[paulg]

Scoring: MP

Pass (3♣) ?

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Opponents are intermediate club players (in a national tournament) so the pre-emptor almost certainly holds seven clubs.

Feel like getting involved and, if so, how? Would it be different if your partner was not a passed hand?

[hrothgar]

Mark me down for pass

I don't think my hand warrants 3♠ opposite a passed hand.
the risk of hearing 3♦ is far too high if I double

[MickyB]

Double opposite an unpassed hand, pass opposite a passed hand.

[Apollo81]

I vote for 3♠ because it's all white MPs and my opps are not good.

Even if it is wrong, they may fail to double me or misdefend or both.

[pbleighton]

Easy pass.

If the auction were 3C-P-P-?, I would bid 3S.

If the auction were 3C-?, it would be thisclose between 3S and pass. I would probably bid 3S. I bid too much

I don't like double, with the short diamonds, big disparity between hearts and spades, and very marginal values.

Peter

[paulg]

Partner held ♠xx ♥Kxx ♦Jxxxx ♣Axx. All 3-level contracts are going down so Pass is the winning call.

I think it is a more interesting question second in hand. As it is clearly only worth one call, it looks close to me between 3♠ and double; at least double will get both majors into play with the downside is that it gets diamonds in the game too

[gwnn]

I think I'd have bid 3sp with UPP, like this I pass

[whereagles]

easy dbl if pard were not passed. as it is, pass is better (esp. if pard tends to open on junk.. lol)

[mikeh]

No need to get involved, much as we'd like to bid. Bridge is a partnership game: if we can make anything, partner may (or may not) be able to help us. Can't hit the bullseye every time... pass is the percentage partnership action. Consider: give partner the hands he needs for us to make precisely 3♠ (doubling is insane: aiming to play a 4-3 ♥ or 5-2♦ fit?) and he will often be raising us to a failing game.

Give him the hands we need to make game, and he will often be reopening: a 4=4=4=1 10 count is an easy reopening double and we can then choose a conservative 3♠ or an aggressive 4♠. Meanwhile, if he passes 3♣, we will be relieved.

[dake50]

Immediate for game; reopen for partial works>

[the hog]

Pass.

[mcphee]

Bidding presents far too much risk and could easily be a zero. I feel death awaits bidders deservedly so. Even if partner balances at pairs scoring I'm not so sure I would be confident we have a game or it would have a good play.

Defensive opportunities are not so high, but I susre have an easy lead...

[awm]

Pass opposite a passed partner. If partner is weak I could easily go for a number by bidding, and if partner has the hand that allows 3♠ to make there's a good chance I'm getting raised to 4♠ failing. Partner will expect that he can raise me to game with a "limit raise" kind of hand and I'm not that confident game will make (especially with the two likely club losers off the top). If one of the small clubs were a small diamond I'd be tempted by double.

If partner wasn't a passed hand I would bid 3♠ here. There are too many hands in the "balanced 12-14" range where game is cold and it's hard for partner to balance; admittedly bidding has the same downsides, but the upside (finding a making game we couldn't get to if I pass) is much greater. I prefer 3♠ over double with such disparity in the suits and only two diamonds.

[firmit]

3♠ for me, even when partner has passed. Though I would consider dbl if partner has not bid, but never passing.

[clayniac]

I agree with Noble. I don't like a double; and a pass could be costly. I like a simple 3 spade overcall. If I am big, I will start with a double, so partner should play me for good spades, opening strength and less than a huge hand.

Patsy