Home -> Gee Chronicles -> Hand Archive

About Archives Baseball Contact CVS DO IT! Gee Chronicles Hall of Reciprocity Pledge of Quality Webmaster What Time Is It? THE GEE CHRONICLES Main Ask Dr. Robert Honor Roll News Stats Table Talk Who's the Captain? WWGD BRIDGE Aces on Bridge Archives ACBL Thomas Andrews Bridge Forum Archives Bridge Matters Bridge Plus Bridge World Fifth Chair Gee Chronicles Jeff Goldsmith Archives Great Bridge Links House of Cards IMP Bridge Internet Bridge Archive Karen's Bridge Links Kibitzer OKBridge Richard Pavlicek Archive Swan Games WBF

I Am the Walrus Today, a special bonus round of WWGD, in two parts, and everyone can play! First, your partner opens a 15-17 point notrump at IMPs vulnerable against not, and you hold the following: K9 J32 83 AKQJ95 WWGD? A. Bid 4C Gerber, postponing his decision until after his partner shows aces. B. Make a quantitative raise to 4NT, asking partner to bid slam with a maximum hand. C. Bid Stayman, planning to rebid 3C over any response, showing a slam-invitational hand and clubs. D. Raise to 3NT and take the sure profit. The answer, for you neophytes, is of course D. As the responder you are captain. The opener, crew, has already shown his hand, and it is up to you to place the contract. You have 13 points, partner has 17 at most, how can slam be a high-percentage proposition? Here's the full deal: N/S Vul IMPs Dealer: North gritbiz Q 6 A Q 4 A K Q 5 4 10 6 4 Lead:4 fraser A J 7 10 7 6 5 J 7 6 8 7 2 misu 10 8 5 4 3 2 K 9 8 10 9 2 3   Gerard K 9 J 3 2 8 3 A K Q J 9 5 Result: Made 6 Score: 690 Points: -4.92 West (fraser) Pass North (gritbiz) 1NT Pass East (misu) Pass Pass South (Gerard) 3NT Tough luck: 6NT is cold, requiring either the heart finesse or a 3-3 diamond break. More tough luck: a 5 IMP loss on the hand, to those pairs who reached slam, betraying their ignorance of fundamental bidding theory. On to part 2. IMPs again, both vulnerable. You hold: K10852 K5 Q6 QJ106 Lefty opens a diamond first seat, partner overcalls one spade, righty negative doubles. WWGD? A. Redouble, promising whatever it is you hold, as you explain slowly and carefully to partner in the post mortem. B. Bid 2NT, because all those spade tricks are just as good in notrump, and you right-side the hand. C. Raise to 4S on the 5-5, possibly shutting the opponents out of a heart game. D. Raise to 2S, taking the sure profit. You didn't choose C, did you? The answer, once again, is D. All those loose queens and jacks aren't going to do you any good in a suit contract, and you figure to have only about half the points anyway. Let's have a look: Both Vul IMPs Dealer: West gritbiz A Q 7 6 4 10 8 4 3 10 A 3 2 Lead:5 fraser J 9 A Q A 8 7 4 3 K 9 7 5 misu 3 J 9 7 6 2 K J 9 5 2 8 4   Gerard K 10 8 5 2 K 5 Q 6 Q J 10 6 Result: Made 4 Score: 170 Points: -2.78 West (fraser) 1 Pass North (gritbiz) 1 Pass East (misu) Dbl Pass South (Gerard) 2 Now that's a shame; turns out 4S is cold. But it needs East to have the heart ace or West to have the club king, and we certainly couldn't expect anything like that on the bidding. Remember kids, it's making the right bid that counts. Don't worry about results. As Gee will tell you, over the long run you'll get the scores you deserve. Comments To be fair, gritbiz's hand in part 1 is too good for a 15-17 notrump. namyats 03.20.03 11:44 PM EST Aaron how quickly you forget. Do you not remember when G established 2C followed by 3C is further checkback Stayman? that is clearly not an option in hand 1. justinl 03.25.03 5:20 PM EST Even I, student that I am, miss some of the more dizzying permutations. 3C is of course double checkback, as you point out. aaron 03.25.03 5:22 PM EST [Hand Archive] © 2002-2003 by Aaron Haspel. All rights reserved.

Please add any comments here. Read the policy first. Email (required): OKBridge name (optional):