IMPs. Both vulnerable.
♠5 3 ♥K 9 ♦8 7 3 ♣K J 8 4 3 2
| West | North | East | South |
| 5♦ | Pass | Pass | |
| 5♠ | Pass | Pass | ? |
What’s Your Call?
| 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT | ||
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Dbl | Pass |
Maybe they guessed wrong
The panel makes short work of this one. Even though 6♦ might be a good save, South can’t be sure that he can defeat a slam contract.
Coopers: “The way we decide what to do on hands like this is ask how I would feel if I bid 6♦ and East-West bid 6♠. If the answer is ‘not happy,’ as here, we don’t push them.”
Gordons: “The idea of effective preempting is to give the opponent the last guess. If we bid, we might end up guessing ourselves.”
Rigal: “They made the last guess and bidding rates to give them a fielder’s choice.”
Meyers: “I might go for too much in 6♦ doubled, and I don’t know that I can beat 6♠.”
Joyces: “Who knows who can make what?”
Robinson: “Partner pushed them to the five level — I’m happy.”
Boehm: “I pass. Maybe they’ve guessed wrong.”
Cohen: “Insurance isn’t likely to be cheap. Furthermore, if I push them to 6♠, I won’t exactly be thrilled.”
Giragosian: “I don’t like bidding 6♦ — it gives East–West a two-way shot.”
Meckstroth: “Not sure how many 6♦ will go set and not sure we can beat 6♠.”
Sanborn: “Let’s hope the preempt has done its work.”
Sutherlins: “The 5♦ opening made them guess, so leave the opponents alone.”
Bridge Buff: “Passing is easy. When I add 6♦ to my simulations, my circuits run hot. Am I cool or what?”
Walker: “The panel will pass and it will be unanimous.”
Walker is almost right.
Falk: “Partner has at least eight diamonds, maybe nine or 10, so 5♠ rates to be cold. I’m bidding 6♣ and hope it confuses the opponents enough to keep them from continuing to 6♠.”
Preempts work because they make the opponents guess at a high level. After that, live with the result.
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