Some problems from the Hawaii Nationals: Answers

Today's Panelists: Barry Rigal, David Caprera, Mike Shuster, Chris Willenken, David Milton, Roberto Scaramuzzi, Ed Davis, Len Vishnevsky, Kent Hartman, David Weiss, and Web Ewell.

All problems in a strong NT, 2/1 context.

  1. MPs, none vul, you hold

     S:AQ H:10xxx D:AKJ109x C:Q

    You Partner
    1D: 1NT
    3D: 4C:
    ?


    BARRY
    Well I would have bid 3NT over 1NT and avoided that problem. I think this is a cuebid for diamonds; with long clubs partner passes 3D:. 4D: seems enough for the time being.
    DAVIDC
    I am probably going to be in the minority on this one but I believe that, amazing as it sounds, 4C: shows clubs and if I wanted to raise D:s I would have bid D:s. Stiff C:Q is not a great holding as Club support and 4S: by me would say that my C: holding is better than it is so I am just going to bide my time with a 4D: bid.
    MIKE
    4H:. 4C: showed a good raise to 4D:, but slam isn't really in the picture. I've waffled on this one a few times. I really want to play 4NT. 4D: is forcing here, but I'm not sure what it would accomplish other than making a future 4NT bid blackwood. 4S: puts too much emphasis on hearts, where I merely need Jx and not enough on spades where I might need Jxx or better with the lead coming through. 5D:, showing good trumps, is forward going. I wish 4H: were RKCB so I could bid 4NT myself (although I suppose that would be a heart cuebid). [I like to play 4NT natural there if 4H is key card. --Jeff] I guess I bid 4H:. Hopefully partner can bid 4NT, otherwise I'll bid 5D:. I haven't been able to construct a hand that makes slam that would bid this way (perhaps  S:Kxx H:x D:Qxx C:Axxxxx — and we still haven't made it).

    By the way, 3D: is alright. 2NT has merit too. I think that decision is close.

    CHRIS
    I would have bid 3NT over 1NT. Is partner supposed to bid it himself with no stopper in either major? [I can live with 3NT. 3D: seems reasonable to me, though; sometimes partner has a balanced hand with nothing in clubs. 3NT seems better at IMPs. --Jeff]

    Now, does 4C: show a diamond misfit such as  S:Kxx H:xx D:x C:KJ10xxxx, in which case we should pass, or does it show a diamond raise with club values? I like to have the default agreement "natural and nonforcing if possible" which would make this an easy pass, but I'd bid 4D: with a random partner. [With some partners, I play that rule; with others, I play "ASBAF," "All Strange Bids are Forcing." --Jeff]

    DAVIDM
    I can't imagine this' being anything other than a cue bid in support of diamonds. (Well actually, I can imagine it being other things, but then I can't imagine ever playing with this partner again.) So, give partner something like  S:xxx H:Ax D:xxxx C:Axxx and slam is basically on a spade finesse and not Qxx of diamonds offside. And it could be even better than that. [Sounds like David bids 6D:. Why not bid 3H: with the given hand, then pull 3NT to 4C:? Not only is one's intention then clear, the sequence is more efficient and allows for a natural 4NT which one might consider passing. --Jeff]
    ROBERTO
    4C: should be a cue-bid in support of diamonds, showing stuff, not many clubs in a weak hand. I would 4D: followed by 5D: because I don't see a hand that makes a slam better than a finesse (5D: directly should be slammish, showing good trumps). Partner pretty much needs heart shortness to give us a chance and he can't have 4 spades, so he has at least 9 cards in the minors. With 4 diamonds and the strength I need from him he would have started with a limit raise in diamonds. With 6 good clubs and 3 diamonds he would have made a one-suited invite in clubs.

    I guess it's barely possible he has something like  S:Kxx H:x D:Qxx C:Axxxxx, but a) he likely would have bid 3S: over 3D: with that hand, and b) I still don't like my chances on a trump lead.

