DSBA 1st Quarter 2002 Bidding Contest Results!
Edited by Jess Stuart

This bidding contest received entries from Argentina, Peoples Republic of China, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and many U.S. states.

PANELIST SCORES

IMPs	-	Auction:	North	East	South	West
Vul: None	5		-	1	?
Dlr: East	QJT82
You are: S	AJT9762

A hand with a lot of offense and little defense should preempt in most situations. Do you bid the maximum number of s right away or do you show both minors? Or is there a way to preempt showing better s than s? Let's hear from the bidders first:

Paul Amer: 5. It's time to preempt and put pressure on the opponents. The extra 2-card length in s makes 5 more appealing than a 4NT bid asking partner to select a minor, especially with taps coming in this hand. Also helps get a lead in case the opponents do bid on.

Pete Filandro: 5. THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL NOTRUMP! Imagine that we have 8-card fits in each minor. Partner will select s and we will be ruffed down immediately and lose control of the hand. Rule: Hands with 7-4, 7-5, 8-4 or 8-5 distribution should be played in the long trump suit, not the best combined trump suit.

Those who prefer to show both minors choose between 2NT and 4NT.

Jeff Ruben: 4NT. I considered bidding 4, with the hope of balancing over 4 of a major with 4NT to show secondary s, since my suits are far from equal. However, I think it is better to put more pressure on the opponents and keep them from finding a fit at the 4-level. If partner doubles their 5-level bid, I will be happy to sit since I have not promised any defense. If we are doubled, partner should let me chose the suit unless he has a definite preference.

Michael Lucy: 2NT. Although my initial reaction is to bid 4NT, partner has not passed and this hand has too much offensive potential to preempt partner. My next bid will probably be 5 depending upon subsequent bidding. And should partner not correct to 5 with a singleton and two or three s?

Those who bid s below game generally intend to bid 4NT at their next bid to indicate shorter s.

Kurt Engleman: 2. I want to do something more. (6 and 4NT spring to mind.), but I think I need partner's help first. Since I have enough shape to act over 4, there is a little less urgency to preempt "all at once", although that certainly could be the winner here.

Janusz Lysko (with Richard Popper similarly); 3 followed by 4NT (if the opponents get to 4 of a major) unless partner doubles ahead of me. This should show a minor two suiter with much better s than s.

The suggested 4 bid provides almost the maximum preempt and still allows introducing s later.

IMPs	QJ732	Auction:	North	East	South	West
Vul: E-W	J4		3	Pass	?
Dlr: North	QJ54
You are: S	K9

You can tell from partner's bid and your hand that the opponents probably have a game. Do you settle for -500 with a leap to 5 which makes it hard for the opponents to get into the auction or can you get out for less?

Lois Stuart: 3NT. Opponents should have a fit. Let's sound strong and deter them.

Look at the pressure this puts on vulnerable West. While he knows 3NT may be a tactical bid, if you are bidding it to make he will have his head handed to him if he comes in with a double or 4. West may pass thinking he could have enough to beat 3NT but not think his chances are good enough to double and risk -550. If West does come in you can bid 5 later. This lets E-W better judge whether to double or bid 5 or 6 but the risk/reward ratio is good for the 3NT tactical bid.

Beth Maloney-Refaie: 3. Maybe I've been kibitzing Zia too much but I'm bidding 3H on this hand. They most likely have a game and why not make it a little more difficult for them to reach it. I'm competing to 5 anyway aren't I? If they don't double me in 3 or bid, so be it. If they do double me I'm bidding 3. I can always go to s later.

The panelists' choice was a straightforward 5.

Rick Rowland (with Richard Popper, Jeff Ruben and Dave Smith): 5. Let them find their fit at the 5-level. I'm not sure what the problem is???

A pass or 4 just invites West to bid.

Matchpoints	KJ965	Auction:	North	East	South	West
Vul: Both	K98					1NT
Dlr: West	Q4		Double1	Pass	22	Double
You are: S	A72		2	3	?

¹Single suited hand, any suit
²Forced, allows parter to bid his suit

Let's start off with another of Filandro's rules. I like them, don't you?

