[jdeegan]

Scoring: MP

1♦-1♥-1♠-P
2♠- ???

---

You overcalled 1♥ the first time. Now what??

[Free]

1♥ is a ridiculous bid imo, so abstain...

[pclayton]

Wow, you got away with 1♥ eh?

3♠ now. Not sure I can ever really describe this hand, so lets see if pard has a little something-something.

[Blofeld]

I was doubling in part one, but I'd prefer to have bid 1♥ if I knew for certain that it wasn't getting passed out.

I'll try 3♠ now.

[HeartA]

I would have never overcalled 1[HI] with this hand. Assuming that someone did it and then went away and I had to continue from there, I would bid 3♠.

[hrothgar]

Folks might claim that 1♥ is ridiculous, however, it appeals to me much more than doubling...

If I start with a double I expect partner to bid a bunch of Spades. I'm strong enough to rebid in Hearts, but I don't think that my suit is good enough. Equally significant, even I'm not willing to bid NT with a void when I have other alternatives.

[mikeh]

It looks as if I am in the minority in agreeing with the 1♥ overcall. I really enjoy the fact that those who advocate a double do not comment on how they plan a followup when partner bids some preemptive number of ♠. I guess that their response would be that the downside of that is offset by the risk of the auction dying in 1♥ when game (or slam) is available: give partner xxxx xx x Kxxxxx and I admit my 1♥ bid would look pretty silly

As it is, 3♠ is my bid and I am extremely happy I overcalled 1♥: my partner can almost write down my hand now (so long as he can imagine a 1♥ overcall)

[Al_U_Card]

Interesting by a count of the hcp that RHO has 11, LHO has 5, so pard has 3 at most (on the very best of days). If it is MikeH's magic hand, great. If pard has no points and 5 S, (quite possible on the bidding) whereto now? Dbl now and see? You know that they are passing this out and that partner will NEVER even think of bidding on his own with 6 baby spades.......(they could be in a 4-3 fit....yum yum.)
I vote for double as it is likely to pay off bigtime.

[Miron]

4♠, bit risky. But I don't want my partner to show me spade stopper.

[Codo]

easy double, showing exactly what I have

Okay not exactly, but at least 5 Hearts, tolerance for Clubs and a verystrong hand.
And if this is passed out, I surely will win this board. After all, I have tricks ad my pd trumps. What do we need more?

[Gerben42]

Double now sounds allright. If you had doubled before and then heard 1♠ 2♠, you would be in bigger trouble

[FrancesHinden]

I double this time.
3S might be nice if it shows this hand, but systemically double shows this hand (well, double shows a 1534 16-count or so, but it's the closest we've got).

Here's a problem for you, suppose you started with

xx
AKQxxxx
Kx
Ax

and they opened 1D on your right.

Now, I'm well aware a lot of people here wouldn't overcall 1H on this hand, but I would. And if the auction continued ....1S P 2S... I'd like to bid 3S now.

[cherdano]

I also would expect Frances' hand for the 3S bid. Aside from that, double may be the last chance to go plus on a misfit deal...

Arend

[han]

I also agree with what Frances wrote. (and I also supported the initial 1♥).

[mcphee]

The cowardly soul I am, I double with the intention of trying 3S next, if there is a next. If and when partner pass this dble I expect he will lead trump or H. I am not so certain that 3S will have partner believing I have this hand.

[mikeh]

I have changed my mind about my choice of 3♠: I agree with Frances and others that it probably should show a desire to play 3N opposite a ♠ stop, so I withdraw my 3♠ bid and substitute double (thank you, BBO, for the undo button.. now if I could only get that implemented in real life )

[jdeegan]

Thanks for the plethora of insightful comments.

Scoring: MP

1♦-1♥-1♠-P
2♠-DBL or 3♠-3♠-3NT (I guess) or 4♣

---

Either Dbl or 3♠ will work since the clubs are 2-2 (and the ♦ king is onside) so 3NT makes 11+ tricks. Would you pass pard's 3NT call on the auction given above?

Most times, the Dbl will work better than 3♠ (but what if pard leaves it in) since LHO won't jam the bidding with 3♠.

[FrancesHinden]

Isn't 6C the spot? Seems to need the diamond finesse or clubs 2-2 (not 4-0). With both coming in we make 7C.

Not that easy to get to, however.... I wouldn't play 1D 1H 1S P 2S x P 2NT as lebensohl, but as offering the choice of clubs or hearts (probably 2-4 in the rounded suits). That makes it hard for partner to show his (suprising) extra values.

[jdeegan]

FrancesHinden, on Apr 14 2006, 04:46 AM, said:

Isn't 6C the spot?  Seems to need the diamond finesse or clubs 2-2 (not 4-0).  With both coming in we make 7C.

6♣ is, indeed, the spot. I just don't see how to get there outside of blundering into some lucky bidding choices.
BTW one player I gave the hand to wondered what a 3♦ bid would mean over 2♠. I didn't know, but at the table, I would have surmised 10 or 11 red cards.
Finally, at the table, my pard, who was having a bad day, chose to bid 3♣ over 2♠. I was tempted to give him a raise, but did not. Had my LHO balanced with 3♠, I had decided to bid 4♣, but it didn't happen (partly due, I'm afraid, to my too transparent table presence).

[FrancesHinden]

I gave the hand to my husband, and he
- bid 1H over 1D
- doubled 2S

I said partner would bid 3C in response to the double 2S, and he said that opposite a pick-up partner or someone he didn't know well, he would just bid 6C, because most people can't value good cards in weak hands well. Partner is likely to have five clubs for the 3C bid, for not bidding 2NT (choice of strains).

Opposite someone he trusted, he said he would bid 4S over 3C which wouldn't work so well on this hand, because partner's ace of spades now looks like waste paper.