What’s your call?
| 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT | ||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass |
Falk leads off the 5♦ cuebid brigade. “Partner should have two places to play. Most likely, he has both majors. But if he holds hearts and clubs, that’s OK too. As it is matchpoints, I don’t want to play clubs if we have a fit in spades.”
Meyers is a 5♦ cuebidder. “I think partner has 4–4 in the majors with enough to bid game. I have too much not to make a try. If partner bids 5♥, I will bid 5♠, which is a slam try in spades.”
The Sutherlins commit to slam, but they’re uncertain of the strain. “5♦ takes up room, but it will force partner to bid a suit. After his expected 5♥, we will continue with 6♣. This should imply that we can stand a correction to6♠ if partner holds a doubleton club. This plan would seem to be the best we can do in getting to either 6♣ or 6♠.”
Kennedy says she struggled with this one. “5♦ . Over 5♥, I’ll bid 5♠. Because I doubled in the pass out position, partner should have a pretty good handto bid 4♦ .”
Colchamiro’s got it all worked out. “5♦ . If partner comes 5♥, I’ll try 5♠, which seems about right. If partner gives me 5♠, then I’ll just have to guess if partner has an ace or not. I’m sure I’d take a shot at 6♠, fully expecting either a hero’s welcome or a welcome to the lower reaches, depending on the outcome.”
Korbel is a cuebidding maniac this month! “5♦ . Partner could still have a fairly weak hand, such as:
♠J 10 x x x ♥K Q x x x ♦ x ♣Q x,
so we cannot safely force to slam. One try with 5♦ , then correcting hearts to spades will hopefully get us to a sensible level (although it buries the club suit).”
Boehm likes 5♦ . “I have way more than what a balancer might provide. I’m ready to correct 5♥ to 6♦ – the usual: two places to play.”
Lee is happy with 4♠. “I think this hand might play badly on diamond taps, and we have just one too many holes to be looking for slam and forcing to the five level.”
Hampson bids 4♠. “I have buried partner many times when they judged well to get to the better major-suit fit. Slam is certainly possible, but I won’t punish partner this time.”
4♠ by Meckstroth. “I’m not going to be greedy. I’m happy to get to spades. We might be missing slam, but I’ll settle for a plus score.”
Robinson bids 4♠. “Partner asked me to bid my lowest four-card major, so I will. If I were 5=4=2=2, I’d bid 4♥.Partner could be 4=4=4=1.”
Rigal’s just making this stuff up as he goes: “5NT shows clubs and a major, while 6♦ shows both majors. We all play this, don’t we? Don’t all speak at once. Seriously, when at the five level, use suit bids naturally, cuebid for the majors (or two highest, in some sequences) and use 5NT as the lowest suit plus one of the others. Hence, over5NT, 6♦ asks me to bid my major.”
Cohen’s 5NT is the old-fashioned, pick-a-slam variety. “Partner is driving to game opposite a possible 10 count. He must have a very good hand and at least one of the missing aces. In case partner chooses clubs, I bid 5NT on the way to 6♠ (if he doesn’t pick clubs). I have never gotten a good score in IYC for 5NT pick-a-slam, but stubbornly continue to choose it when I think it is the correct action.” The streak remains intact.
4NT by Lawrence. “Simple aces. Will bid 6♠ if partner has one ace. Will consider more if he has two.”
4NT, “straight Blackwood,” by Weinstein. “The good news is, I think (I hope) that 4♦ shows both majors. The other good news is I am done with these torturous problems this month. Hopefully, we get a top since I feel like we need a board after this disastrous session!”