Pete Filandro: 3. Seems routine. If you believe Mike Lawrence, "When everyone at the table is bidding their heads off, everyone at the table is minimum for their bids" (and distributional). Thus, LHO has only 15 HCP, RHO has only 4 HCP. We have 13 HCP. Ergo, partner has only 8 HCP. Since he is vulnerable, he must have a "pure" 8, like AKJxxx(x). We do not have 9 tricks at NT or 11 at s.

Rick Rowland (with Dave Smith): 3. Sounds like the opponents have found their 9-card fit. I have the world's fair, but not necessarily the hand that will beat 3 doubled. Give partner a stiff , a bunch of s and another card and 3 doubled is touch and go.If it were late in the session and I needed a top I'd swing the axe, but here I'm going for a plus score.

There is a case to be made that the best way to get a positive score is to defend.

Richard Popper (with Kurt Engleman): Pass. This is a hard hand to judge, but my guess is that we both have 8-card fits and I should let the opponents play this hand at the 3 level.

Then there are those who want a bigger plus than 110 and are willing to risk going down at 4 to find a fit:

Richard Pavlicek: 3. Since I didn't bid 2 over the double, this must show a promising hand with 5s and a fit. A game is likely with partner marked for shortness, e.g. Qxx xxx AKxxxx x. I don't like the 2 bid; I would pass the double.

Jeff Ruben: 3. Why can't partner have something like Qxx xxx AKJxxx x for his overcall? He should have at least this good a hand vulnerable. Four should roll since East can't get in to lead a through. If partner can't support s, I will pass 4.

Matchpoints	AJ86	Auction:	North	East	South	West
Vul: None	KT		Pass	1	Double	Pass
Dlr: North	J		1NT	2	?
You are: S	AKQT95

Action	Score	Votes(Panel)	Votes(Solvers)
2	100	2	1
3	80	2	13
3NT	60	1	5
2NT	50	0	1
3	40	1	12
4	30	0	1
5	20	0	3
Double	10	0	1

The winning bid here will show a good hand inviting game and letting partner know you need help in s if NT is to make. Does a 2 or a 3 cuebid convey that message best?

Richard Pavlicek (with Jeff Ruben and Pete Filandro): 3. After a 1NT response and opener's competition, 3 does not show the normal double-and-bid hand, so I have to do something stronger with game so likely. Partner should read this as being concerned about s. (I know he has s stopped.)

Greg Burch (with Dave Smith and Richard Popper): 2. A good problem...... as far as which cuebid to make (2 or 3), I don't think the rule "when they bid two suits, cue the one you have" applies in an auction like this. I like 2 because a) it is the cheapest bid around and bidding something cheap when you are in doubt is usually a good idea, b) I may even get to bid 3 later if I start with 2 and c) if partner thinks I am trying for 3NT and showing a control instead of a control he would not be far off.

Does partner really have to have s fully stopped? Couldn't he bid 1NT with T9xx and an otherwise square hand, or maybe Jxxx? It seems like a 2 cuebid can't be mistaken. It is showing a card and asking help in s. A 3d cuebid has some ambiguity.

There are those who opt for a raise to 2NT or a jump to 3NT trusting the s to be stopped, split 4-4, block or not be attractive enough to lead.

Rick Rowland: 3NT. I toyed with 2H, but that only gives West a chance to raise s and for sure get that lead. Since partner has some values, he's likely to have some help. Alternatively, they may have only 4 winners. Alternatively, they may lead a . Alternatively, partner's values may be the A and K and we may have an almost cold slam.

Matchpoints	86	Auction:	North	East	South	West
Vul: Both	J8532		-	-	-	Pass
Dlr: West	A8		1	2	Pass	Pass
You are: S	QT65		Double	Pass	?

Jeff Ruben (with Richard Popper and Rick Rowland): Pass. In IMPs I would probably retreat to 2, but in matchpoints we have to go for the +200. If partner has enough for us to make a game-which we may or may not find- then I think we can expect 500 or 800. If I go minus 670, it won't be the first time.

Beth Maloney-Refaie (with Pete Filandro and Dave Smith): 2. I am going to 2 anyways regardless of whether East bids or not. (1-1NT-2?-2). My hand is not that great for defense so let's be where we should be.

Yes, but the actual auction reveals a few things that make declaring less attractive than in the unimpeded forcing NT auction, like:

• you now have a choice to defend where without the overcall you didn't
• are likely to split badly
• partner doesn't fit your s, RHO does, and
your J is worth more on defense against s than on offense