    ED
    4D:. Nothing extra, playable D: opp x, only modest C: support. May already be too high.
    LEN
    4S:. Pard can pass with  S:xx H:xx D:xx C:KQxxxxx. He should have, at least, something like  S:xx H:Ax D:xxxx C:Axxxx. [Wouldn't he bid 3H: with that? --Jeff]
    KENT
    4D:. 4C: says we're playing at least game in diamonds. I wanna hear 4H:. If I do, we're playing 6D:. If not, we're playing 5D:.
    DAVIDW
    I would not have bid 3D:; 3NT was my guess. Now I feel stuck, as 6D: seems virtually impossible opposite a 1NT response. I'll have to hope that 3NT fails and 5D: is best, rather a narrow target. Maybe partner has  S:xxx H:AQx D:xxxx C:Axx or  S:xxx H:KQx D:xxxx C:AJx and the cards lie badly. So 5D: it is, but I don't like my odds.
    WEB
    I bid 5C:. It really looks like we're going to lose a trump and 2 hearts, but I'm not sure enough of that to pass. (I'm also not sure if 4C: is forcing, although it should be at least invitational — partner could have just passed 3D: with 6 bad clubs and a weak hand).
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    Pass.
    WINNING ACTION
    None, but 4D: was best. The 3NT bidders found the real winning action. Partner had  S:xx H:Jxx D:Qxx C:AJxxx. 3NT is an easy make, but 4D: isn't. Partner thought that 4C: was an invitation to game in diamonds with club cards.
    CONSENSUS
    ActionVotes
    Pass1
    4D:6
    4H:1
    4S:1
    5C:1
    5D:1
    6D:1
    Wow—7 different choices. I'm surprised. I was starting to think this was a lame problem.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    Most felt that 4C: was a slam try in diamonds. That means one must have (a) no card in the majors, and (b) no stiff in the majors, something like  S:xx H:xx D:Qxxx C:AKxxx. I suppose that's possible, but...isn't that some sort of immediate diamond raise? Anyway, neither partner nor I thought that; I played him for  S:xxx H:Qx D:x C:KJ109xxx. On that layout, 4C: is on a hook, and 3D: is down a bunch.

    I'll go with the majority and judge it to be a slam try, though I suspect that the number of diamond slam tries with no card or stiff in the majors is pretty small. Then again, the number of hands which want to play 4C: on this sequence is pretty small, too. It can't be a game try (as partner thought) with club cards, because 4D: means that. He'd never bid 4D: with a major suit stopper, so therefore, 4D: means his cards are in clubs.

    Ought I have bid 3NT the first time? Yes, I think so, because that partnership plays 1D:-2D: as natural, so the 1NTer is extremely likely to have clubs. Playing inverted minors, where he could have  S:Kxx H:Ax D:Qxxx C:xxxx or  S:Kxx H:Qxx D:Qxxx C:xxx, 3D: looks a lot better than 3NT.


  2. IMPs, short matches, favorable, you hold

     S:KQJ H:Jxx D:Qx C:K10987

    You LHO CHO RHO
    1C: Pass1S: Dbl
    Rdbl2D: 2S: 3D:
    PassPassDbl Pass
    ?

    Redouble was support


    BARRY
    3S:. Enormously unsuitable for defence; I'll apologize later when I'm wrong.
    DAVIDC
    Not that it would have solved my problem, but I am not a fan of the redouble. At first I thought that 2S: by partner should show a 5th spade, but what would he do with a 4-3-3-3 10 count? [Pass? --Jeff] I have to believe that bidding 3S: is a sure minus. I may have to sweat this one out to trick 12 but I am going to play for a plus and hope my little pieces help us to take 5 tricks. That and "the law". (Someone had to say that.) I am happy with either a spade or a club lead, likely on the auction.
    MIKE
    Pass. Surely partner's double of 3D: makes it less likely that 3S: is right than it was the previous round. Not that I think we're beating this unless it is a 4-3 fit — but what else? 3S: would be a partnership violation. Was this a committee hand? [No. --Jeff]
    CHRIS
    This is a matter of agreements and partnership philosophy. My personal philosophy at IMPs is to use virtually all doubles of this type to show hands which are good for both offense and defense. So, I might have  S:109xxx H:Axxx D:x C:Axx for the double, a hand which probably wants to bid 3S: or double 3D: but isn't sure which. With a balanced hand that wasn't good enough to invite game, I'd just pass 3D:. Playing this style, I have an easy 3S: bid here.

