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Bidding Problem #2, May 2005:
With Both sides Vul, you are playing with a relatively new partner and have agreed to play 2/1 and 4th suit forcing to game. 1 no trump is forcing and you are not playing Flannery. Partner opens the bidding 1 heart and the auction proceeds:
1 (Partner)-Pass(RHO)-1 (You)-Pass(LHO)
2 (Partner)-Pass(LHO)-? Your hand:
Q832
Void
 KJ109643
Q7
What call would you make now?
This months' panel (Rick Goldstein, Jeff Allen, Joan Gerard, Nancy Widman, Peter Kalat, Pat Callahan, Jason Fuhrman, Cliff Nebel, Rich Laufer, Bruce Rogoff, Sue & Dick Kraner, Carlos Munoz, Nancy Molesworth) voted as follows:
Pass: 7 votes
3: 4 votes
2: 2 votes
Allowed to take back the original 1 spade bid, only 3 panelists (Rick Goldstein, Rich Laufer and Jason Fuhrman) accepted the 1 spade bid now, presumably because their partnership agreements allowed for the jump to 3 diamonds showing a 4-6 weakish (Rick & Rich) or invitational (Jason) hand. Nancy Molesworth agrees with the jump to 3 diamonds but only if it is agreed to be weak 4-6 and not invitational. The other 10 panelists (including Nancy Molesworth) prefer to start this auction with a forcing 1 no trump, planning to bid 2 diamonds over 2 clubs and 3 diamonds over a 2 heart rebid. Joan Gerard, Nancy Widman and Bruce Rogoff are not afraid of losing the spade suit, stating that if partner has a very good hand, they will still bid 2 spades over 1 NT.
Among the forced passers, Jeff Allen and Peter Kalat think that the auction is far from over as an opponent will be tempted to balance. Jeff considered 2NT before passing, planning to bid 3 diamonds next over 3 clubs with what must be a 6 bagger+, but was afraid partner would bid 3 hearts or 3 no trump instead so elected to pass. Nancy Widman, Pat Callahan, Cliff Nebel and Sue & Dick Kraner all preferred 1 NT originally, but pass now in the given auction. The 2 diamond bidders in the forced auction, Carlos Munoz and Bruce Rogoff both would have preferred 1 NT originally, and Bruce stated an extremely strong objection to the 1 spade bid, calling it "asanine," since he feels a diamond partial would be the right spot about 75% of the time. Absent an agreement to the 3 diamond jump in the forced auction, Bruce bids 2 diamonds, planning to pass 2 hearts or 2 spades by partner (with apologies). He would convert 3 clubs to 3 diamonds and then keep rebidding diamonds until partner realizes he had a 1st round brain seizure and disgustedly passes. Bruce is afraid of a club partial as a competent defender should lead a club which would be crushing for declarer. Carlos thinks that 2 diamonds in the forced auction followed by 3 diamonds should show this hand, but given the chance to bid 1 NT originally, he would then have jumped in the auction after a 2 club continuation to 3 diamonds feeling that would better show the playing strength of this hand. The actual reported hand for the opening bidder in this auction was as follows:
954
AKQ42
7
AK109
-Ed Zuckerberg
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