[jim420]

MBC board 11, you hold

Scoring: IMP

W N E S
- - - P
P P 1♣ P
3♣ X P ?

---

What would you bid now?

[P_Marlowe]

The double is takeout, hence 3S.

3C was preemptive or limit?

Does not really matter, but it may give
you a feeling what partner is looking at.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

4441 is quite likely. Game is possible if pard has a well-fitting max, but since this is NV, I'll just bid 3♠.

[pbleighton]

The double is takeout, with pd being a passed hand I don't get excited. 3S is fine.

Peter

[jtfanclub]

I play it as majors with diamond tolerence- he could be 4-4-3-2 or even 4-4-2-3 with a good diamond doubleton. Too much to ask that he wait for the 'perfect' hand for takeout.

Same result as the other folks, though- 3♠. I just wanted to point out that if you changed your hand to:

♠QT96
♥T7
♦KQT82
♣A8

I would still bid 3♠, not 3♦.

[david_c]

The double is take-out, and should be close to perfect in shape since a passed hand has no business coming in at the 3-level otherwise. In particular, the doubler must have either a void or a small singleton in clubs.

So the only question is whether to bid 3♠ or 4♠. I'd probably bid 4♠ - as whereagles says, game is possible if partner has a well-fitting maximum, and as far as I'm concerned partner must have a well-fitting maximum to justify bidding on this auction! But 3♠ is OK I suppose. No other calls make any sense.

[bid_em_up]

The X is takeout, my vote is other.

4♠

[pclayton]

The double is takeout, and it shows a quality hand; not just noise with a 4=5=4=0 6 count. However, opposite a hand like: Kxxx, Kxxxx, Axxx, void (which is what I expect), you need just a little luck for 4♠. Furthermore, if 4♠ is going down (A♥ on right) there's a good chance they have 4♣ their way, which they'll probably bid with their 10 card fit over 3♠.

If pard has a perfecto minimum KJxx, Axxx, Jxxx, x, game is excellent.

Bids like 4♠ make life very tough on your opponents. Am I bidding it on: Axxxx, x, Qxxxx, xx? Or do I have a 13 count that can't come in over 1♣? If LHO guesses right, by passing or bidding 5♣, good for him. But if LHO guesses wrong, I come out with a big profit on a mundane hand.

[Apollo81]

I am surprised how many people are bidding only 3♠. I'd bid 4♠.

Keep in mind that pard isn't going to double 3♣ on some balanced hand that he couldn't open.

[bid_em_up]

Apollo81, on Mar 13 2007, 11:12 AM, said:

I am surprised how many people are bidding only 3♠. I'd bid 4♠.

I'm not.

[the hog]

bid_em_up, on Mar 14 2007, 03:17 AM, said:

Apollo81, on Mar 13 2007, 11:12 AM, said:

I am surprised how many people are bidding only 3♠.  I'd bid 4♠.

I'm not.

3S is a stand out at MPs or BAM and 4S is a stand out at Imps.

[kenrexford]

This is way more interesting a question for me than is generally addressed. I'm having a little trouble visualizing the hand that partner passes in third seat, white, but that is strong enough to compete at IMPs at the three-level. Many 4441 perfecto's would have been opened by most of my partners, let alone some of the bulky 4450's. Further, these hands seem like terrible holdings for a three-level takeout double at IMPs, as they are asking for trouble.

I am more inclined, at least in theory, to expect a hand not suitable for an opening because of rebid problems. 5440 is not so problematic. 3451/4351 is not problematic either, as you can live with a major response or could rebid diamonds. So, I am leaning toward a 4441 specifically, as 1NT by Responder would be ugly.

Now, even with 4441, I would open something if I held a very strong suit, and yet I seem to need quality suits all over to justify this level of involvement. Perforce, I suspect AJ9x in diamonds. Stiff club. I'm having trouble with the majors, but perhaps ♠Kxxx ♥QJ98 ♦AJ9x ♣x? That seems rich for a third-seat white pass, at IMP's, but I cannot imagine less for this three-level double. Opposite that, 4♠ has play.

So, with any normal person, I would also bid 4♠.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Mar 13 2007, 10:39 AM, said:

The double is takeout, and it shows a quality hand; not just noise with a 4=5=4=0 6 count.

I think exactly the opposite, partner tends to be light and just wants to make life difficult for the opponents. 3♠ for me.

Also it's an important point that the club ace would be much more valuable in any other suit, even if partner has a singleton club. In that case I would bid 4♠ and hope to make it purely on fit.

[HeartA]

bid_em_up, on Mar 13 2007, 10:10 AM, said:

The X is takeout, my vote is other.

4♠

ditto.