Retro Edition

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0621IYCDeal

What’s your call?

1NT
2♣ 2♦ 2♥ 2♠ 2NT
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
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0621calls
Panelists
August Boehm, Larry Cohen, Mel Colchamiro, The Coopers, Allan Falk, Bob Giragosian, The Gordons, The Joyces, Betty Ann Kennedy, Mike Lawrence, Jeff Meckstroth, Jill Meyers, Barry Rigal, Steve Robinson, Kerri Sanborn, Don Stack, The Sutherlins, Karen Walker, Bridge Buff
Diamonds and a minor

Unable to bid diamonds naturally over RHO’s 1♦ opener, most of the panelists simply waited a round, then bid 2♦. Unimaginative, perhaps, but unambiguous.

“I think this is our hand and I want to give us the best chance to find the right spot,” says Giragosian. “If partner bids, I will be able to show both suits.”

Meckstroth bids 2♦, too. “I’m worried that if I bid clubs first, later diamond bids will be taken as cuebids.”

Rigal predicts the bidding won’t end with his 2♦. “Then I’ll be able to get my clubs in next. 2NT ought to be minors with better diamonds, but no need to jump when I can find out more by staying low.”

Stack feels the same way. “If the opponents compete to 2♠, this hand is strong enough to carry on with 3♣. Optimistically, it is possible that we will end up in 3NT or a minor-suit game even though partner is a passed hand. Or pessimistically, we could go for minus 500 in a huge misfit.”

The specter of a misfit looms large for the Joyces, as well. “It is appealing to bid 2NT, but partner may be 5–5 in the majors.”

Boehm joins the 2♦-then-3♣ bidders, but muses, “2NT is an interesting option. I wonder if partner would divine my intentions?”

Cohen, Cooper, Lawrence, Meyers, Sanborn, the Sutherlins and Walker don’t wonder … they trust their partner will understand 2NT because what else could it mean?

“Normally 2NT would show hearts and clubs,” explains Lawrence. “However, if I had a good enough hand to show hearts and clubs now, I would have bid something the round earlier.

This sequence should show the minors with emphasis on diamonds.”

“We have a good hand, and we didn’t overcall 2♣, so our diamonds are better and quite possibly longer than our clubs,” the Sutherlins add. “Partner will figure out what we have.”

Colchamiro doubles with the intent of bidding 3♣ over partner’s 2♥, or 2♣ over 1NT, to show clubs and diamonds.