What’s your call?
| 3♠ | 3NT | |||
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 4♥ | 4♠ | 4NT |
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Dbl | Pass |
Just bid it
Not too many are willing to let go of the vulnerable game.
“I like quoting Jeff Meckstroth,” says Cohen: “‘They pay a nice bonus for vulnerable games.’”
The Coopers have more of a glasshalf-empty approach. “We’re not confident that this will make, but at IMPs, one should bid vulnerable games even when your best guess is that it’ll go down one.”
“4♥,” bids Walker. “Only because we’re vulnerable at IMPs. I’m expecting the other table to be there.”
“We are red at IMPs and it’s very easy for partner to have a hand where we are claiming 10 tricks,” explains Weinstein. “East didn’t bid 3NT, so we are very unlikely to be doubled when
we are going down two. Also, partner is more likely to be heavy.”
Falk calls 4♥ “an overbid,” but adds, “Painful experience has taught me not to try to thread the needle at IMPs. If there might be a game, bid it.”
“I’ve overbid before,” confesses Colchamiro. “Might well be down one, but my modal IMP score when vulnerable over the past 40 years is probably minus 100.”
The Gordons bid 4♥. They calculate: “Take the odds that you can make game opposite a vulnerable overcall at least 3/8 of the time.”
“We should have some play for the vulnerable game,” suggest the Joyces. “Besides, no one likes to take back plus 170 or plus 200 to teammates!”
“The old seven-point rule looks like it should apply here,” Lawrence says. “Either you have seven or fewer points, in which case you pass 3♥, or you think this is more than that, in which case you should bid. I vote for this hand being worth 8½ points and because it’s IMPs, I bid game.”
Stack passes, but indicates his interest in whether Mike Lawrence carried on to game. “Lawrence’s theory is that partner should play for a little something in partner’s hand when entering
the auction. Is this a little something or is it more?”
Isfeld and Henneberger pass. “Although we have good trump support, the ♦K and ruffing value, we just don’t feel it’s enough to warrant a raise.”
Rigal passes. “Not that close to my mind.”
Meyers, passes, too. “Partner needs a lot of cover cards for game to be on.”