What’s your call?
| 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 |
Many panelists suck it up and pass. Ooh, scary. But then it’s matchpoints, and one bad board is just one bad board. “Darn it!” the director cries. “Should have made it IMPs.”
Karen Walker, the official scorer, was shocked at the number of passes. “I can’t believe anyone on the panel thinks partner’s pass shows a desire to defend, but I’ve been surprised before. If they’re just gambling/hoping for plus 200, my inclination would be to wait for 3♣ and turn it into 300.”
Lawrence passes. “Someone will get a top. I think my partner should bid a major if he has one. So where is our home? I’ve seen players abuse this redouble. Sometimes they turn out to have trash along with that club honor. I expect to be the one getting the top more than half of the time. Favorable odds.”
Pass by Cohen. “I don’t like such top/ bottom actions, but anything I take out to is likely to be a poor score anyway, though admittedly not as poor as minus 760.”
Boehm explains his pass: “If partner has a minimum 3=3=5=2, beating 2♣ may be touch and go. Presumably partner denied a four-card major or six diamonds. I’m happy to lead a diamond.”
The Sutherlins sound the most confident about passing. “If partner had a four-card major or six diamonds, he would not have passed the redouble. So he is 3=3=5=2. I expect to go plus 600. I will lead a club.”
Korbel passes: “In my partnerships, passing any redoubles of 1NT or higher are a suggestion to play, but that’s obviously not our agreement here. Partner could have bid a major and didn’t. He could have run to 2♦ , but he didn’t. Believe it or not, I think partner should be 3=3=4=3. Because I have nowhere to go, I will go nowhere and hope (expect?) to beat this.”
Sanborn blinks first. 2♥. “What an ugly choice. If lefty truly has a raise, I can’t see passing for penalty. Partner’s most likely shape is 3=3=5=2, so let’s get a ruff in the short hand. The opponents don’t know that we are in a poor contract. Maybe they will bid again.”
“Something doesn’t add up,” says Hampson as he slides the 2♥ call onto the table. “Partner has no four-card major and he doesn’t have six diamonds. So maybe he’s 3=3=5=2? That leaves the opponents with many clubs. I will scramble to a partial that is not so easy to double into game.”
Robinson is on the run, too. “2♥. I don’t want to defend 2♣ redoubled, so I’ll make the cheapest bid.”
Weinstein, 2♥: “Sounds like partner is 3=3=5=2. I’m OK duking it out in the Moysian [4–3 ] fit. If you gave me the ♣10, I would probably shoot for the magic plus 400 on defense.”
Lee goes into survival mode: “2♥. I don’t think they’re going down and I don’t want to bid a low doubleton diamond, so I’ll just hope we survive the auction.”
2♥ by Rigal. “If he has only two hearts, partner might work out what to do – it has happened before, though I’m not sure I remember when.”
Falk slips out of the noose with 2♦ . “2NT is way too much. The problem is that partner might just be 3=3=4=3, but I have no way to tell, and I’m not grabbing a four-card major just yet. If re-redouble were allowed, I’d do that. But it’s not, and I am not planning to defend 2♣ redoubled with this pile of trash.”
Stack bids 2♦ . “I’m hoping the opponents push on to 3♣. The decision then will be whether to double.”
Abdou says his 2NT is “natural and invitational. I can’t have great clubs, or I would pass the redouble, so I’m completing the picture.”
After squirming and hemming and hawing, Meyers bids 2NT. “I hate this problem. I am tempted to pass because partner could have three clubs and it is matchpoints after all. If partner had five good diamonds, I think he would have bid them, and partner certainly does not have a four-card major. I feel a bit stuck.”