    Note that in addition to the technical merits of this style (i.e. not turning a plus into a minus by erroneously competing), there is also the advantage that doubler's partner rarely has a tough decision to make.

    DAVIDM
    Well, considering that I would not have opened this piece of crap unless playing weak NT, which of course I am not, I cannot imagine making a game after partner's non-forcing 2S: call, with about the best spade support I could have given the auction, I am going to bid 3S:. Passing is not an option, even at this vulnerability.
    ROBERTO
    3S: is clear. Partner is making an action double and I have less than average defense (less than average offense too, actually — I might have passed that hand in first seat).
    ED
    Pass. No reason to overrule partner.
    LEN
    Pass. It doesn't make any sense, at IMPs, to double for takeout here, so it's somewhere between penalty and cooperative. Either way I have a clear pass. Why play our seven card fit?
    KENT
    3S:. Help! [Seems more like, 3S:. "Sorry!" --Jeff]
    DAVIDW
    Partner's 2S: bid was voluntary, so he must have 5 spades. I interpret his double as meaning he has the top for his 2S: call, something like  S:xxxxx H:AQx D:KJx C:xx. He can hardly have more than that. The 3D: contract might lose 1S:, 2H:, 2D:, and a club. Our possible 3S: contract might lose 1 spade, 1 heart, 1 diamond, and 2 clubs. I would say pass is the right call, as we have a lot to gain if we're right. The clincher is that the 2D: bid might have been made on a short suit if LHO was stuck.
    WEB
    3S:. I don't want to lose the match on this board, and my holding in the reds makes it look like they're making. Hopefully I hold the damage to down 1 doubled.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    Buck, buck, buck, ba-caww!!! I chickened out and bid 3S:.
    WINNING ACTION
    Pass. Partner has  S:Axxxx H:xxxx D:Jxx C:A. Dummy is 5422 and you beat it one. +200. 3S: was down one.
    CONSENSUS
    CouragePanelists
    Chickens7
    Non-chickens5
    Chris doesn't really fall in either camp, as his double was a Looby double, but I lumped him in with us other chickens anyway.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    I agree that this hand isn't an opening bid, but sometimes white on red one takes some liberties against opponents one judges to be meek.

    I don't agree with Chris that the double can be shortness in diamonds, essentially saying, "I want to bid 3S:, but in case you wanted to double 3D:, I'm giving you the chance." (We call these "Looby Doubles," after a player who plays just about all doubles have that meaning. I remember a match where we decided in advance vastly to overbid in competitive auctions because we knew we would never get doubled by this pair due to their Looby Doubles. It worked, too.) Note that one has to play these in pass-out seat if one plays them in direct seat, so that at least some penalty doubles can get converted. I think this double should have the opposite meaning, "I think we can beat this, but if you don't, we can probably make 3S:." Partner had a straight penalty double, with which I'd just pass and take my plus score, but that's playable, too. Or actually, he thought he had one,  S:Axxxx H:xxxx D:Jxx C:A. If dummy had been 5-5, not unlikely, we couldn't have beaten 3D:, so what he really had was a happy pass, but a reasonable matchpoint double. Of course, everyone would have passed at matchpoints, hoping for the magic +200. Regardless of his hand, my problem was interesting.


  3. IMPs, short matches, both vul, you hold

     S:Q10 H:AK10x D:xxx C:Q10xx

    PartnerYou
    1D: 1H:
    1NT ?


