k.
Even 7k could have a play if partner
has some extra values. "
4. Makeup call
IMPs. None vulnerable.
A K 6 k10 lQ 5 'A J 8 7 5 4 3
West North East
Pass
Dbl
Call
3
2
4
4k
3'
Pass
2k Dbl
Pass
1 Pass
Pass
Votes
11
2
1
South
1'
2'
?
Award
100
60
50
40
40
30
3 is the overwhelming consensus
choice. Sanborn explains: " I
have massive support, and if partner
means double as penalty, then they
must have five or more spades. "
Grossack, 3. " Perhaps I should
bid 4. Who cares about the noise
West is making? I have a pretty
huge hand here, and to me, partner's
double is once again value-showing,
though a bit weird because no redouble.
I'm pretty confident on this
sequence partner has five spades, but
if they happen not to, they'll have no
issue going back to 4' - which I may
raise to five. "
3 is Molson's choice. " I wouldn't
argue with anyone who says 4k is the
right bridge bid here. "
Meyers is grateful for the neighbor's
noise. " 3. The opponents gave
me a second chance to express my
hand. "
" I underbid the first time, " says
Cohen, " so I am making up for it now
by jumping to 3. Partner will know
I have exactly three spades and extras.
I still feel like I'm underbidding. "
Donn feels certain partner's double
shouldn't be penalty. " 3 seems like
a perfect description. "
Korbel interprets partner's double
as Do Something Intelligent. " I
believe that something is to bid 3,
which partner is unlikely to pass, and
I expect it's forcing. "
3 by Lawrence. " Partner has 5-4
in the majors. I think I'm showing
44 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2022
these values so partner will do what's
needed. "
Colchamiro's 3: " Partner's double
is card-showing, but even if meant as
penalty, the opponents are likely to
have an eight-card fit. And if so, that
gives partner five spades, making my
hand better for offense than defense,
though my lQ x is not so hot. "
Meckstroth likes 3. " I want to
show a max with a good spade fit. "
Weinstein, too. " Showing my maximum
with three-card support - but
keeping 3NT in the picture. "
Rigal bids 2, suggesting he might
have raised to 2 immediately
(rather than bidding 2'). Which begs
the question: How many clubs does
a club suit need to get any respect
these days? " I'd bid 3 with lK x,
by the way. But then I mightn't have
bid 2'; tricky. I'm going to go out on
a limb and say that the only panelist
who doesn't bid 2 now will bid 3.
Panel predictions are normally prone
to drawing jeers from the moderator
when they pancake. This time,
I'm confident the jury of my peers
will acquit me without a stain on my
predicting reputation. " [Take that up
with Mr. Robinson, Barry.]
2 is Boehm's call. " If partner
meant his double as penalty, he is
5-4 in the majors. If it's a modern,
'Do Something Intelligent' double,
showing delayed support seems intelligent. "
Robinson
goes all the way to 4.
" If partner has four hearts, he'll have
five spades and four hearts, and 4
should be a reasonable contract. If
partner has only four spades, the
opponents have a nine-card heart fit
and I don't want to defend 2k. The
double of 2k shows a reasonable
hand. "
5. Color guard
Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
K Q 10 9 kA Q 6 2 lK J 5 3 '7
March 2022

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