Steaming toward a great last-board win in the 126 table 12-board Daylong IMP Toonimint May 4th, I faced that final curtain:
Pass, 4♦, 5♦ and 3NT are all reasonable guesses over 3♦ — but I soooo HATE missing a game at IMPs.
Sadly, my Bridge World Magazine Master Solvers Club instincts clikked in — I “invented” the ultimate solution: 4♣, which just gotta be a ♦ “SPLIMIT RAISE”! (or not?).
In a split nano-second, Sir Bolthead spewed forth a thankful 7♦ “sooper-dooper-pooper-scooper-accept” for the ages!!! Which swiftly failed -300.
What I failed to realize was that “My Inspiration” showed “31+ total points.” (Juuuuuuuust a little short.) Nevermind your 4-3-3-3 10-loser hand there, tinhead!
We lost -5 IMPs on the board, and missed 1st overall by 5 IMPs.
Notice that 3NT is “El Perfecto” — 9 runners for +600 and a swing of +17 IMPs! Ouch. Bob Hamman was right, again: “When in doubt, BID 3NT!”
Comments
14 responses to “Bob Hamman was right, again!”
Dear Razorsharp,
I don’t feel too sorry for you, I am afraid. In my book, 4C is way too clever and also too optimistic. 3NT, as you rightly say yourself, is the obvious, practical bid.
Kind regards
You have so many secondary values not to consider 3nt
Why not a simple pass. Take the plus score and less someone else be the hero
3NT requires partner to have AK of diamonds, a club stopper, or some other “working” hand. It’s probably less than 50%, but not unreasonable at imps. A raise to 4D also has merit but you have to consider what will a Robot expect from this bid. Lots of hands that make 5D won’t make 3NT. Pass is also reasonable. Imp pairs is not Imp teams. 5D is too aggressive. 4C is nuts.
Yes, 3nt does make but if you bid 3NT they just might take a save in 4C. The only way to beat 4C more than 1 trick is for N to lead his small club and when you win first trick you cast a d and play a low D back to partner so partner can play a second trump removing East’s last C.Otherwise it will only be down 1 for 100.
Oh. The joys of playing with El Roboto. With an actual partner you can reasonably expect that 3 NT will not be left in when pard has a poor diamond suit, therefore it is a 2-ways-to-win to do so. And since it is a good bet that you have the Club Ace, with a better distribution 6 becomes attractive to try for given that 5 would not be in jeopardy.
How fun!
South has enough to bid again, i.e., he could have doubled with a lot less, so 3NT.
By strange coincidence, on weekend survivor, I got into trouble with 1S – 1NT by robot – 4C (intended as cue bid holding a strong two in spades) – pass. maybe the robots are allergic to 4C bids?
4C sounds Gerberish- good to mouse over your bid to see what GIB says- and if nothing than you are in trouble.
Frankly I would think it was an autosplinter or exclusion BW depending upon your other agreements (3C =?)- that really calls for a firm partnership set of notes.
Not that I can talk- those robots are constantly killing my auctions!
if you , apparently, have decided to bid 4C anyway over any response at 3 level over the TOD then why not bid 4C right away instead of the TOD.?
I am intermediat player isn’t pass or 4D more reasonable..my partner is forced to bid and could have nothing…so I dont see how S could bid 3N with only the A of c stopper. If I bid 4D partner can raise to 5 with good hand?
Is it news that the robots bid randomly when the bidding sequence is unusal?
This is just one example of why Hamman is Hamman. He is about making the winning bid and doing it so many more times than the rest of us. He is amazing and I always learn something from his words of wisdom.
3nt go for it