[Helmer]

Scoring: Total Points

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Bidding:
W   N     E    S
p   1 ♠   dbl 1 NT
p   2 ♦    p    2♠
p   p  ?


What is your bid now?

After another double from partner I felt trapped - and passed and hoped that my
♠ holding would be enough. As I imagined even worse if I made a bid.

Partner lead 2 high diamonds - K and A. Don't ask me why.
But no matter what we can't set it ever.

All 4 hands:

Scoring: Total Points

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Thanks any comments.

Helmer Hoas

[Stephen Tu]

Your partner should pass, as you had the opportunity to bid over 1nt but didn't, so it's unlikely the hand belongs to your side. Also the opponents appear to be in a 7 cd fit so it's fairly unlikely your side has a 8 cd fit.

You had a tossup between -1070 & -1100 here, no real difference, but I think in general you should pull, the adage is "takeout your partner's takeout doubles". You know that 2s is almost certainly making, probably -870 at least (playing partner for 5 defensive tricks w/ maybe 1 trick from you in trumps is too ambitious). If you pull, maybe by some miracle they forget to double, or they slip tricks on defense which is easier than slipping tricks on offense, on a different hand partner maybe gets out for -500.

[helene_t]

I think the first double describes this hand and that he should pass thereafter. If anything, he should have double 2♦ so that p can get out in 2♥ if he's broke with a preference for hearts.

[skjaeran]

The bidding this far indicates that opps are in a 5-2 fit.
Partner's expected hand is thus a balanced or semibalanced hand with a 5-card ♠ suit, and at most 5 hcp, probably less.

You can't expect any sort of fit. If you double you're aiming for a bad board, going down in som (doubled?) partscore or letting them make 2♠x.

This should be an easy pass. The best you can hope for is partner contributing a trick in trumps. You should go passive on defence here, your ♦ holding might be good. I'd either lead a trump (eventhough a singleton trump lead often is bad) or the ♥Q (I know that's no good in the actual layout).

[cherdano]

I think form of scoring matters a lot here. I would have a lot of sympathy for partner's second double at MPs, but at IMPs I would find it too dangerous, and at total points it is suicidal. (At IMPs you still need to compete for part-scores aggressively, but at total points that is too risky.)

Btw I disagree with Helene that the first double described this hand, I would double without ♦K and ♣Q.

[hotShot]

East holds 16 HCP and opener should have 12+. So east knows where 28+HCP are located. South won't bid 1NT with nothing, so obviously his partner (west) can't have more than 6HCP.

So if east intended his 2nd double to be penalty, than it is wrong, because he's not strong enough. East has 3-4 tricks in a ♠ contract and partner is not strong enough to make the 2-3 tricks needed to bring 2♠ down.

If east intended his 2nd double to be take out, than it is wrong, because opps did not show a fit (so his side won't have one too) and his side is not strong enough for the 3 level. East has about 4-5 tricks playing any suit other than ♠, so the west hand would be required to make 4+ tricks to make. With this type of strength west would have bid before.

[Free]

Pass is clear imo, first you double, so you showed your hand, and if partner has a penalty dbl he'll make it himself. Doubling again is asking for trouble...

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

I think form of scoring matters a lot here. I would have a lot of sympathy for partner's second double at MPs, but at IMPs I would find it too dangerous, and at total points it is suicidal. (At IMPs you still need to compete for part-scores aggressively, but at total points that is too risky.)

Btw I disagree with Helene that the first double described this hand, I would double without ♦K and ♣Q.

I don't have sympathy for 2nd double at MP. Yes you have some extra values, but it's a non-fit auction. If the bidding had gone 1s-x-2s-p-p-, doubling would be reasonable but not here.

[Double !]

PASS
unless you enjoy hanging your partner who (assuming that 1NT was not forcing) is marked for some degree of length in spades and not much in the way of hcp's or trick-taking potential.

DHL

[jdonn]

If people don't like the second double then ok, but it's sort of ridiculous they are saying he had "shown his hand" already. He would have doubled the first time with like 5 points less.

[han]

Agree with Josh, I wonder if the responses would have been very different if only doublers hand was given. It is easy saying that pass is clear when you see all hands.

[skjaeran]

Hannie, on Aug 19 2007, 10:20 PM, said:

Agree with Josh, I wonder if the responses would have been very different if only doublers hand was given. It is easy saying that pass is clear when you see all hands.

I also agree that east hasn't shown his hand with the first double.

But I'm confident that it's a bad idea to show it as the bidding has proceeded.

[Free]

Hannie, on Aug 19 2007, 09:20 PM, said:

It is easy saying that pass is clear when you see all hands.

It's just wrong to include all hands in a poll... Biased polls are useless, as well as the discussion afterwards

[cherdano]

Stephen Tu, on Aug 19 2007, 11:39 AM, said:

Quote

I think form of scoring matters a lot here. I would have a lot of sympathy for partner's second double at MPs, but at IMPs I would find it too dangerous, and at total points it is suicidal. (At IMPs you still need to compete for part-scores aggressively, but at total points that is too risky.)

Btw I disagree with Helene that the first double described this hand, I would double without ♦K and ♣Q.

I don't have sympathy for 2nd double at MP. Yes you have some extra values, but it's a non-fit auction. If the bidding had gone 1s-x-2s-p-p-, doubling would be reasonable but not here.

At matchpoints, it seems bad to me to let the opponents play undoubled in their 5-2 spade fit when the odds are good that it is your hand. In your other auction (1S X 2S P P), I would think a double would be 100% mandatory at MP.

(Still I am very confident the second double is very bad at total points.)

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

At matchpoints, it seems bad to me to let the opponents play undoubled in their 5-2 spade fit when the odds are good that it is your hand

What about the auction makes you believe that the odds are good that it is your hand? One opponent opened, the other bid a free 1nt. That alone tends to account for a min of 19 hcp, it would be rare for your side to have balance of power. Furthermore, they don't have a true fit, which means you are unlikely to have a fit. If partner had any values & a suit fit he is supposed to act over 1nt.

I think it very unlikely that it is your hand, and exceedingly unlikely that you can make a 3 level contract. Partner would have bid over 1nt if that were the case. Beating 2S undoubled, if it's possible, will be good enough, there's no partial your way to protect.