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Bidding Problem #14, September 07: Our bidding feature returns after a one year absence and in this months' problem we asked our expanded panel whether this was the time to go conservative or be aggressive? As always, assume Westchester Standard (2/1 with all the usual gadgets).
Matchpoints, everyone vulnerable
In third seat, after 2 passes, you pick up:
 AKQ832
 9x
 KQ
 AJx
You open 1 spade and LHO overcalls 2 hearts. It now goes pass-pass back to you.
Your call? Voting:
Double: 10 votes
3: 4 votes
2: 3 votes
3: 3 votes
4: 1 vote
While "Double" was the most popular action among our panelists with 10 votes, it failed to achieve a majority response from our 21 panelists. When I played this hand at a local club, I was surprised to see that 4/7 pairs in a 7 table game were +110, the other 3 were -100. I thought 2 spades was an extremely conservative action and thus, posed the problem.
Bruce Rogoff led the army of doublers and said he couldn't imagine any other call here. He thinks that if partner leaves the double in it will be a massacre as he has great cards in his suit, good honors in the minors and easy leads through declarer. Bruce also makes a great point here that if partner pulls the double to 2NT we should not play that as natural since with no suit and heart stoppers partner should leave the double in, therefore he suggests 2NT should ask us to pick a minor. After 2NT or 3 of a minor, Bruce feels 3 would now show this hand. Cliff Nebel also votes for double (after some anguish, though, as he was considering 2, and also mentions playing some variant of lebensohl here. Cliff will sit for 2 or 3NT by partner, but will bid 3 if pard bids 3 of a minor. Cliff feels that if you are going to play negative doubles you are almost obligated to double here. Also in the "double" camp, Carlos Munoz adds that he will raise 2NT to 3NT and 2 to 3 as well as bid 3 over 3 of a minor. Also doubling are Jeff Allen, Robin Brown, Joan Gerard, Dave Huber, Gene Fisher, Mark Rosen and Nancy Widman (Thanks, Nancy, for your past support and best wishes in Connecticut!). Jeff mentions that a pitfall in bidding 3 here, is that it might get us to 3NT when 4 is a better game. Joan Gerard can't imagine any other call and Robin Brown is not holding out high hopes for a spade game if partner couldn't move over 2 so she is also catering to the penalty pass.
The 3 bidders are led by Rick Goldstein and Laura Brill. They opine that this hand doesn't feel right for a reopening double. Henry Deutsch thinks it's the easiest route for partner to know what to do with 2 tricks in his hand (as little as 2 card support and KQ of makes 4 virtually cold). Pat Callahan also joins the 3 bidders.
Also in the aggressive camp, Jason Fuhrman leads the 3 bidders. Jason thinks this is the best route to 3NT, which should have great chances when partner has 2 little , Qxx of and either the A or the K. He is afraid that if he doubles first and partner makes the likely response of 3 of a minor, then his 3 cue may look like support for partners' minor. Jason also likes the agreement that an initial cue of 3 here is a cue-bid in support of yourself, sets as trump and asks partner to bid game with anything useful. Janet Michel (miss you at the table Jan!) likes 3 as showing a stronger action than double and is afraid that if left in, she might be doubling them into game. Peter Kalat also joins the 3 bidders.
Marshall Frank debated between double and 4 and decided that it will be very hard to evaluate whether partners' expected 5-6 hcp will be useful in the auction and he decided to go for broke and just bid the game.
In the conservative camp (no offense intended, you guys had the last laugh on this hand), Mike McNamara laments the bidding style imposed and cites that his strong club opening avoids this problem. He also says he would be more aggressive if his partner were not a passed hand. Mike is also concerned that since RHO did not raise the implication of a misfit, with the preponderance of high cards behind him, led to his conservative 2 bid. Mike has sympathy for the call of double but is afraid that even if 2 tricks are cashing and partner has a trump trick, 2 might still make. Mike also adds that an aggressive opening style and aggressive raises with trump support make it easier to make a conservative call on hands like these. Nancy Molesworth also takes the low road, acknowledging that she might miss a game here and adding that double is her second choice. She is not sure she is good enough to act over a 3 response so opts for 2. Dana Rossi (welcome to the panel!) also opts for the conservative 2, also considering 3 and double. She hopes to get another chance in the auction to show more strength.
Thanks all for participating in this months' panel. We hope you'll join us again next month and tell all your bridge friends about our website and the monthly bidding feature. -Ed Z. |
