[firmit]

Scoring: MP

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I was North, East opens
(1♣) - DBL - (1♥) - PASS!
(1NT) - pass - (pass) - DBL!!
AP

It may be correct to dbl LHO 1♥ but I was not sure if partner would take it as penalty or spade showing with values.
Anyway, I expected dealer to rebid 1NT which she did, and I got to dbl. 1NTX-3 vul, 800 our way.

Any thoughts about my first pass?
Anyone else who would open first seat 1♣?

A lot of strange results on this board:
1NTX E 4 800
3NT S 10 630
2HJ N 9 140
1NT V 7 -90
2SP S 7 -100
3HJ N 7 -200

[vbalbi]

[whereagles]

I think I would have dbled 1♥ for penalites if that's available. If not, I'd bid 1NT over it. Would also have bid 2♣ with East's hand after the dbl.

The actual auction seems fine too, though a bit on the sneaky side by North

[skjaeran]

A double of 1♥ is for penalty in this sequence - 1♠ shows spades and values to bid. Thus I'd double 1♥.

I'd definitely open 1♣ with the east hand, but that's not everybodys choice.

[han]

I think the first pass is really bad. Partner has doubled 1C and I have Jxx in clubs. It is quite likely that they have a decent club fit so I'm going to tell about my four hearts right away. Perhaps I will bid 2D later.

Getting to play 1NT doubled was nice of course but I don't buy the "I passed 1H so that I could double 1NT".

I would open 1C when playing with Arend, with most others I would pass.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

unless you play dbl over 1H as responsive, i.e.
showing 4-4 in spades and hearts, double is
penalty.
I am not sure, what is better, I dont think 1H
will be a psych bid very often, but to be consisten
with other situations, I would play it as hearts.

If you dont like to double or if you cant, I
would bid 2D, but the auction turned out well for you.
For that matter, since you play MP and they are red,
pass is not as bad, as others have said, if they go
down undouble twice, you already collect 200,
no contract from our side will reach this score,
and you are still free to bid 2D.

I dont like the 1C opening, but it is mainly a
matter of style.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[beatrix45]

I like your bidding just fine, and it worked out well as it should have. You could have doubled one heart for penalties, imo, but psyches of 1♥ are quite rare these days in duplicate bridge, so a pass makes sense. 3♦ was a slight possibility, but doesn't work out here for sure.

The second round double was routine. Often, they will then roll out into a club fit, but this confirms you have a red suit fit. You then have plenty of bidding room between 2♣ and 3♦ or 3♥ to sort things out.

[jdonn]

Hannie, on Nov 28 2007, 04:48 PM, said:

I think the first pass is really bad. Partner has doubled 1C and I have Jxx in clubs. It is quite likely that they have a decent club fit so I'm going to tell about my four hearts right away. Perhaps I will bid 2D later.

Getting to play 1NT doubled was nice of course but I don't buy the "I passed 1H so that I could double 1NT".

I agree with this. It works out much better in the long run to just bid your hand instead of waiting around for minor miracles. Besides if you had doubled 1♥ you would still have gotten to double 1NT later, but when the opponents go to clubs you can now economically bid 2♦ and have gotten in three descriptions of your hand at a very low level. I mean lets not result here, partner had AKx of clubs and the opponents were bare/sub minimums!

[jtfanclub]

jdonn, on Nov 29 2007, 06:29 PM, said:

It works out much better in the long run to just bid your hand instead of waiting around for minor miracles.

Is that really standard these days, for an X of 1♥ in this sequence to show 4 hearts? I've heard of it, but I've never played it or played against it, as far as I know. Is it alertable?

I've had the X there mean 4 spades weak/strong (with a direct 1♠ being NF constructive), 3 spades with 4+ diamonds, or both majors. I'm curious as to what the advantage is of having the X there be penalty oriented. Do that many people psyche the 1♥ bid? If they don't, it seems unlikely that responder would have 4♥, so the second cheapest call ought to have more utility.

[skjaeran]

jtfanclub, on Nov 30 2007, 01:40 AM, said:

jdonn, on Nov 29 2007, 06:29 PM, said:

It works out much better in the long run to just bid your hand instead of waiting around for minor miracles.

Is that really standard these days, for an X of 1♥ in this sequence to show 4 hearts? I've heard of it, but I've never played it or played against it, as far as I know. Is it alertable?

I've had the X there mean 4 spades weak/strong (with a direct 1♠ being NF constructive), 3 spades with 4+ diamonds, or both majors. I'm curious as to what the advantage is of having the X there be penalty oriented. Do that many people psyche the 1♥ bid? If they don't, it seems unlikely that responder would have 4♥, so the second cheapest call ought to have more utility.

A 1♥ psyche here is not very frequent (although this is a "standard" psyche position), but where I play it's quite normal for responder to bid 1♥ on Txxx or similar.

For me a double here has always showed 4c♥ and the strenght to make a bid, say 6+ hcp. 2♥ shows about the same with a 5-card suit. 1♠ and 2♠ has the same meaning as X and 2♥ but shows spades of course. Stronger hands makes a cue in openers suit.

I've always been very comfortable with this approach which I consider to be standard, and have never seen a need for finding another approach.

There's a lot of weaker players around who mix this position up with responders position after an overcall and explain doubles of 1M here as negative (I can see JTF is in quite another camp).