What’s your call?
| 4NT | ||||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Dbl |
Leading the 5♣ callers is Lawrence. “I could hope for four-card heart support, but there’s no guarantee of it. 5♣ protects my hand from a diamond lead. I might try to get both hearts and clubs in the picture, but that risks our playing in 6♣. A small bonus is that 5♣ leaves room for them to bid 5♦ .”
Weinstein: “They might make, I might make … I feel like bidding, so I am. I am really worried that they have a double fit and so do we. I don’t think I have to try to maximize by playing hearts to get a good board when it’s right to bid.”
5♣ by Sanborn: “Not only is there the risk of finding three-card heart support in partner’s hand, but I don’t really want to put down ♦ K J in dummy.”
Persuaded by right-hand opponent, Cohen bids 5♣. “I’ve found that vulnerable jumpers to four-of-a-major usually have their bids.”
With some trepidation, Lee pulls the 5♣ bid out of the box. “Could be really wrong, but I will choose to belive my vulnerable opponent and take the twoway shot.”
Meyers echoes Lee: “This could be so wrong, but so could double or pass.”
5♣ by the Sutherlins. “Partner may have only three hearts. Also, suits are probably breaking badly. Passing risks losing out to a double game swing.”
Boehm bids 5♣. “My diamond holding is ominous for defense, and this deal could easily be a double fit and a double game swing. Clubs, better than hearts, will withstand bad splits, not unlikely at this vulnerability.”
Then there’s a trio of 4NT bidders
Falk: “I hate to bid in front of partner – I can’t tell if North has lots of spade honors or almost none, nor can I be certain partner is not slightly off shape, say, 4–4–3–2, which rules out storming into 5♣. It is also unclear if I have any defense to 4♠, so I cannot double. Partner has already said he wants me to pick a place to play, so for him to pull a double of 4♠ seems unlikely. He will expect me to have either both minors or clubs and hearts for my 4NT call, with not more than four hearts. So if partner happens to be, say, 4–3–3–3, I am confident he will know to bid 5♣.”
Robinson: “4NT takeout. If partner bids 5♣, we’ll play it there. Otherwise, we’ll play it in 5♥.”
Korbel: 4NT. “It would really not surprise me if passing was the winner.”
Stack, who thinks passing is the winner, passes. “I don’t think our side can make anything on this auction, and we do have some defense – partner did make a takeout double for three suits, including spades. Bidding will create some action, but I’m not willing to take a negative score when there is a good chance of going plus.”
Colchamiro also plants the white flag. “I’m gonna try to go plus right here. If my ♦ K J were elsewhere, I’d double or bid 4NT, but as it is, I’m pessimistic. If I felt a particular bid would more or less guide us to the winning spot, I might try that. But I don’t, so I’m going quietly.”
A card-showing double by Rigal, who – to the director’s utter delight – is clearly unhappy. “I’m not happy to bid, not happy to pass – so what can I do but take the action that lets me blame partner if I’m wrong?”
Hampson is a doubler. “I have some values and no reason to think we can make the five level, so I will try to show something.”
Abdou, in a solo high-wire act, bids 5♥. “Tough problem. I want to show both suits, so double or 4NT are possible. But there are risks that partner, knowing nothing about the double fits around the table, could sit out a double holding something like:
♠J x x x ♥A Q x x ♦ x ♣A K x x.
Or he could bid with:
♠x x x ♥A Q x x ♦ x x ♣A K x x
and wrong-side the contract. The second example demonstrates why 5♥ is better than 5♣. If both are making, then I want to be in the higher-scoring contract. Most likely they will take the push anyway. Pass, while cowardly, may work.”
