[Echognome]

The auction goes:
1♣ - (1♦) - ?

You hold:
xxxxx xxxxx xx x

Are you taking any action? If so, what?

If not, what more do you need to take action?

Of course in all of the discussion you can distinguish between the different vulnerabilities.

[Walddk]

NOT ... unless they removed all the pass cards in my bidding box. I'll just enjoy my 1827:1 against hand and get on with life.

Roland

[SoTired]

neg dbl? Does partner bid 3-card suits? Good way to lose a partnership. This is perfect hand to pass and await developments. Thank RHO for saving you from having to pass opener's 1C bid.

[Echognome]

There are two parts to the question. The point of xxxxx xxxxx xx x was more one of shape.

[Walddk]

Echognome, on Jan 30 2007, 01:11 PM, said:

There are two parts to the question. The point of xxxxx xxxxx xx x was more one of shape.

I need at least

QJxxx
Qxxxx
xx
x

[whereagles]

Pass unless playing precision or with a gadget for this sort of hand.

[dake50]

Two 5cM!! and easy 1-level showing: SQxxxx HJ10xxx is enough. Of course nothing more.

[awm]

I'd never double with this shape. The problem is that partner will not bid a 3-card suit often, and over partner's expected 1NT or 2♣, I'm at a guess which major to try (partner will expect something like 4-6 if I double then bid a major, and will pass my major suit choice).

With all small cards I agree with pass, but with a decent hand (Roland's hand is a minimum with bad spots, but I'd also bid on QT9xx QT9xx xx x for example) I would try 1♠.

[Apollo81]

QJ9xx J98xx xx x

that seems like a bid to me

[hrothgar]

whereagles, on Jan 30 2007, 06:03 PM, said:

Pass unless playing precision or with a gadget for this sort of hand.

Let me get this straight:

You claim to be playing a standard "Precision" variant
Partner opens a strong club
RHO overcalls 1♦

Are you seriously suggesting making a bid?
If so, what...

[pclayton]

I wouldn't double with this shape in this sequence. I've always doubled with 4♠/5♥ but not with 5♠/4♥.

Perhaps this thinking is wrong as LHO will frequently preempt ♦'s at the next round.

[Apollo81]

echo: "would you double with this?"
field: "negative."

[kenrexford]

The question reminds me of an hilarious deal I once experienced.

Partner opened 1♦. This promised 4+ diamonds, with an unbalanced hand.

My RHO overcalled 1♠. I held ♠-- ♥xxxx ♦xxxx ♣xxxxx. When I spied the opponent's card, I noticed Rosenkranz XX. As many who use Rosenkranz XX's for some reason cannot work out strength also, I decided at IMP's, white on red, to make a negative double, more to throw them off the scent of game.

Sure enough, the calculated XX occurred. Partner now made what we agreed to be a free bid of 2♣. Passed to me.

This got interesting. The double-fit was obvious, but the 4-0/0-4 major layout seemed equally obvious. 2♣ was not 3♣, so partner was limited, obviously. So, I decided to continue the fun and cuebid 2♠.

This was passed to partner, who bid 3♣. Now, it looked like he had no spade wastage. Excellent! After 3♠ competition, I finally went conservative and bid a mere 4♣. This was doubled as the final contract.

Partner held ♠xxxx ♥-- ♦AKxxx ♣AKxx. With both minors splitting 2-2, we can hold 3♠ to -140 (the result at the other table). On a spade lead, which occurred, partner can ruff, heart ruff, spade ruff, heart ruff, spade ruff, diamond back, spade ruff (5-4 split), diamond back, pull trumps, making seven. However, he panicked and somehow managed down one, -50, for a small gain.

So, double away! (Actually, pass sanely.)

[starfruit]

This looks awfully similar. . .
I had

♠Qxxxx
♥QTxxx
♦xx
♣x

or something similar last time, and I tried a X. . .

but partner had

♠Ax
♥xx
♦Kxx
♣AKQxxx

And rebid 3NT