[awm]

Scoring: MP

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You're sitting south, unfavorable at MP scoring. The auction thus far:

Pass - Pass - 1NT(1) - X
Pass(2) - Pass - 2♣(3) - X
2♥ - X - 2♠ - Pass
Pass - X - Pass.... ???

(1) Announced as 10-12 HCP
(2) Alerted as "scrambling"
(3) Shows 3+♣, maybe longer side suit

All the doubles are penalty-oriented by agreement.

What do you do now? Would you have made a different call earlier in the auction?

[Echognome]

I don't see any reason not to defend. Partner has heard our pass of 2♠ saying we aren't that interested in defending 2♠. So why not trust partner's decision and take the money? 3NT is no guarantee and the hands may be misfits. So mark me down for defend 2SX.

[pclayton]

When I defend against a mini-NT, I'm not obsessed with nailing them for a number. I want to try to get back to the field contract, and it looks like its 3N.

I have a lot more information than the other tables - which may just bid 1N - 3N on our cards. Accordingly, I'll have an advantage to playing the field contract.

I play pard's subsequent double as Hxx or better; but it sounds like they wriggled into their 4-4 successfully.

[han]

Pass. I'm going to do something strange and trust partner.

[cherdano]

Clear pull if partner doubled slowly.

[Gerben42]

I lead the Ace of Clubs.

[bid_em_up]

Nobody's concerned that 3N is making our way for +600 vs. what is likely only going to be 300/500 on defense? We would have to beat 2S by 4 tricks to outscore 3N and I don't think its possible.

[Echognome]

bid_em_up, on May 9 2007, 09:23 AM, said:

Nobody's concerned that 3N is making our way for +600 vs. what is likely only going to be 300/500 on defense? We would have to beat 2S by 4 tricks to outscore 3N and I don't think its possible.

Of course we're concerned. But you're assuming opponents have found the right spot and that partner has made a mistake. You have already stated your desire not to defend 2♠X by passing! Given that partner thinks it's a good idea to defend, what about your hand makes you not want to defend?

Yes, it's possible we are making only 300 or 500 vs 600 from 3NT. But it's also possible we make 800 beating say 3NT+2. More importantly, what about all the hands where either 3NT doesn't make or we aren't getting to 3NT? Then we are going +300 vs a partscore or a negative.

[keylime]

Pass, lead AC, and take the money. I pass regardless of what pard's does in terms of tempo since he's hammered the contract previous to the final double.

[Apollo81]

awm, on May 7 2007, 06:00 PM, said:

Dealer: West Vul: N/S Scoring: MP

♠ AQ ♥ 76 ♦ QT86 ♣ AKT85

You're sitting south, unfavorable at MP scoring. The auction thus far:

Pass - Pass - 1NT(1) - X
Pass(2) - Pass - 2♣(3) - X
2♥ - X - 2♠ - Pass
Pass - X - Pass.... ???

(1) Announced as 10-12 HCP
(2) Alerted as "scrambling"
(3) Shows 3+♣, maybe longer side suit

All the doubles are penalty-oriented by agreement.

What do you do now? Would you have made a different call earlier in the auction?

Pass. 3NT looks like a fishing expedition.

[pclayton]

bid_em_up, on May 9 2007, 09:23 AM, said:

Nobody's concerned that 3N is making our way for +600 vs. what is likely only going to be 300/500 on defense? We would have to beat 2S by 4 tricks to outscore 3N and I don't think its possible.

This is my concern too.

Passing seems like a top or bottom proposition to me. I think we have the values for 3N, and for passing to be right, we have to take the same amount of tricks on our 3-2 or 4-2 fit in spades, as NT.

For passing to be right; we have to be getting 2♠ down 4, or 3N to go down with 2♠ getting us some penalty.

The club honors appear to be well placed, so we have a nice source of tricks there for 3N.

LHO could be 4-4, but he's just as apt to be 4-5/5-4 or possible 5-5. The term 'scrambling' is a little open-ended.

[jdonn]

What I like about 3NT is I think I'm ahead of the field regarding the play in this contract. I know a lot about the strength and shape of the opponents, I know the clubs are onside most likely, and I'm probably getting a spade lead which I don't mind at all. At other tables RHO quite likely didn't have an opening, so it would have been a 1NT opening by my hand and they would have no clues how to play. I think 3NT is a much safer way to probably get a good score, since at worst I'm about average. Passing the double at this vul is just too swingy for me.

[Echognome]

And just how do we know they've found a 4-4 fit? Lefty's going to pass anything undoubled. Suppose we pass and lefty pulls and now we've really got them. Instead, we are going to take them off the hook and bid 3NT. Phew! Opponents rescued us on that one.

[jdonn]

Echognome, on May 9 2007, 01:53 PM, said:

And just how do we know they've found a 4-4 fit? Lefty's going to pass anything undoubled. Suppose we pass and lefty pulls and now we've really got them. Instead, we are going to take them off the hook and bid 3NT. Phew! Opponents rescued us on that one.

Lefty is not pulling 2♠X unless they have had a misunderstanding. It seems like he was showing majors. I'm actually quite sure LHO has four spades, but RHO may not.

[Echognome]

jdonn, on May 9 2007, 11:10 AM, said:

Echognome, on May 9 2007, 01:53 PM, said:

And just how do we know they've found a 4-4 fit?  Lefty's going to pass anything undoubled.  Suppose we pass and lefty pulls and now we've really got them.  Instead, we are going to take them off the hook and bid 3NT.  Phew!  Opponents rescued us on that one.

Lefty is not pulling 2♠X unless they have had a misunderstanding. It seems like he was showing majors. I'm actually quite sure LHO has four spades, but RHO may not.

And partner isn't sitting there with xxx, Jxx, or JTx. I also think Kxx would be a mistake. So partner has 4 trumps. I agree it could very well be righty bidding a 3-card suit. Tough luck for them.

[bid_em_up]

Echognome, on May 9 2007, 02:35 PM, said:

jdonn, on May 9 2007, 11:10 AM, said:

Echognome, on May 9 2007, 01:53 PM, said:

And just how do we know they've found a 4-4 fit?  Lefty's going to pass anything undoubled.  Suppose we pass and lefty pulls and now we've really got them.  Instead, we are going to take them off the hook and bid 3NT.  Phew!  Opponents rescued us on that one.

Lefty is not pulling 2♠X unless they have had a misunderstanding. It seems like he was showing majors. I'm actually quite sure LHO has four spades, but RHO may not.

And partner isn't sitting there with xxx, Jxx, or JTx. I also think Kxx would be a mistake. So partner has 4 trumps. I agree it could very well be righty bidding a 3-card suit. Tough luck for them.

Why isn't he?

What do you expect him to be doing on a holding such as:

Jxx AQJx xxx Jxx

[Gerben42]

Bid on rather than Dbl them?

[bid_em_up]

Gerben42, on May 9 2007, 03:15 PM, said:

Bid on rather than Dbl them?

Bid what? He certainly has no clear direction.

[pclayton]

Pard may have a very good spade suit, or he may not. My personal agreement is that a subsequent double, after one makes a penalty double, is that it promises Hxx.