Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
♠A 5 4 ♥7 6 ♦K 9 8 3 ♣A Q 8 3
| West | North | East | South |
| 1♣ | |||
| 2♥ | Pass | 2♠ | Pass |
| Pass | 2NT | Pass | ? |
What’s your call?
| 3♣ | 3♦ | 3♥ | 3♠ | 3NT |
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT |
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Dbl | Pass |
Most of our experts bid a simple, uncomplicated 3♦. “Obvious,” says Boehm.
“This 2NT bid is for takeout in my book,” says Meckstroth.
Kennedy bids 3♦, but isn’t sure why the hand wasn’t opened 1♦.
“Partner is showing the minors, with better diamonds than clubs,” say the Coopers.
Rigal would be disappointed not to have nine diamonds between the two hands, “but then I’ve been disappointed before.”
“Partner’s 2NT should be takeout, with maybe three clubs and five diamonds,” says Cohen. “He has done a great job if he has something like:
♠xx ♥Axx ♦QJxx ♣AJxx”
“No way can this be to play,” says Sanborn. “I picture partner with 2=3=5=3 shape, which could not raise nor make a negative double on the first round.”
Falk points out why he isn’t interpreting partner’s 2NT as natural: “Partner could have bid 2NT on the first round with almost any hand worth 2NT on values. Nothing has happened to make 2NT seem a better bid now than earlier.”
Meyers isn’t as sure of partner’s bid as some of the other 3♦ bidders. “I do find it curious that there is no heart raise, leading me to believe that partner perhaps has heart length and means 2NT as natural.”
Walker and the Gordons, too, bid 3♦, saying that partner would have doubled 2♠ holding a penalty pass of 2♥.
Four panelists passed 2NT.
Weinstein thinks partner has a penalty double of 2♥ but was not sure enough to double 2♠. “I really like my second heart for notrump. I think I’m just a touch too light to raise.”
Ditto Lawrence: “You have to choose between 2NT being natural, a hand that wanted to double 2♥, and unusual for the minors. I vote for the natural interpretation. If my partner had the minors, their side might still be bidding. I could raise to 3NT if I had more than this.”
The Sutherlins call this “a somewhat silly problem.” They, like Kennedy and Colchamiro, would have opened the hand 1♦. “Double by partner would have been for takeout. Why didn’t he bid the first time? He is probably a little light with about 8 points.”
Something about the auction jumped up and bit the Joyces. “3NT,” they cry. “We’re making the assumption that partner wanted to penalize 2♥, and we’re hoping that we have enough for game.”