What’s your call?
| 2♠ | 2NT | |||
| 3♣ | 3♦ | 3♥ | 3♠ | 3NT |
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT |
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Dbl |
“Call me pusillanimous,” puns Falk, “but when I have no bid, I make no bid. I’d have to bid 4NT for the minors, and I’m about three to four minor-suit cards short for that action. Any lower number of notrump is nuts. If it works, I should end up in front of a committee; if not, I was better off passing. Double with ♠Q 4 strikes me as too much risk for too little reward. Partner may respond 2♠ on a weak hand with four spades, and I will have nowhere to go except down like a dog. The way most experts play, 3♥ would ask for 3NT with a stopper, but I have only four tricks. Throw in one for partner’s stopper and we’re just four tricks short. I know matchpoints is fast and loose, but you can win lots of matchpoints by just not doing stupid things.”
“A nightmare problem!” cries Korbel, upping the drama. “I refuse to bid 2NT without a stopper, and double doesn’t really appeal to me with this disastrous distribution. Much of the time that we have game, partner will be able to take a call, although I admit we could lose a partscore battle this way.” And by “this way,” he means he passes.
Cohen passes on both the histrionics and at his turn to bid. “Since double surely begets spades by partner, and I don’t have the stomach for a stopperless 2NT, it is pass by default – in tempo, so the police aren’t called when partner balances light.”
Sanborn adds, “Partner has a lot of leeway while balancing in this position. At least I will know whether we have a spade fit if they should balance. Nothing really makes sense from my side. A double could land us in a 3–2 fit!”
Lee passes, too “I hate it, but nothing else seems appropriate.”
“I’m missing a spade to double,” says Meyers, “and I don’t want to overcall a four-card suit at the three level. I have high cards but not a lot of tricks.”
Robinson agrees. “It’s too dangerous to do something, and I won’t double 2♥ with only two spades.”
Kennedy: “Pass. For now.”
Rigal: “Since I cannot decide what to do, I’m going to pass smoothly and hope someone else at the table finds a call. If we can go plus here, we might survive.”
Stack says, “This is one of the few times in my life that I can see no intelligent way to get 16 high-card points into the auction. Bidding a four-card suit at the three level or doubling has no appeal, so we must do our best to pass in tempo.”
Pass by Lawrence. “Easy. My shape is wrong for any bid. Preempts are meant to annoy, and this one does. Most important, it is right to pass in tempo. There is a slim chance that partner can balance, but not if you huddle first.”
“I don’t like it,” says Weinstein, “but I’m going to pass. And try to do it in tempo.”
Boehm echoes, “In tempo, of course.”
Hampson flips a coin between pass and double and decides he wants to get into the bidding. “Sometimes partner doesn’t bid spades.”
Double says Colchamiro. “I can’t believe I’m doing this with ♠Q 4, but my gut tells me to. The Italians and the club players all seem to land on their feet.”
The Sutherlins feel they have too much to pass, and overcalling notrump or three of a minor is bad. “Double will do poorly when partner has exactly four spades.”
3♣ by Meckstroth. “This is a first for me – overcalling at the three level on a four-card suit. It seems like the lesser of evils here. We have far too good a hand not to take some kind of action.”
