[sfbp]

I don't play (or play against) the multi - so i have never had to reason this type of sequence before. Thanks for the problem!

Could partner have 5 hearts? It seems to me that his second double tends to confirm that he doesn't. What do I know?

In that case if spades are 4-1 we are toast in 3 spades - but I don't think so.

I place the ♥K on the table before I change my mind. Then I pick up the bidding cards.

Stephen

[pclayton]

I think there's a good chance that spades are 6331. Pass might work but I hate passing because I don't have an attractive alternative. So Ill content myself with 4C.

[FrancesHinden]

At the table I bid 4♣ with no confidence in it being right. Passing would have been way more successful - it doesn't matter what you lead as long as it isn't a diamond. At the time, I missed the inference about partner's likely heaviness in high cards from the auction (aren't you lucky you get it spelled out in the problem posting?) as I spent the first few minutes working out what double-then-double actually meant in our methods!


Partner has
A
AQx
J9xx
AQJxx

and you get +500 from passing; +130 or -50 from bidding (nobody tried 3NT, which makes).