DSBA Bidding Contest Results!
Edited by Jess Stuart

There were five perfect scores on this set of hands: panelists Pete Filandro, Rick Rowland and Jeff Ruben plus solvers Bill Erwin and Manuel Paulo. The top-scoring DSBA members, David Blizzard and Greg Burch, with an almost perfect 490 earned spots as guest panelists for the IQ 2004 bidding contest.

PANELIST SCORES

Matchpoints	83	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Both	AKQT82		-	1	Pass	1
Dlr: North	4		Pass	2	Pass	?
You are: S	K974

This hand illustrates the more sophisticated tools available to today's bidders that our predecessors didn't have. When the hand was in a 1976 Bridge World bidding contest, fourth suit forcing had not come into use. The experts had heated discussions over which bid was most descriptive and there really wasn't a good answer. A corollary of having an artificial bid like fourth suit played as forcing is that any other natural bid is non-forcing.

Dave Treadwell: 2 . The right strain may be Hearts or Clubs, or even NT, and the right level may be anywhere from 4 to 7. I need more information about partner's hand so a fourth suit forcing bid of 2 Spades will start this process going. The real problem will arise later.

Ivar Stakgold: 3 . Should be forcing facing a hand that has shown either more than a minimum in high cards or some distribution. Perhaps 2 Spades is more along Bridge World Standard, but I find it too undescriptive - merely postponing the problem.

Matchpoints	AK	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: None	KJT		Pass	Pass	Pass	1NT
Dlr: West	Q742		Pass	2	Pass	2
You are: S	KJ63		Double	Pass	Pass	?

The key to this hand is what partner would do over the double of 2 Diamonds if his Stayman bid were based on 4-4 (or even 4-3) in the majors and no points. The panelists have different opinions about partner's responsibilities which lead them to different actions.

Pete Filandro (with Richard Popper similarly): Redouble. Partner's responsibilities after the double are; bid or jump bid a major with five in the major, bid 3 Clubs with six Clubs, redouble with eight or more HCP and four Diamonds, pass with all other hands. After my redouble showing four or more Diamonds, partner passes with three Diamonds, bids the appropriate number of no-trump with one or two Diamonds, and pulls to 2 Hearts with a Yarb. and short Clubs when he originally planned to pass my response to Stayman. You must be alert to this possibility and be ready to pass 2 Hearts, even with the maximum 17 HCPs! Prediction: 2 Diamonds redoubled is game and more likely to make opposite three Diamonds and a balanced eight or nine HCPs than the 50-50 game we are about to bid.

Greg Burch (with Dave Treadwell similarly): Pass. Pard's 2 Clubs can clearly be "junk Stayman" according to BWS. If he has both majors weak, he would have bid 2 Hearts over the double... so instead, he has a three-suited hand with short clubs. If my partner were running from 1 NT with 4-4-3-2 I really hope he would bid 2 Hearts over the double and treat the hand like he has both majors (because he knows I am going to pass if he does!!). If so, we have a Diamond fit; why should I move? Of course the only other option would be to believe the opponents instead of pard and run to 2 Hearts (and hope that pard isn't 4-3-5-1). Even still, if 2 Diamonds doubled is going down WITH a fit, 2 Hearts doubled WITHOUT a fit probably isn't going to be better.

So there is the dilemma. If partner would have bid 2 Hearts over the double with garbage Stayman, since he didn't the Redouble gets you a top one way or another. If partner would not have bid 2 Hearts over the double with a weak hand, the Redouble turns a likely good score into a very bad one.

Ivar Stakgold: 3 NT. Partner's failure to Redouble or bid a suit shows a doubleton Diamond. we could still be able to make 2 Diamonds Redoubled, but I think it is safer to bid NT. The question remains whether I should bid 2 or 3 NT. With my max, I will gamble that partner has a few cards and bid 3 NT.

Some panelists wondered what kind of hand their LHO could have to pass 1 NT, then double 2 Diamonds. Unless LHO is crazy, he must have something like AKJTx(x) of Diamonds and an outside Ace. While most would bid with that holding, perhaps he thought he could beat 3 NT if you arrive in that spot and passed, then decided he could beat 2 Diamonds. If that is his holding, would you rather be playing 2 Diamonds doubled, 2 Diamonds Redoubled, 2 Hearts or 3 NT? I'm not sure you will know until the dust settles.

IMPs	AJT6	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Neither	JT		1	Pass	Pass	?
Dlr: West	-
You are: S	AQJT643

Rick Rowland: 3 . Don't like doubling with a void and a doubleton Heart. Over a 3 Diamond rebid, I am well positioned to bid out my pattern with 3 Spades. Yes, I might miss a Spade fit, but that is what makes this a great problem hand.

Jeff Ruben: 3 . Close between 3 Clubs and double. I will show my long suit and a good hand., and hope to have the opportunity to show Spades later. I am afraid that if I double I will not get the chance to show both suits.

Richard Popper: 3 . We might belong in Spades, but partner could not overcall 1 Diamond, so does not rate to have much unless he has a trap pass, in which case I will hear 3 NT and can proceed with 4 Spades to try to show this hand. Clubs should be the safest strain on what is most likely a part score hand.

Tom Ciconte: Double. Double with the intention of bidding again to show strength. A jump directly to 3 Clubs (in the fourth seat) also shows strength but starting there makes it more difficult for you to find a possible Spade fit.

IMPs	A82	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Both	AKQJ5		3	Pass	Pass	?
Dlr: West	A93
You are: S	Q3

Dave Treadwell: 3 NT. Seems clear-cut. Partner surely has a few high cards and I have 7 plus tricks in my own hand, so I am a big favorite to make this contract. Making a takeout double could lead to problems and bidding 4 Hearts may put us at a level where ten tricks simply are not available.

Tom Ciconte: 4 . When bidding over an opposing 3-level preempt, I assume partner has six or seven points. Based thereon, I can safely bid 4 Hearts with this hand. If partner has more than that, she can still advance the bidding.

Janusz Lysko: Double. It could be that 3 NT is best, but I need a lot of help from partner to make nine tricks in NT. If she has this help, 4 Hearts is also likely to make.

Matchpoints	65	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Both	53		-	1	2	Pass
Dlr: North	KQ76		Pass	Double	Pass	?
You are: S	T7643

This was the toughest hand of the set based on the differences of opinion of the panel.

Jeff Ruben (with Rick Rowland similarly): 3 . If I had a fifth Diamond or a better hand, I might consider leaving in the double, but KQxx is not enough. I could bid 2 Hearts, but my hand could be worthless opposite Diamond shortness. Partner should have at least three Clubs on this bidding. (Well, maybe not if he has 4-5-2-2 and was going to reverse. If that is the hand partner holds you would be better off passing the double.)

Tom Ciconte (with Ivar Stakgold similarly): 2 . Partner wants me to bid. I have nothing else to say but 2 Hearts. Leaving the double in is a stretch.

Dave Treadwell (with Richard Popper similarly): Pass. Pass and hope we set them seems right. I do have at least two trump tricks and hope partner can help us take four tricks elsewhere.