[Mr. Dodgy]

Scoring: XIMP

Pass-1♥-2♣-Dbl;
3♣-3♠-4♣-4♥;
Pass-Pass-5♣-???

---

Is the first 'negative' Double bad?

What should I do now?

(I should have given only my hand I guess, too bad)

This post has been edited by Mr. Dodgy: 2008-January-01, 12:04

[jtfanclub]

I'm no expert myself, but...

I think your bidding was perfect. Now, since you've described your hand so well (9+ hcp, 3 hearts, 4 spades), you pass and let your partner pick his poison. Hopefully he'll X (looking at all 4 hands) but I'd understand 5♥.

[Winstonm]

I don't like the double, the shape, the club cards, or the lack of hard honors.
I would have simply bid 2H over 2C.

[rogerclee]

I like the initial double, since I think a 4-4 spade fit is very likely to play better than a 5-3 heart fit, and if N bids 3C, I have no problem bidding 3H to tell him that I have reasonable values and 4-3 in the majors. We will run into problems like this whenever they find a save, but I am willing to sacrifice that to get to the better strain.

I would bid 4S, not 4H, on the given auction at my second turn.

I sympathize with 5H here, but I would make a forcing pass. With 5620, I would bid 5H.

Edit: Oh, sorry, I thought that the E hand was the one who had to bid over 5C. With the W hand, double is completely automatic.

[655321]

West's initial double was fine.

Now, over South's 5♣, you don't have a problem.
Double is absolutely automatic. Don't even consider any other call.

[neilkaz]

655321, on Jan 1 2008, 01:45 PM, said:

West's initial double was fine.

Now, over South's 5♣, you don't have a problem.
Double is absolutely automatic. Don't even consider any other call.

Agree completely. Double after 5♣ with that flat hand with no ruffing values, a likely cashing ace and a QJx in trumps that looks useless on offence but may provide a trick on defense.

[Gerben42]

First Dbl was perfectly okay, on your second turn I would have bid 4♠, not ♥.

Now I will Dbl 100%. I don't know pd has 6-5 so I see ♦ losers in my hand and a sure trump trick. All in all I don't want partner to bid 5♠.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 yes, although after you showed the heart support,
you muddied the water
Usually one plays a jump raise to 3H as preemptive,
and if you dont want to make the cue, you have to
find a bid, ...
Of course you should have bid 4S, at least if you believe
in the theory that 4-4 fits play better than 5-3 fits, ...
not everyone does
#2 X, you are balanced, you have QJx in their suit
The only thing in favour of 5H is, that you have a double
fit, and you know it, it may be a really strong argument in
favour of 5H overruling the two other arguments in favour
of making the X, ... I usually X, but time may teach me to
change my behaviour
Opener should not pass the penalty double, because of his
6-5 shape, he should bid 5H himself.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Edmunte1]

1. I personally don't like West's double but it's ok
2. East should have bid 4♠ instead of 3♠
3. West should double 5♣