From: maillist@base.cs.ucla.edu (Generic Mailing List ID (Guest))
Subject: PSP #20.5
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:00:05 GMT

Problem 5.
IMPS (Calcutta)
E-W Vulnerable
Dealer South

You, South, hold, S-T5 H-QT65 D-Q975 C-J42

South  West   North  East
Pass   Pass   1S     2H
Pass   Pass   Dbl.   Pass
?

What call do you make?


The bids:
(PW) 2NT.  Too little to pass.

(RLG) 2S.  There is no reason to push up the bidding to the 3 level when we
can play a 7 card fit at the 2 level.  I passed the first time, so there
is little danger of my partner running up to game with my "support".

(PRM) 2S.  Maybe at matchpoints I'd pass and go for a top defending
but it doesn't rate to be a good idea.

(MARC) 2S.  Enough said.

(PYNQ) 2S.	Seems obvious.  Passing is a little rich for my blood.

(EDT) 2S	          What else?

(PBHYF) 2S. It is unlikely that you can beat 2H.

(MSB) 2S. Partner wants to our side to play it, and this seems the safest
      contract.

(WU) 2S.  Partner's double is reopening.  My hearts are too weak to convert
	to penalty.

(EKP) 2S. Won't bid NT since I hope to crack 3H. Am I really missing 3NT?

(DM1) 2S.

(RB) 2S.  Other than two trump tricks, I really don't have much
defense. I also have a spade tolerance which suggests bidding.

(DESJ) 2S.  Pass is a matchpoint bid, but -670 is an enormous amount at this
form of scoring.

(CC2) 2S.  Partner is keeping the bidding open; why punish him by passing.
        RHO's values are unknown.

(IM) 2S.  Partner was hoping I had another heart and a bit more stuff.  In
matchpoints I might gamble a pass, but not in imps.  3D might work well, but
partner may be off shape so I choose to stay at the two-level.

(BB) 2S. No *way* am I leaving the double in.

(DK) 2 spades.  North is forced to reopen with a double on any
        reasonable hand.

(DM2) 2S.   At pairs, I would pass the double. 
                                  

(DAG) 2S.  Partner doesn't need extras to reopen, and I don't have
        enough to pass for penalties.  2S looks like the cheapest
        place to play, diamonds or clubs could both be only 7 card
        fits, so lets stay at the two-level.

(AH) 2s.   With only 2 defense tricks, partner needs 4 defense trick.

(MOJO) 3D.  My longest unbid suit.

(DOUG) 3D. He asked me to bid a suit so I will. I cannot see where tricks
       are coming from so I reject 2N; if I had Qx of spades and 4
       diamonds to the 109 I _might_ prefer 2N since there is now an
       improved chance of being able to play the spades.

(JLD) 3D.  Oh, do I want to pass.  I would pass at matchpoints but
the risk at this form of scoring would be too great.  I suppose
that if we needed a good board to catch up I would risk a pass.

(KP) 3D.  I was not trap-passing, so I do not pass now.  And, as with
the last problem, I still fail to see what is so great about notrump.

(NAIR) 3D.  2S is close.  But if he has even 3 good diamonds it may not
be all that bad.

(JOHN) Pass

(CC1) Pass  Collect donations. Besides, my hand worth nothing offensively.

(SGM) Pass. I've got 2 tricks, and I hope partner has 4.

(IL) pass.  I've a good lead, TS, and nowhere to go.

The totals:
2NT	1
2S	19
3D	5
PASS	4

From Eric Kokish' account of the Canadian Invitational:
  
  Do you go for the throat by passing?

  Not a good idea.  Especially if you make the normal spade lead.

          AQ872
          J
          AK63
93        Q97       KJ64
87                  AK9432
JT42                8
AT853     T5        K6 
          QT65
          Q975
          J42
  
  Declarer will not have much difficulty coming to nine tricks no matter
  what spade South plays at trick one.  There were no fewer than six +870s
  for East-West, a gain of 231 IMPs.  The alternative is to take out
  the reopening double to 2S, which will go one down or so.  With those
  870s out there, minus 50 at 2S was worth 59 IMPs.

  A glance at the diagram reveals the possibility that East might
  redouble 2H directly to show his extra-value overcall (lunacy, in my
  opinion, with so many potential trump losers and only moderate high
  card strength).  Indeed, that happened at more than one table, but
  only once did the redouble end the auction.

  Question: if partner (South) passes over the redouble, does he desire to
  defend 2H redoubled?

[ Looks like there were a fair number of pairs players at the Canadian
  Invitational :-)  Feel free to followup to Kokish' question. ]

The players:
(AH)	ahaas@ecn.purdue.edu (Alan Haas)
(BB)	Brett Barksdale <brett@porky.oce.orst.edu>
(CC1)	Chun Chang <chunchan@aludra.usc.edu>
(CC2)	chris.chambers@rose.com
(DESJ)	desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
(DAG)	dagibbs@quantum.qnx.com (David Gibbs)
(DK)	Dennis Kibler <kibler@turing.ICS.UCI.EDU>
(DM1)	mytelka@enzyme.Berkeley.Edu (Daniel Mytelka)
(DM2)	davidm@Rational.COM
(EDT)	taylor@tivoli.com (Eric Taylor)
(EKP)	Edward Pavelchek <ekp@mcnc.org>
(IL)	Ingvar Lagerstedt <LAGERSTEDT@oc.chalmers.se>
(IM)	Ilene Morgan <morgan@math.psu.edu>
(JLD)	jld1@ihlpm.att.com
(JOHN)	<john@picks.almanac.bc.ca>
(KP)	hampton@ais.org (Kevin Podsiadlik)
(MARC)	marc@wrs.com (Marc Shepard)
(MOJO)	mojo@caere.com (Morris Jones)
(MSB)	msb@sq.com (Mark Brader)
(NAIR)	nair@astro.ufl.edu
(PBHYF)	pbhyf!skataba@ns.PacBell.COM
(PRM)	Paul Markowitz <PRM@BROWNVM.brown.edu>
(PW)	Per Westling <c85perwe@und.ida.liu.se>
(PYNQ)	"George Jetson" <pynq@midway.uchicago.edu>
(RB)	rainbow@ihlpf.att.com
(RLG)	Raymond L. Gilbert <pi@wam.umd.edu>
(SGM)	Myerson <sgm@ssd.ray.com>
(WU)	Warren Usui <aardvark@snap.la.locus.com>

--

Matthew Merzbacher	ARPA:	matthew@CS.UCLA.EDU
Moo - Moo Moo  		UUCP:	...!{uunet|rutgers|ucbvax}!cs.ucla.edu!matthew
               		This time, *with* the oys