What’s your call?
| 4♠ | 4NT | |||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass | Dbl |
Rigal is embarrassed to double. He needn’t be. A huge majority of the panel agrees with him. “I know, insane, but I’m going to pull 5♣ to 5♦ and I want to keep spades in the picture. Please tell the world I only bid like this on paper.”
Weinstein: “Ewwwwwwwww.” Isn’t it reassuring to know that even the bridge gods react that way once in a while? He doubles. “This is a tough problem. I think 4♠ should show a fifth spade (or at least a much better four-card suit). 5♦ eliminates spades, and pass I just can’t do.”
“Yuck!” from bridge goddess Meyers. “I double. I like 4♠to show five here. If partner bids 4♠, I am happy. If she bids 5♣, I bid 5♦ .”
Cohen calls double quite ideal. “I can handle anything from CHO (centerhand opponent).”
Adbou, too. “We could have our only plus position if partner converts.”
“4♠ would be ambiguous as to length,” says Colchamiro, so he doubles. “Passing 4♥ is not a choice, but 5♦ sure is.”
Lawrence passes 4♥. “The vulnerability is dangerous and there is nothing about my hand to suggest safety. If I double, that will catch 5♣ from partner too often to suit me. If I bid 4♠ and get doubled, I have to decide whether to go down 800 there, or to bid 5♦ and go down 800 there instead. My ♥A x suggests partner is not sitting there with good hearts, and his pass suggests he does not have a negative double or similar hand.”
There has to be at least one 4♠ bidder. And it’s Sanborn! “Scary, eh? Hopefully partner doesn’t play me for five. It is easy to visualize a spade game even with a passing partner, and not so easy to see us defending 4♥.”
Korbel talks himself into 5♦ . “Good problem. Given my heart holding, it’s not likely that partner has a penalty pass of 4♥. If he has five or more spades, I want to keep spades in the picture. But if he has fewer than five, spades does not rate to play well. The trouble with bidding 4♠ myself is that partner has a right to expect me to be 6–5 and will often judge to do the wrong thing. The trouble with doubling is that partner will never be able to make an informed decision on what to do. If partner has a boring hand like:
♠A J x ♥x x x ♦ x x x ♣Q x x x,
both 4♥ and 5♦ will often make, and partner will surely pass the double. Some of the times that 4♠ makes, 5♦ will make as well. Enough waffling! I’m bidding 5♦ and hoping for the best.”
