November 2022 - 48

Call
Pass
4l
3
3NT
5l
Votes
7
6
1
Award
100
90
50
40
10
A gaggle of bridge vigilantes swing
their clubs.
" The 'K, " responds Rigal. " Yes, I
close my eyes and pass. Sue me. The
IMPs are less painful to lose on paper
than in real life. "
" Risky, " says Colchamiro as he
taps the table. " But if partner has
the theoretical 4=1=4=4, there are
16 total trumps, and most times, 3k
will fail. I plan to lead the 'K. I hope
I have understanding teammates. 4l
is a nothing bid and 5l on Q-x-x-x
is unthinkable. Another tough, but
recurring problem. "
Lee passes. " Automatic to me, especially
against aggressive opponents. "
Cohen calls pass the long-run winning
action. " I am not a good enough
guesser to try anything else. I am
leading the 'K. "
Boehm passes. " We may have a
game somewhere, but how to find
it? Spades doesn't rate to play well if
partner's four-card holding is tapped
on a heart lead. Hopefully, East has a
modern, garbage preempt and we can
make him pay. "
Pass by
Weinstein. " I
have no idea
what's right.
Let's go after the
first-seat-favorable,
unraised
preempt. I'm
leading the
'K. "
4l by Donn,
Steve Weinstein
who calls pass
too risky for
him. " It also doesn't get us enough to
cover a game. I am heavy for 4l, but
we don't have a guaranteed fit, and it
48 | Bridge Bulletin | November 2022
leaves room if partner has a hand to
rebid 4. "
Sanborn agrees. " Passing is too rich
for me, and 3NT needs a very specific
compression in hearts. 3 is possible
- maybe more so at matchpoints. "
Molson, 4l. " In matchpoints, I
would pass and lead the 'K. IMPs is
problematic, as partner could be light
with a heart void. "
Meyers bids 4l. " What are my
other choices? "
Meckstroth: 4l. " I have nice values,
so I don't want to start guessing
about the strain. "
Robinson dutifully bids 4l. " Partner
made a takeout double so I'm bidding
my longest suit. One subtracts a
king when responding to a balancing
double. I'd only bid a three-card suit
in this type of auction if I had no
alternative. "
Grossack tries 3. " Perhaps you
can try to convince me that pass is
the percentage call, but for me, it's
begging to go minus 530 with such
weak hearts. I hope 3 will survive
the hand best. Also, with these
values, we might well belong in game,
and the 4-3 spade fit might just offer
our best shot. "
4. Alabama Stomp
Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
K Q 9 8 6 5 3 k- lK J 10 7 3 '10
West North East
Pass 2l Pass
Call
3k
3l
2
4k
Votes
6
4
3
1
South
1
?
Award
100
90
80
50
There are a couple of ways to show
support here: simply raise partner -
the auction is not going to pass out,
partner did make a 2/1 game forcing
call - or make a 3k splinter bid. By
Jeff Meckstroth
two votes, the splinter outpolls the
simple raise.
Sanborn makes a plan, starting
with 3k to show great trumps and
heart shortness. " I'll pull 3NT to
4 and feel that I've almost done
enough. "
" An auction from Mars, " says Grossack.
" I guess I'll start with a heart
splinter and see where it goes from
here. Though I must admit I would
have opened 4, I am quite hopeful
with these developments now that I
didn't! "
3k splinter
by Meckstroth.
" There is no way
to describe this
hand, but 3k
is a reasonable
start, showing
a good diamond
fit with short
hearts. "
Robinson
makes the 3k
splinter, " setting
diamonds as trump. In order to
answer correctly, you have to have
understandings about how to bid exclusion
for diamonds in this auction. "
Meyers, 3k, though in real life, that
would not be her first choice. " If 4k
would be exclusion, put me down for
that; if it is not exclusion, I would bid
3k, splinter. "
" I want to raise diamonds before
rebidding spades, " Donn reasons, " because
it is most encouraging toward
the likely slam. "
Boehm likes 3l. " Leaves room to sort
out strain and first-round controls. "
Rigal, 3l. " Supporting with support
is still legal in 34 of the 50 states.
(Alabama just changed their rules.) "
Cohen bids 2, " for now. Happy the
opponents are not in our way. "
Colchamiro also bids 2, for now.
" Keeping it low gives us the best
chance of maximizing our options. At
IMPs, I would make an exclusion bid
November 2022

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