DSBA Bidding Contest Results!
Edited by Jess Stuart

MPs	AKT843	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Both	KJ9753		-	1	Pass	1
Dlr: North	-		Pass	2	Pass	2*
You are: S	K		Pass	2 NT	Pass	3
			Pass	3	Pass	?

The majority of the panel chose Exclusion Blackwood, a jump in a suit that cannot be trumps. It asks partner to name key cards in steps ignoring the Ace of the bid suit, which is excluded. It is usually used when the bidder holds a void in the excluded suit.

Jeff Ruben: 5 . I hope we have Exclusion Blackwood available, because it was invented for this situation. Partner, showing a Heart stopper and a Spade preference, must be 2-2-5-4 (or 2-2-4-5), with the Ace of Hearts. All we need now are the Ace of Clubs and one of the major suit Queens to make 7. I will find out about the Ace of Clubs and the Queen of Spades and then make my best guess.

Greg Burch: 5 . Exclusion RKC for Spades. If I had Diamonds, I would have bid 3 Diamonds over 2 NT.

Rick Rowland: 4 . Partner has a doubleton Spade and a doubleton Heart. I'll try one cuebid. If I get a 4 Heart bid, I'm jumping to 6 Spades and letting the opponents figure out what to lead.

Jeff Goldsmith: 4 . Natural slam try. Partner rates to be 2-2-5-4 with 12-14 HCP. Are they Qx Ax QJxxx Axxx or are they xx xx AKJxx QJxx? He'll know that Aces are good and anything else is drek, so I'll let him decide.

Four Clubs should show first round control in Clubs and risks getting too high with the wrong Aces.

Four No trump should probably be natural and invitational, but even if it is interpreted as RKC for Spades, it doesn't help find out which Aces partner has.

IMPs	K9	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: Both	KT53		-	Pass	1 NT*	Pass
Dlr: North	A7		2**	2	3	?
You are: S	K9632

^*15-17
^**Transfer to Hearts

Action	Score	Votes(Panel)	Votes(Solvers)
4	100	2	1
Double	90	2	10
3	80	-	4
Pass	70	-	7

The key to this hand is why partner did not preempt in Spades at his first opportunity when he had enough playing strength to bid 2 Spades vulnerable with a strong No Trump behind him.

Rick Rowland: 4 . West must have close to a Yarborough. Partner came in vulnerably in an auction where West might have had all of my values, yet he/she didn't open 3 Spades in first seat. I'm bidding game on the theory that it must be partner's odd distribution that prevented the first seat preempt.

Jeff Ruben: 4 . Partner did not open a weak 2 for some reason.( The Heart void? A 2-suited hand? Too many Spades?) so I do not think we'll be running 6 Spade tricks in NT, and I have only one Heart stopper if West has J98xx or the like. I do not have a sure set of 3 Hearts, particularly if West is 2-suited. Whatever partner has, he did come into a live auction vulnerable, and all of my good stuff behind the NT bidder should help him make game.

Andy Kaufman (with Dave Treadwell and Greg Burch similarly): Double. Although game is possible our way, it is unlikely opposite a passed partner. You can expect to set 3 Hearts at least one trick vulnerable for a nice +200 or +500. Partner has some decent values to come in vulnerable in this auction. If partner happens to have shaded values with a highly distributional hand, he may opt to pull to 3 Spades to avoid a possible doubled partscore to make. A double while a bit aggressive but warranted with this hand, would be totally clear at Matchpoints.

Some weren't confident about beating 3 Hearts or making 4 Spades and competed by raising Spades.

Lois Stuart (with Bucky Sydnor and Leon Tomaszewski, similarly): 3 S. Partner passes and then comes in at the 2-level vulnerable. I have good cards for him, but not enough to double 3 Hearts. I'll double any future contract. They rate to make 3 Hearts.

A Pass didn't score well because even if 3 Hearts goes down 100 points it will be less than 3 Spades making 140 or 170.

IMPs	A7	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: N-S	-		-	-	Pass	1
Dlr: East	AJT9532		4	4	Pass	?
You are: S	KT87

Dave Treadwell: 5 . Cuebid. I'm going to risk getting to 6 Spades regardless.

Bucky Sydnor: 5 . I expect to hear partner bid 5 Spades (off the Ace of Spades and Ace of Diamonds) over which I will bid 6 Diamonds. Hopefully, trump has been set as Spades and partner will know that KQxxxx xx Kx Axxx is all she needs to put us in 7 Spades.

Chris Marlow: Pass. This auction and my hand suggest distributional hands and bad splits around the table. Partner could easily be stretching, so I would prefer not to push.

Five Spades should ask about second round Heart control, which partner probably doesn't have and doesn't need to make a slam, so that bid scores lower than just stabbing at slam with 6 Spades or passing. It risks a level higher without chance of reward.

MPs	976	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: None	Q7		-	-	1	Pass
Dlr: East	AQT8		1	Pass	1 NT	Pass
You are: S	QJ43		Pass	Double	2	?

Action	Score	Votes(Panel)	Votes(Solvers)
Pass	100	2	6
Double	90	1	4
3	80	1	10
2NT	70	-	1
2	60	-	1

Rick Rowland: Pass. Could be right to double. At matchpoints, 3 Diamonds doesn't figure to be right. If it is, double probably works. I was going to pass 1 NT doubled, but all of a sudden my QJ of Clubs doesn't seem so wonderful.

Jeff Ruben: Pass. Are the opponents in a 4-3 fit? It is certainly possible that partner is 4-4-4-1. I know that -110 is likely to be a bad result, but partner is bidding my cards and 2 Hearts and 3 Diamonds may both be going down.

Andy Kaufman: Double. Partner has some decent values, but not both unbid suits. He may have as many as 4 Hearts in this auction, and may very well not have a 4-card Spade suit. This is the toughest hand of the set! I think a double here should be cooperative showing good values, i.e. 9-12 HCPs but tending to deny a 4-card Spade suit or else you would bid it here. This is most flexible in case partner wants to defend 2 Hearts doubled. (if holding four pieces) or pull to his 4-card suit with the knowledge that I don't have 4 Spades.

Greg Burch: 3 . Some people play this double as penalty/lead a Heart against 1 NT doubled and others play it as a balancing takeout. BWS is murky on the subject. It says that "if a player who has passed over the opening bid next doubles a 1 NT rebid... that is for penalty." That is not quite the situation we have here and there is no description of this auction in BWS so I guess the opponent's 2 Heart bid suggests partner has the balanced takeout. Hence 3 Diamonds. If I knew for sure that pard's double were penalty of 1 NT, then double would be my choice.

IMPs	Q64	Auction:	West	North	East	South
Vul: none	QT3		-	1	Pass	1
Dlr: North	KQJT64		Pass	2	Pass	3
You are: S	7		Pass	3	Pass	?

Margaret Shellenberger: 3 NT. I can't support his suits. Hopefully, he has one Diamond and can get to my hand to run the Diamonds after setting them up.

Rick Rowland: 3 NT. I assume partner is 4-4-0-5. I think this is the last warning I can give.

Since partner's jump shift is forcing to game, the 4 Diamond bid is flexible leaving open chances to play 5 Diamonds or in a 4-3 major. Thus it scores higher than just choosing one or the other.

Jeff Ruben (with Chris Marlow similarly): 4 H. I like the chances in 4 H better than in 3 NT, with my potential Club ruff entries to the Diamonds.