Retro Edition

What’s your call?

1♠ 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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Panelists
August Boehm, Larry Cohen, Mel Colchamiro, The Coopers, Allan Falk, The Gordons, Geoff Hampson, The Joyces, Betty Ann Kennedy, Mike Lawrence, Jeff Meckstroth, Jill Meyers, Barry Rigal, Steve Robinson, Kerri Sanborn, Don Stack, The Sutherlins, Karen Walker, Steve Weinstein, Bridge Buff
Be like Mike

On behalf of 15 voters, Lawrence explains: “How about a one-year absten-tion from this hand?” He dissects and discards the options. “3 is a pathetic underbid. 3 is wrong on values and wrong on the number of hearts. 2♠ is right on values but there is no clear plan for the rest of the auction. 4♣ — a splinter — is right on values and wrong on the number of hearts. 2NT, if forcing, could work if a partnership has the tools to bid from there. But our methods do not include this choice. I guess to bid 2♠. Perhaps I will be able to raise hearts later in a way that keeps options open.”

Colchamiro adds: “I don’t know what else to do. If partner gives me 4♠ fast-arrival style, I’ll try to make it.”

Sanborn takes the most conservative route. “This hand is the original Bridge World nightmare. Treatments have been invented over 1♣ openings to show the power hand with three-card support, but after 1 there isn’t room. Rather than the fake jump shift, which causes problems of its own, I’ll take the underbid of 3.”

Falk bids 1♠. “This is a cliche by now, but 3 is wrong, 2♠ is wrong and 3♣ is ridiculous. With extra-value hands and no clear way to express it, we make a cheap bid in a new suit that won’t be disastrous if it goes all pass. We are well placed if partner bids again.”

Robinson chooses a game-forcing 3♣. “If I’m going to bid a false suit, it has to be lower than my real suit or the heart suit. If I bid 2♠ and partner has four spades, I won’t survive. If partner has a club fit, he’ll think about play-ing in notrump before hanging me in spades.”

The Sutherlins find 3 to be the least unattractive bid. “Long a queen and short a heart. A 4–3 fit may play well with our fast hand.”