    BARRY
    2NT. My heart tells me to pass but this form of scoring suggests I duplicate the other table's action and hope partner plays them better, and my black 10s are potentially valuable. [My heart tells me to bid 3NT and hope partner plays them better! --Jeff]
    DAVIDC
    2NT looks kind of normal. If you are playing some form of XYZ, you would be able to show C:s as a possible alternative spot.
    MIKE
    3NT. Me like 10's. Let them defend.
    CHRIS
    3NT. WTP?
    DAVIDM
    On HCPs this is a 2NT invite, however, with the addition of the 3 working 10s and the vulnerability, I am going to give partner a chance to prove that his declarer play isn't all that bad and just bid 3NT.
    ROBERTO
    2NT. If you're opening hands like the previous problem, you can't force to game with this one.
    ED
    2NT. I might have jumped to 3NT if partner had rebid 1S: but I'm not as optimistic with my QT doubleton facing a two-card or three-card suit.
    LEN
    Pass. The tens are cute but I'm not going to overbid. If pard opened a weak NT, I might Stayman and invite, with the vig of finding an eight card heart fit, but here I don't have that extra chance.
    KENT
    Depends on style opening vul. If partner would open the equivalent of the hand in question 2 with both vul, I bid 2NT. [He was white on red on that hand. --Jeff] If not, I'm bidding 3NT.
    DAVIDW
    The down-the-middle call is 2NT, but 3 working tens persuade me to overbid with 3NT. ["Working" is right! All three took tricks. --Jeff]
    WEB
    This is really close. At matchpoints I think it's a clear pass. Here I'd probably pass as well.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    2NT.
    WINNING ACTION
    3NT. At each table, this hand bid 2NT and went +180.
    CONSENSUS
    ActionVotes
    Pass2
    2NT5
    3NT5
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    3NT. You don't invite vul games at IMPs, you invite partner to make them. That's why when you are -140 and your opponents are red, you just pencil in lose 6.

    DavidC mentions that playing Two-Way Checkback, one has two ways to get to 2NT. I normally play that 2C:-2D:-2NT shows a fit for opener's minor, allowing us to get out in three of that suit if opener judges his hand unsuitable for NT vs. an invite with concentration in two suits. At matchpoints, that makes lots of sense, but if one isn't going to be inviting much at IMPs anyway, perhaps one sequence should show worry about the other major. Here, where we could easily have a 2-2 spade fit, that's a real concern.


  4. MPs, none vul, you hold

     S:xx H:Kxxx D:Jxx C:109xx

    LHO CHO RHO You
    2H: 3H: Pass3NT
    Pass4S: Pass?

    3H: asked for a stopper.


