2026 Retro Edition – May Week 3

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 Redbl
Click to reveal awards

Panelists
August Boehm, Larry Cohen, Mel Colchamiro, Allan Falk, Geoff Hampson, Daniel Korbel, Mike Lawrence, Roger Lee, Jeff Meckstroth, Jill Meyers, Barry Rigal, Steve Robinson, Kerri Sanborn, Don Stack, The Sutherlins
Notrump stoppers

Robinson on behalf of 2NT: “With double stoppers in both unbid suits, I’ll try for 3NT.”

2NT by Lawrence. “Nothing special here.”

The Sutherlins suggest game with 2NT. “Our most likely game is 3NT. Because we need partner to have extras to make 3NT, we’re just inviting.”

The well-placed king-queen combinations convince Meyers to invite with 2NT.

Hampson says he’s using 2NT to invite and preempt at the same time.

Lee elects to redouble: “3♣ is more preemptive than our hand actually is, and because my hand is extremely notrump-oriented, 2♠ steers us in the wrong direction. So I’ll show some values and see what happens. I’m planning to bid notrump at my next opportunity.”

Colchamiro: “Redouble. We have clubs. We have a maximum with great defense versus spades or diamonds. We have a blue card.”

Falk, redouble: “I think this double is for takeout, but I don’t care. I am willing to play 2♣ redoubled. If LHO takes out to 2 , I can bid 2. I reject 2NT: I have no source of tricks, just a couple of stoppers. I’ll tell partner I have some extra high cards and clubs and see if he can make an intelligent final decision.”

Rigal bids 2♠ to show a club raise with high cards. “It’s too much effort to try to penalize them here, so let’s raise our best suit and hope we don’t run into a 5–0 break!”

Cohen makes the “impossible spade” bid also. “2♠ shows a good raise to 3♣ (better than just bidding 3♣).”

Korbel bids 3♣. “I don’t think this hand is worth a 2♠ ‘max’ club raise. I could be convinced otherwise.”

For the second hand in a row, Stack is exercising his listening skills. “Pass. Probably the next round, we can advance with 2NT or a raise to 3♣.”


The Zoom Room is available Tuesday through Thursday, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm (Eastern).

Getting help is easier than ever with the ACBL Zoom Chat service.
Simply click the "Join Zoom Chat" button below to be taken to our dedicated zoom room.
Once there, click the "Launch Meeting" button to start your session. To hear us and vice-versa - don't forget to "Join with computer audio."

If the Zoom Room isn't available and you need answers, you can email us at membership@acbl.org.

Join Zoom Chat