August 2024 - 40

IT'S
YOUR
CALL
1. The toolbox
IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
sQ 9 8 5 4 hK Q 7 6 dA c8 6 4
West North East
South
1s
Pass 2NT(1) Pass
Pass 4c Pass
3d(2)
?
(1) Game forcing with at least fourcard
spade support
(2) Shortness
Call
4d
4s
4h
4NT
Votes
6
5
4
Award
100
90
80
30
There is a convention called serious/non-serious
3NT that many panelists
wish we were playing. While
helpful in differentiating between a
hand interested in initiating a majorsuit
slam investigation versus a hand
willing to cooperate in such an investigation,
the convention is not part of
the Bridge Bulletin system.
Perhaps a more important discussion
about this auction relates to
standard Jacoby 2NT responses. We
mechanically bid 3d to show shortness,
when a singleton ace - or king,
for that matter - is very different
from a blank deuce. So when we offer
4d over 4c to show first-round control,
is it the singleton ace or is it a
void? If partner is looking at, say,
dK Q x x, it matters.
40 | Bridge Bulletin | August 2024
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY
SCORES: KAREN WALKER
Thanks to Mark Meiches, Dallas
TX, for No. 1; Bill Segraves,
Guilford CT, for Nos. 3 and 4; and
Christopher Donnelly, Belmont MA,
for No. 5.
Two-thirds of the panel make cooperative
noises.
Donn bids 4d. " This is a little hard
to answer without understanding
partner's style. If 3h would have
shown a heart control and thus 4c
denies one, 4d would show a heart
control along with first-round diamond
control. But if 3h shows a concentration
- since it's below three of
our major - then I would want to bid
4h instead, since partner then hasn't
denied a heart control. In either case,
I would not want to bid 4s. Partner
is going out of their way specifically
to learn if we have a heart control. "
4d by Cohen. " I dislike my trumps,
but opposite sA K x x, they aren't so
bad. Partner is likely desperate for a
heart control and 4d promises one.
Without a heart control, I'd have to
bid 4s. Picture:
sA K x x hx x dx x x cA K Q x. "
Meyers really wants her conventional
tools for this one. " I would
like to have played 3NT by partner
as 'non-serious,' so to me 4c would
show a strong slam interest. I have
only 11 high-card points, but knowing
that partner has four spades, my
hand looks a lot better. I will make
one counter-try and bid 4d. Partner
can bid 4h (last train) if still interested.
If partner bids 4s, I am done. "
4d by Grossack. " First-round control
- and I will certainly bid 4s if
partner continues with 4h. "
4s by Lin. " While my partner is
showing slam interest, I've already
shown an opening hand and a stiff
diamond. I don't have more than
that, and the stiff dA is the wrong
value if they are positive because of
my shortness. I might not be able to
answer this well because I haven't
played 'old-fashioned Jacoby 2NT' in
years. Using 3c as a minimum immediately
gives a sense of range. It
seems to be the most popular treatment
now and would have been helpful
here. "
Weinstein applies the brakes. " 4s.
Someone needs to slow this train
down. If partner has something like:
sA K x x hJ 10 x dx x x cA K x,
I'll apologize. I would bid 4d if I was
sure it didn't promise a void. "
Rigal shuts it down with 4s.
" Enough is enough alright already.
(Get a lawyer and sue me.) If we can
make slam here, partner will not
pass. "
Lee agrees. " 4s. If partner really
cares about a heart control, they will
usually be able to take another call.
The more important thing to clarify
now is that I have a bare minimum.
4d would be criminal. "
4s by Colchamiro. " An easy one.
Poor trumps, minimum points and
of course, the dA in the wrong place.
That's three good reasons to sign off,
no? "
Robinson bids 4h. " Responder's
4c shows a very good hand opposite
diamond shortness, but denies a
heart control. With a heart control,
responder would have bid 3h. 3s
by responder would have shown a
minimum game force. A jump to 4s
would show a hand that fell in value
because of my diamond shortness
- something like the wasted dQ J x
or short diamonds. If my dA was in
spades, I'd bid key card, but my weak
trumps cause me to let partner take
control. "
Sanborn bids 4h. " I don't need to
reiterate a diamond control, but partner
could be looking for hearts controlled.
Normally I would play that
3s or 3NT would be less serious than
a four-level cuebid such as 4c. I'm
catering to something like:
August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2024
