| 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT | ||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Double |
What’s your call?
Discussion
For yesterday’s It’s Your Call deal (from Feb. 2009’s Bridge Bulletin), Pass was named top bid.
Partner has made a takeout double. Should you take it out? Partner has shown a very strong hand, so why not take a plus score? Those are two good questions, and the panel was closely divided.
“Pass,” said August Boehm, “although I know I may regret it.”
Grant Baze agreed. “There is some hope for a plus (by bidding) and it’s better than a large minus.”
“I have no defense, but no offense either,” said Karen Walker. “Unless East has a death wish, partner has at most two spades, so he is a heavy favorite to hold a big balanced hand.”
Mike Lawrence passed and thought along the same lines as Walker. “This is an amazing auction,” he said. “North may have only two spades, in which case he should have extra values for his double.”
“I pass,” said Jill Meyers. “Where am I going?”
“Pass,” echoed Kitty and Steve Cooper. “We hope to beat it. It’s easier to take four tricks than 10 or 11.”
“Aargh!,” exclaimed Barry Rigal. “Anything I do could be spectacularly wrong. Partner rates to be three-suited and strong, but I have negative defense. I’ll pass, but you could sell me on the idea that this could be my most stupid call of the year.”
Janet and Mel Colchamiro agreed and said, “Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide.”
“Pass,” said Richard Freeman. “We should be better off defending, but there are hands where we would be better off in 5♣.”
Others were afraid to pass. Why?
“Call 911!” exclaimed Allan Falk. “It’s tempting to pass, but far too dangerous — minus 710 looms.”
“Partner made a takeout double,” said Lynn Deas, “so I’m going to do as he asked. Maybe partner has:
♠A J ♥K Q J 5 3 ♦3 ♣A K Q 6 5.”
“I feel like such a wimp (by bidding 5♣),” said Larry Cohen, “but I don’t like minus 710. To pass, I need partner to have four tricks. Even if he has four aces, the ♠A is probably getting ruffed. There are hands partner could have where we make 5♣.”
“We have no defensive tricks,” said Peggy and John Sutherlin, “so we bid our longest suit (clubs).”
Kerri Sanborn agreed with 5♣. “We might be able to set them,” she said, “but it is likely that we have a cheap save or perhaps a make in 5♣. When I think about partner’s shape, I see that he will often have six clubs.”
“I’m bidding 5♣,” said Betty Ann Kennedy, “but I’m probably going for a minus either way I go.”
Jeff Meckstroth was the only 4♥ bidder. “A very tough problem,” he said. “I don’t want to pass without some defense.”
This comment from the scorers, Kitty and Steve Cooper: “We like Pass better than bidding,” they said, “but nine people disagree, so we promoted 5♣ in the scoring.”
You have no attractive call, and the panel is divided. Kennedy is probably right — you’re going for a minus score either way you go.
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