March 2024 - 44

bad in the unbid suit and my partner
could easily have a stopper. Even if
partner doesn't have a stopper, we
may not have a better place to play.
Plus 1NT leaves the most room for
partner to make a descriptive rebid.
By the way, a good reminder on this
auction is for partnerships to discuss
if 1s includes any hand with four
spades or if it promises an unbalanced
hand. It is much more common
nowadays to rebid 1NT with four
spades and a balanced hand. "
Colchamiro chooses 2s. " MaxiJANUARY
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450
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mum values, three great trumps ... but
haven't we seen this problem many,
many times before? " [Yes, Mel, because
for our readers, it never gets old.]
Cohen raises to 2s. " Short a spade
and a little heavy in high-card points
... hoping those two wrongs make a
right. "
Meyers, 2s. " 1NT might be a better
bid, but if we have a game, I think 2s
is our best chance of getting there. It
is really deviant to raise on a threecard
suit but they are such good
spades. "
" I bid 2s, " says Molson. " Hate it,
but 1NT will not score well in this
panel. "
2s by Rigal. " Not elegant, but partner
plays them better than me. (Who
doesn't?) "
Meckstroth surprises with 2h. " Not
clear what to bid here. Very tough
problem. "
4. Hey, Mr. Straight Flush,
we got a free seat
Matchpoints. North-South vul.
sK Q J 7 h- dA K cJ 10 9 8 7 4 3
West North East
1s
Call
3c
2c
Pass
1NT
Dbl
Pass
Votes
7
6
1
South
1c
?
Award
100
90
50
50
Robinson rebids 3c. " I don't like
jumping on a jack-high suit, but the
hand is too good to bid 2c. Also 3c
makes it difficult for the opponents to
find their nine-card heart fit. "
" 3c I guess, " says Colchamiro.
" Don't really know what to do, so I'm
pulling an Edgar [Kaplan]: 'When
in doubt, bid your long suit.' Good
problem. "
" Bid the value, " says Grossack with
3c. " At a different vulnerability,
perhaps we could turn this negative
double into a penalty double with
44 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2024
a hungry pass. But with so much
shape, especially at this vulnerability,
it's probably best to just bid the
hand. "
" I believe the person who held this
hand passed and got a huge number, "
Molson recalls. " I thought pass was
goofy and still do. I bid 3c. "
Weinstein bids 3c. " Wrong vulnerability
to pass. Between 2c and 3c,
the seventh club (and straight flush)
makes me take the high road. "
3c by Boehm. " It's too pushy to play
for penalties versus nonvulnerable
opponents when we may have a game
or even a club slam. The club suit is
not 'jack-high' - the internal straight
flush makes this hand worth eight
to eight and a half winners. It's too
strong for 2c. "
Cohen's 3c: " Too much offensive
potential to either pass or rebid only
2c. Not strong enough for 2s, which
would also fail to show my hand type
- long clubs. "
" The auction has not improved my
hand, " says Korbel, who chooses to
bid 2c. " 3c is fine with me, too. "
2c by Rigal. " I can lose the event
on any deal, but I'm going to try to
ensure this isn't the one where I take
a position. But maybe I have done that
by going very low. "
Lin bids 2c. " I think I would go low
at matchpoints but bid 3c at IMPs,
trying to get to a light, higher risk
3NT. My choice might depend on how
strong the defenders are, too. Even if
partner has a club card, we may need
to lose the lead twice to set up clubs.
The spades are a slow entry and it
might be obvious to the defenders
which red suit to attack after dummy
comes down. "
" Although this is a lot of playing
strength for 2c, " says Donn, " the
weak suit and misplaced spade holding
make 3c seem like too much. "
2c by Meyers. " My clubs are not
good enough to bid three. "
Meckstroth's 2c: " I'll start slow
and see what develops. "
Sanborn passes. " Lots of ways to be
March 2024

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