[catch22]

Scoring: IMP

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You are South.
East opens 4H - Your bid. If you don't double what additional feature would make you double. e.g. ♠A952 ♥KJ ♦KT63 ♣A76 or ♠A92 ♥32 ♦KJ63 ♣AK76

Scoring: IMP

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You are South.
P-3H-?. Again the same as before if you don't double what would you need to double

[paulg]

I need a 4th spade to double on the first hand.

On the second hand I need more values and, preferably, a singleton heart. I'm only bidding if I think there is a reasonable chance of game.

Paul

[sceptic]

hand 1 ur pard is not passed and you have the heart shortage, so I think not ideal, but I would x especially as opp has taken advantage of being non vuln and could be robbing you blind

I would pass hand 2 as I need quite a bit more to x this

[Fluffy]

Hand 1 I double, woudl double without ♥J as well.


Hand 2 I pass, passed partner will reopen if we have game (even reopen with 3NT).


EDIT: Now I think of it, on hand 1 I'd double with ♦Q10xx as well

[helene_t]

First hand I dbl. This is an absolute minimum, I think. I hope p leaves it in but if he bids, I do have support for the unbid suits.

Second hand is borderline, but with a passed p I must pass.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 Pass, moving the hearts value to another
suit would make a t/o mandatory
a 4 card spade suit is also nice, in case the
values for the t/o are min, and values in
their suit dont count
#2 double, given that partner is a passed hand
it is probably close, but I double anyway

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

#1. pass. would dbl with another spade

#2. obvious dbl ^^

[Free]

1. Dbl
2. obvious pass

[keylime]

I used to pass a lot with hand 1 until I learned that double game swings are not conducive for team dynamics. Now it's a regular double; got to show that the 4H preempt is not on a great hand.

Hand 2, a calm pass and defend.

[ArcLight]

Hand 1
No way I bid. They are likely down and if I DBL we are unlikely to end up in a making game.

We are trading a small plus 75% of the time, for a minus 85% of the time, and a game 15% of the time. And some of those minus score will be doubled.

Pard and LHO may have 4 spades each.


For me to bid, I'd want at least another spade and move the heart honors to another suit. It wouldn't surprise me to see RHO lead the heart ace and another and LHO ruffing it. Those 4 Heart HCP are worse than useless as declarer, it means the other players have the useful HCP.

I can live with feweerr HCP but the heart doubleton is worrysome. 4144 is a nicer shape. With a doubleton heart I'd want 4 spades and more HCP to compensate.
With 4243 shape ID want 3 of the top 5 spades, and honors in teh other suit.
With 3244 shape I'd want 3 aces and have each of them supported with the Q and J, or the K.

This assumes your opponents are capable of defense and don't make silly bids.

[catch22]

Scoring: IMP

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This was the full hand. Thanks to cardsharp for giving the other side to the story, unfortunately the hand I initially gave him was slightly the wrong, my memory of it limited by a trip to the bar while partner was playing 4S doubled.

My double was deemed marginal, so I am pleased to have received the support of a number of the contributors to the thread. So unrepentant I will continue to double on this type of hand as I believe in the long run it is the correct action. I would have passed with partner's hand, but that is another thread.

The second hand was less exciting. We went 3 off vul in 3S, partner doubled this time. However, the 3H opening was heavy, to say the least, and our other pair played in 4H making.