What’s your call?
| 1NT | ||||
| 2♣ | 2♦ | 2♥ | 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 |
Weinstein reopens with a double. “After disappointing partner on the last hand, I will try to make him happy on this one.”
“Is there any reason not to double?” asks Stack. “We will pass anything that partner bids. Although this hand is a minimum, it will produce plenty of tricks on defense if partner decides to pass.”
Double by Korbel. “Let’s try to make partner’s dreams come true.”
Meckstroth says he’s happy if partner leaves the double in.
Hampson says he likes to reopen for partner with a pure hand and shortness. “This is marginal, but if partner is trying to get a penalty, I like helping out.”
Meyers doubles. “I’m not rebidding this club suit, and I have no reason to pass.”
Colchamiro elaborates on his double. “At first I thought I couldn’t afford to reopen with a double because of the feared 2♦ response. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if partner did respond 2♦ , he would almost always have five. With only four diamonds, he would bid 2♣ or 2♥ or 1NT.”
Double by Sanborn. “I am surely not afraid to reopen this hand with double. It is a better bid to me than rebidding clubs, which in my mind should show better clubs and a shorter suit somewhere.”
The Sutherlins call 2♣ “our most descriptive bid. Double will work only when partner has a solid penalty pass. If he doesn’t, we might end up in a six- or seven-card fit in diamonds or hearts.”
Boehm is a club rebidder. “Double leaves me unprepared for diamonds. Passing, with full defensive values, seems wimpy, although they might back into a making game. Still, we may be able to compete effectively in clubs. Conceding 4- to 6-IMP partials is no way to win.”
Robinson agrees. “You don’t get rich selling out to one-level contracts, and I wouldn’t be happy if partner bid a red suit.”
Cohen also bids 2♣. “In case our partner is trapping, we can get our 400 in 3NT. I don’t want to double for him and then have to endure his two-of-ared- suit bid.”
There are two passers. One is Lee. “I have a balanced minimum, and I’m not going to double or bid 2♣.”
The other – surprise! – is Rigal. “Yes, partner could have a penalty pass of 1♠, in which case we rate to lose a sizeable swing, unless they can run to a red suit. But at the table, my RHO’s and LHO’s tempo might tell me how to continue. I cannot use my partner’s tempo, but I can use my opponents’ tempo – at my own risk.”