    BARRY
    I know this hand (did you tell me? [Yes. --Jeff]) and got it wrong the first time. I think I bid 4NT didn't I? [Yes. If you hadn't, it wouldn't have been here! --Jeff]
    DAVIDC
    (I saw this auction recently. Nick Nickell had a big hand, solid spades, something like 6-4 in the blacks. But I don't remember that this was responder's hand.) [It wasn't. --Jeff] Anyway, with this hand, I would pass.
    MIKE
    Ugh! 4NT. I have a real stopper. Partner could have jumped to 4S: or X'd and bid 4S: if he was all spades. Perhaps this shows 4-7 in spades and a minor? All I know is I have a real heart stopper and no spade fit - if he wanted to play spades opposite that holding, there were alternate approaches that would get me to pass 4S:. [Odd. Of all the players here, I'd've expected Mike to pass...I've seen him use this sequence before with solid spades and a very offensive hand. --Jeff]
    CHRIS
    Pass. Without any special agreements, partner has solid spades and a slam try, perhaps  S:AKQJxxx H:x D:AKx C:Ax. [Close! --Jeff]
    DAVIDM
    Am I supposed to now believe that partner is supposed to be showing a single suited hand that is too good for either 3S: or 4S: directly (both showing good hands)? Even if partner is asking me now to do something intelligent based on the information, there is not a single intelligent action I can conceive of other than pass.
    ROBERTO
    I think partner has a huge hand with spades. Still, I have 0 cover cards. I'm passing.
    ED
    Pass. Partner should have a hand too good for a jump to 4S:.  S:AQJ10xxx H:x D:AKx C:AQ looks about right.
    LEN
    Pass. Pard has a huge hand. With spades.
    KENT
    Pass. See Page 9 in the December 2006 Bridge World. Nickell, the 4S: bidder, had  S:AKQJ9xx H:A D:x C:K10xx. Freeman, holding  S:x H:J10xx D:KQxx C:Axxx, jumped to 6S:. This hand isn't making 6S: opposite that. [It's not making 4S: opposite that! --Jeff]
    DAVIDW
    Pass. Was I invited to this party?
    WEB
    ??!? I hope you're going to tell me this is a torture bid. I certainly don't know what it means. I'll pass. If it wasn't natural, partner won't do it again.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    wasn't there. I perpetrated this sequence.
    WINNING ACTION
    Pass. Partner had 8 solid and an outside ace and a little shape. (OK, I was overbidding.)
    CONSENSUS
    ActionVotes
    Pass10
    4NT2
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    The Bridge World to which Kent (and others) refer arrived shortly after I'd posted this problem. I guess it wasn't much of a problem, but having given it to Barry and heard him bid 4NT (and having partner at the table not pass), I thought it might be interesting. Nickell ruined it!

  5. IMPs, short matches, none vul

    S: AK9x
    H:
    D: KJx
    C: Q8xxxx
    S: 87x
    H: QJ10x
    D: A10xx
    C: KJ

    WestNorthEastSouth
    1C:1H:2NTPass
    3C:All Pass

    Making five.

    3C: was to play

    Assign the blame for missing a pretty good game. ...for that matter, either of two pretty good games.


    BARRY
    East's C:KJ solidify the suit; 3D: over 3C: gets 3S: to 3NT. East takes most of the blame though West might bid 3S: over 2NT I suppose. And maybe East might bid 3NT over 1H:; this is no ordinary 11-count. The hearts play like AKxx. Overall, I give East 85% of the blame.
    DAVIDC
    Not easy. Game on 13 opposite 11 and a bit of a misfit. East bid reasonably. (I dislike it when partner makes a limited bid like 2NT and then bids again. Yes, 3C: made his hand better, but, for partnership, I think it is right for East to pass at his second turn.) West didn't bid horribly, but I think that 3S: was a better rebid. A sixty-four hand is a player and 3C: didn't convey that. Score it something like West 80 and East 20
    MIKE
    I think East's cowardly 2NT is more to play than West's cowardly 3C: (which was facing a known misfit). East's pass is alright and no one did anything terrible. I'd've bid 3NT over 1H:, so I'll give 2NT more play. 25 W / 75 E
    CHRIS
    Bidding 3C: could miss a game opposite e.g.  S:xx H:KJxx D:AQxx C:Jxx, but it could certainly work out well opposite a tripleton spade and some heart wastage. In fact, opposite  S:xxx H:AQxx D:Qxxx C:Kx, even 3C: is in mild jeopardy. Nonvulnerable, bidding 3C: seems quite reasonable.

    Passing 3C: is quite poor. Opposite  S:AKx H:x D:Kxx C:QT9xxx, game is laydown. The combination of the side quick trick, fitting club honors, and only three HCP providing two heart stoppers is just huge. I might have bid 3NT the first time.

    So, I'd blame East 100%, since West did something at least reasonable (and possibly correct) which shouldn't have cost on the actual deal.

    DAVIDM
    Neither person is completely innocent, however, I think most of the blame should go to West. While he should be concerned about wasted heart values in partners hand, since partner didn't make a negative double, they should be short in spades. The fact that even with a nine card heart fit (if partner had 5 hearts and the invitational values he is showing he might have passed to wait for a reopening double at both green) I think rebidding 3C: was a pretty wimpy, and a 3S: bit is probably indicated. However, given that partner is showing 6+ clubs, East's KJ is a great holding and he should try 3D: with hearts doubly stopped to see if partner has spades under control.

