March 2024 - 42

IT'S
You'll find a treasure trove of bidYOUR
CALL
Thanks
to Phil Clayton of Bella
Vista AR for problem No. 2; Everette
Harris, Ivyland PA, for No. 3; Gene
Benedict, Perrysburg OH, for No. 4
and John Diamond, Boca Raton FL,
for No. 5.
1. Hamman's rule
Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
sQ 7 4 hA 6 d8 4 cK Q 10 7 4 2
West North East
3h
Pass Dbl
Call
3NT
5c
4c
Pass
Votes
13
1
South
Pass
?
Award
100
70
50
Bob Hamman is one of the all-time
bridge greats; when Bob talks, people
listen. " Hamman's rule " asserts: " If
you have a choice of reasonable bids
and one of them is 3NT, then bid it. "
Weinstein's corollary: " Whachagonnado? "
[Gesundheit!]
3NT by Meyers. " I would like
to have a third heart to hold up on
hearts, but I think 3NT is the practical
bid. Hopefully partner has the
cA. "
Lin: " 3NT. I will hope that if I don't
have nine top tricks, then West has at
most two hearts and East can't get in.
So I can hold up once and be OK. "
Grossack, 3NT. " Can duck a heart
if need be. Happy to try to catch a few
cards from partner. I predict overtricks! "
Sanborn
calls 3NT " the best
matchpoint guess. "
" 3NT, going for the highest scoring
contract at matchpoints, " says Meckstroth.
42
| Bridge Bulletin | March 2024
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY
SCORES: KAREN WALKER
Korbel, 3NT. " Yes, it's sick. But
matchpoints is a sick game. "
" 3NT could be silly, " says Molson,
" but I can be silly. "
Robinson also bids 3NT. " Partner
doesn't need much to make 3NT.
sA K x x hx x dJ x x x cA x x
is enough. When in doubt, go for the
brass ring. "
" I know I'll need the hK or the cA, "
says Colchamiro, " but I'm sort of endplayed
into bidding 3NT. If I didn't
bid 3NT, I don't think I could look at
myself in the mirror. "
Rigal, 3NT. " If not a unanimous
panel, pretty darn close? "
Donn, 3NT. " Surely this will be
unanimous? "
Close, but Cohen defies Hamman's
rule - today, at least. " 5c. I don't like
punishing partner for balancing, but
I have too much for only 4c. I'd be
more tempted to try 3NT with hK x x
- picture:
sA K x x hx dA x x x cJ x x x.
Also, 5c keeps 6c in play more so
than would 3NT. "
2. Common courtesy
IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
sA J 5 h10 dQ 7 4 2 cJ 9 7 4 3
West North East
1h
Pass 2d
Pass 3s
(1) Semiforcing
Call
5d
4d
3NT
4s
Pass
Pass
Pass
Votes
5
4
3
2
South
1NT(1)
3d
?
Award
100
90
90
60
ding polls on Bridge Winners. Look
at the votes, read the comments and
learn. You may laugh, too, but mostly
you'll learn. This deal was posted by
Phil Clayton on Dec. 2, 2023.
Usually Bridge Bulletin Standard
plays 1NT as forcing; for the purposes
of this problem, you're playing it as
semiforcing, meaning partner can
pass it with a balanced minimum.
Obviously they didn't, and that's how
you know they have at least four diamonds
for their 2d call.
Over partner's 2d, you had various
ways to show diamond support: You
could pass to show diamond preference;
you could make a " courtesy "
(weak-ish) raise to three; you could
bid an " impossible " 2s, showing a
legit 3d raise; and upwards from
there, limited only by your original
1NT response.
While 3NT is a legal call here (see
Hamman's rule, No. 1), cJ 9 7 4 3 is a
less than robust holding in the unbid
suit. Also this is IMPs and almost
everyone left their matchpoint id at
home. So most of the panelists veer
toward a diamond game.
5d by Colchamiro. " Even though
my hand just barely (if at all) qualifies
for a raise to 3d, the auction has
developed well for me. Opposite:
sK x x hA K x x x dA K x x cx,
we should be able to scramble 11
tricks. If I had a fifth diamond, I'd
try 4s, but as it is, 5d is enough. If
we were not vulnerable or if it were
matchpoints rather than IMPs, I
would have passed 2d and maybe
settled for 4d over three. "
Sanborn bids 5d. " If I had another
trump, I would bid 4s, but the hand
might not handle that well. I am
playing for partner to be short in
clubs because they didn't open 1NT. If
I held the c10, I might try 3NT. In my
partnerships, 3d is not as strong as
2s at my second turn, so I'm somewhat
limited. "
5d by Robinson. " If partner has:
March 2024

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