[microcap]

Rex and I haven't had a disagreement worth posting for weeks--must have been the holiday good cheer that has clearly dissipated.

As usual, this will be a multi-part question, where I ask one, get some answers, then post follow ups---so make sure to come back later.

First part: you hold:
t

Scoring: IMP

---

LHO opens 1♣, partner passes, RHO bids 1♠. Do you bid, double, or pass and hope to come in later? Opps are playing SAYC so opener may or may not have clubs.

[pico]

Double : my partner's initial pass tells me they probably have a fit in spades, and I won't have another chance to enter the bidding.

Bad things may happen to me, but once again partner passed so I don't think he'll skyrocket me in diamonds.

[toothbrush]

pass: ♣ are losers, I have only 2 tricks

[mikeh]

Pass: I assume that the comment about opener is that he may have as few as 3 ♣.

Double misdescribes my hand. There is a real possibility that opener is about to raise ♠ and partner may well be looking at a previously unbiddable ♦ suit, which he will now cheerfully bid, secure in the knowledge that I hold at least 4 card support.

This is not a hand on which I want to suggest a high-level ♦ contract, especially as a 'save'.

There are times when a misdecription is the least of several evils. This is not one of them.

[mike777]

Pass, Good Grief!

[awm]

Pass. There are surely times for a double with only 4-3 in the unbids... but this is not one of those times.

[jdeegan]

El Paso. I am 4-3 in the unbid suits.

[whereagles]

El biddo: double. I have 4-3 in the unbid suits

[pclayton]

Pass.

This isn't a problem.

[microcap]

OK PART 2--- Even though I think the passers could use a shot of testosterone, I accept the significant majority.

Nonetheless, I doubled at the table. Now LHO bids 2♠, and partner bids 3 hearts. What kind of hand would you expect him to have?

[mikeh]

Depends

If you play 2N as lebensohl, then constructive with 4♥ or 5 bad ones (which would be no surprise given your holding). If 2N is not lebensohl, then the low end of his range will be a little lower than if it is.

Your next question, no doubt, is what do we bid?

I will tell you when you ask, not before

[Al_U_Card]

3532 with 7 hcp.

[awm]

4-5♥, something like 6-10 hcp (tending to the low end if 5♥, towards the high end if 4♥).

We could have a game, but many of the hands that produce game involve partner having little to nothing in spades, of which there is no guarantee (and partner might bid game in this case, if he can infer our shortage from the auction). A game is a lot more likely if my RHO bids 3♠, but in any case partner can figure out that the spade raise makes my spade holding likely to be stiff, and bid game himself on something like: xxx AJxxx Kxx xx (and note that even on this nice-fitting eight game is not the world's greatest bargain if ♣AQ are above the bidder and diamonds are lead early on). Anyways I'm passing 3♥. A game bid is more like x KQxx AJxx Axxx at a minimum.

[whereagles]

Without any agreements, I'd take 3♥ for a merely competitive heart bid (pard might have cued with a better hand). I'll pass 3♥ because I don't have much in terms of extras and the club KJ is a bit of a weary holding.

[microcap]

OK, I will switch gears. You hold

Scoring: IMP

---

Would you bid 3♥ or pass after 1♣, pass by you, 1♠, double by p, 2♠ by RHO.....

And if you think 3♥ was wrong, which was worse, the double or the 3♥ bid?

[awm]

microcap, on Jan 4 2006, 05:45 PM, said:

OK, I will switch gears. You hold

Scoring: IMP

---

Would you bid 3♥ or pass after 1♣, pass by you, 1♠, double by p, 2♠ by RHO.....

And if you think 3♥ was wrong, which was worse, the double or the 3♥ bid?

It's close; I think I would bid 3♥ at matchpoints and pass at IMPs, but I have no real strong feelings about it.

If asked to pick a bid as the worse "mistake" in this auction I'd go with the double. Then again it's not clear why the result will be particularly bad... most likely 3♥ will drift one or two down but 2♠ was probably making, even if 3♥ goes two down a double is not all that likely.

[tysen2k]

Don't like the double, but agree with 3♥ by partner.

Tysen