    I think that blame for this is probably about 65% West 35% East — but I could go 60-40.

    ROBERTO
    100% East. He might bid 3NT at his first turn and definitely at his second turn, now that he knows partner has long clubs. C:J and to a lesser extent H:10 are HUGE cards.
    ED
    East 100%. West's bidding is fine. It should have given East enough information to make the right decision. With C:KJ and two H: stops to boot, East's pass was not winning bridge.
    LEN
    3NT looks good. What's the other good game (along with your line a percentage of success)? [5C:. I'd guess it's about 60%. Most would lead a high heart from AK, so we are down to 3-2 clubs and a little racing luck. --Jeff]

    The worst opener should have for 3C: (assuming 2NT isn't forcing) is  S:QJx H:xx D:KJ C:Axxxxx (I don't think I'd open that), and 3NT isn't very good. But, make it  S:KJx H:xx D:Kx C:AQxxxx and game's quite good. That's a 3NT bid, though. So, the hands in the middle are the likely 3C: bids, with the actual hand a relative max. I suppose responder should make one more try for 3NT, but neither 3NT (doesn't suggest 5C:) nor 3H: (suggests 5C: too strongly) is right. I think he should try 3D:.

    So:

    West, 40% for not bidding 3S: or 3NT over 2NT. East, 60% for passing 3C:.

    KENT
    100% to West. Once upon a time I read that if you have a six-card minor and are in an invitational auction, you bid game. [I read that if you have a six-card suit, you don't pass 2NT, but what you do is up to you. --Jeff] Give East  S:QJx H:Kxx D:AQxx C:xxx and with a heart lead there are nine tricks outside of clubs. Give East  S:10xx H:QJ10x D:Qxx C:KJx (looks like a 1NT bid to me!) and even I might make 3NT.
    DAVIDW
    Tough hand. I certainly would have bid 2NT, so East must be blameless. As West, I would have bid 3S: somewhat guiltily. Therefore, West is at fault, although I do not think his call was bad. It just worked out badly this time. It's so often the case that the aggressive choice turns out to be the lucky one at IMPs, that I'm surprised people still keep trying to cut hands fine.
    WEB
    This is a hard hand — I'm not sure I'd want to assign a full 100%. East seems to have exactly what he said with 2NT, and 3C: is a slight underbid, so maybe 50% West, 50% bridge gods. I'm not sure there's a call I like better than 3C: with the West cards.
    CONSENSUS
    Panelist% West% East
    Barry1585
    DavidC8020
    Mike2575
    Chris0100
    DavidM6535
    Roberto0100
    Ed0100
    Len4060
    Kent1000
    DavidW1000
    Web500
    Average4555
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    The only reason I can see for East's passing 3C: is that partner expects him to pass, and bidding 3NT feels like an anti-partnership action. (Or maybe a mixed pairs action ) He knows that 3NT rates to be pretty good, so passing is just poor. On the other hand, 3C: is really pretty wimpy. Opposite many hands with which partner will pass, 5C: is pretty good. I think West shouldn't be too concerned about missing 3NT, but having heard no negative double, 5C: should very much be in the picture. If East has 2443, a common shape here, it doesn't take much to make 5C:. One of my teammates suggested that West bid 3H:, suggesting a void, but that focusses too much on 3NT. I wonder...does 3S: here show a sixth club? For such a simple auction, I have heard nearly zero discussion about the meanings of bids here...perhaps that is a reason for West not to branch out into the unknown.

    The bottom line is that you just don't bid 2NT at IMPs. Even when it's right, sometimes partner makes an overtrick, or the defense errs, or 2NT was down anyway, or... There's something to the theory that a competitive 2NT is always forcing at IMPs.



Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@gg.caltech.edu, Dec 24, 2006