From: maillist@base.cs.ucla.edu (Generic Mailing List ID (Guest))
Subject: PSP #20.6
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:00:07 GMT

Problem 6.
IMPS (Calcutta)
None Vulnerable
Dealer East

You, South, hold, S-763 H-86 D-AKQT5 C-Q76

South  West   North  East
                     Pass
Pass   Pass   1C     Pass
1D     Pass   2NT    Pass
?

What call do you make?

The bids:
(DOUG) 3C. I hope this is forcing in this revolting bidding system.
       My understanding may be at fault but it seems you don't know if
       partner is 4423 in which case your hand is indifferent or if
       he's 5332 in which case you've got tricks coming out of your
       ears and desperately need to investigate major suit controls.

(MARC) 3C.  This should be forcing, since I'd raise 1C to 2C with garbage. 
	We have a combined 30 HCP's.  If we have a good fit in the minors, 
	a slam might be possible.

(IL) 3C.  Is it impossible to bid 2D in the second round with this hand in SA,
        I have denied a weak 6-carder and opening values, 2D seems to be a
        reasonable bid with the current hand, partner will know the strain
        pretty well, and the only question is C/D/NT.

[ I *think* most experts play a 2D bid as "fit showing".  If you turn one 
  of the hearts into a club, then 2D is probably OK.  With only 3 clubs, 
  you don't necessarily have a fit. ]

(WU) 3D.  I hope that this shows partner where my tricks are.    
   
(DESJ) 3D.  This emphasizes the feature of my hand.  If partner rebids 3 of
a major, I can complete the description with 4C.  If partner rebids 3NT,
I will raise to four.

(JLD) 3D.  If it is forcing (e.g. playing Wolff signoffs).  A minor
suit slam is certainly possible so I do not want to shut off the 
bidding at 3NT.
 

(AH) 3d.   If partner bids 3nt, investigate minor suit slam since
             he shows at least 7 cards in minors. If partner bids
             major, then convert to 3nt.

(RLG) 3NT.  In NT, you definitely don't have slam, and unless your partner
has decent D, there is a very good chance you don't have 6D either.  I'll
take the conservative approach and bid our game.

(PRM) 3NT.  I love missing slams.

(PYNQ) 3N.	The obvious call.  I don't know how to explore from here.
	(Again, Precision would have left us better placed)

[ Yeah, yeah.  But most of the problems were selected because they highlight
  shortcomings in S.A.  I could come up with Precision problems (and I have
  in the past), but the panel interest doesn't merit it. ]

(EDT) 3N             Hand is too balanced for anything else.

(PBHYF) 3NT. At IMPs this hand is too risky to try for 6NT, major suits
        look dangerous; pard can not have more than three in each.
        But, at match points I bid 4C, Gerber, and if pard shows 2
        or 3 aces I go to 6NT.

(MSB) 3NT. I don't have all THAT much extra, so just accept the NT game.

(JOHN) 3NT

(DM1) 3NT. Nice diamonds, but a bit too flat/weak for slam.

(CC1) 3N    What can I say. OK, I am lazy. I don't want wasting my energy.

(CC2) 3N.  Slam in a minor is possible, and even 6N with the right cards,
        but I will take the conservative route with my pickup partner.

(MOJO) 3NT.  I expect partner to have 17-18 points (invitational).  With my 11,
that doesn't reach a slam.  Especially at IMPs.

(IM) 3NT.  We might have a slam, but it seems too likely that we will have two
losers or not enough tricks.  3D a close second.

(DAG) 3NT. I do have nice diamonds, but I don't like the odds for 6NT.

(SGM) 3N. Is this a trick question?

(KP) 3NT.  The diamonds look nice, but I just have too many holes to
fill to try for slam, especially as partner is balanced.

(NAIR) 3NT.  I don't think 3C is forcing here.

(DM2) 4D.   I would like 6 diamonds for this bid but my club Q is a compensating
         value. Partner's clubs are surely real since he is denying a four
         card major.

(PW) 4NT.  Invitational.

(EKP) 4NT. I couldn't figure out what I could have as a passed hand for
this bid but diamond tricks and club help.  Should be a learning
experience.

(RB) 4NT.  I play 3C as a relay to 3D for showing all sorts of
hands. I play a direct 3D bid as a slam try with 6 diamonds.
With a good source of tricks, a quantitative raise seems
appropriate here even though I'm a little bit light in HCP.
Partner will respond aces if accepting.

(BB) 4NT. Quanitative. If pard is on a maximum, I like my 5 diamond tricks 
     and club help to make 6NT.

(DK) 4nt.  I have a lot of tricks.

The totals:
3C	3
3D	4
3NT	16
4D	1
4NT	5

This auction was from a casual partnership.  Only two pairs reached grand
slam in a minor.

Partner's Hand:

AK2
A93
J8
AK862

South  West   North  East
                     Pass
Pass   Pass   1C     Pass
1D     Pass   2NT    Pass
3D     Pass   3NT    All Pass.

Eric Kokish felt that 3D was the right call and that 3NT violated partner 
faith (which it did), I wondered how many netters would bid 3D with this 
hand (and how many would claim it is forcing/non-forcing).

I must say I'm a little disappointed in how few people chose to bid 3D.


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