What’s your call?
| 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 |
The promise of a misfit has most of the panelists slamming on the brakes.
“Pass,” urges Boehm. “Enough! Partner rates to be mostly clubs. Opposite: ♠Q x x ♥K x ♦x x x ♣A Q x x x, we may already be too high.”
Lawrence’s assessment of the hand across the table: “Partner has a maximum of three spades, a maximum of two hearts and a maximum of four diamonds. He has four clubs and very likely has more. Anyway, what am I to do if not pass?”
Donn waves the green card, too. “Partner clearly has club strength, so I don’t see this as a time to stretch.”
Hampson: “I am borderline on strength to play 3NT and partner is not going to have a fit for spades, hearts or diamonds. So I will treat this as a misfit and play the partscore.”
Pass by Lee. “This is really likely a misfit, so let’s just try to grab a plus score while we can.”
Cohen: “Pass. I have three tricks and don’t think my partner can produce six. I don’t feel good about this hand/ misfit.”
Pass by Henneberger. “Normally I wouldn’t second-guess trying for game, red at IMPs. Here, I am without a trick source, and the warning signs are enough to have me go conservative before anything bad happens.”
Weinstein passes, and surprisingly passes on the Flannery sermon. “I have a minimum and no fit. Seems prudent to decline.” [Flannery – opening 2♦ to show a hand with five hearts, four spades and typically 11–15 high-card points – just happens to describe this hand to a T. Where the auction goes after that is more or less up to partner.]
Pass by Shi. “I have nowhere to go. I hope we can take eight tricks. Partner can be light here and usually has a club suit (they didn’t bid spades or raise hearts or diamonds), so it will be hard for me to improve the contract.”
Sanborn passes. “There is no good solution.”
So does Meyers. “I don’t know what the other choice would be.”
Korbel trots out his third suit. “3♠. Partner will know my approximate shape and we will at least avoid a very silly 3NT (perhaps to play in a very silly 4♥ or 5♦?).”
3♠ by Rigal, “bidding out my pattern in an attempt to find a better spot than notrump; and if partner is 3–2–3–5… well, I’m sorry if he can’t take a joke.”
Robinson, 3♠: “Might as well tell partner what my hand looks like.”
Nor does Meckstroth give up. “3♠. At teams, I will hope we can make a game. 3♠ should get us to the best game!”
