[655321]

(1) 2♥.
Of the non-pass choices, prefer 2♥ to 2♠. How many tricks are they making in 2♦X? On a very good day we could be getting 500 or more (2 spades and a ruff, 3 hearts, a trump...), on a bad day they make 180, 380 or even 580... Partner doesn't need much hand to double here, so I take the cowardly choice.

(2) 3♣
Again I don't have the courage to defend 2♦X. (OK, partner is not guaranteed to pass a double, but still...) Partner will try a major suit lead which I hate. At least by bidding 3♣, he might have some idea of our hand - perhpas he can even guess we did not open 3♣ because of our majors.

[kenrexford]

2♥/X.

[han]

I would bid 2♥ for sure on the first hand, even though pass could work out well.

The second one is tough, very tempted to double but our hand is all about clubs. OK, I still dobule.

[dburn]

Would pass on the first almost without thinking (maybe we'll get 800 from nowhere). Would bid 3♣ on the second after a great deal of thinking, but I would try to do that thinking quickly so that partner would not know I had a problem. If he bids 3NT in rage, maybe he'll make it.

[finally17]

han, on Feb 27 2008, 11:43 PM, said:

The second one is tough, very tempted to double but our hand is all about clubs. OK, I still dobule.

2♥ for the first, for the second:

What are the odds that partner is going to come up with 3♣ if I double?

On the vast vast majority of partner's hands, our ♣ fit will be better than our ♥/♠ fit, usually significantly so (even playing it a level higher), and we're never going to play it if we double. Personally I think 3♣ is a no-brainer.

[Cascade]

1. 2♥ - passing is too big of a risk.

2. Dbl - I am not that keen on partner passing but this is more flexible and if she passes we might defeat it.

[Echognome]

1. 2♥ - not really worried about the moysian

2. Dbl - so there's a flaw. At least 2♦X isn't game.

[Codo]

1. May pd have 3 Spades or 5 Hearts? In this case pass may result in a ridicolous contract. But if he has a 2425 hand, pass looks actractive.
I buy british and vote pass.

2. X If pd sits for it, he cannot expect more then two tricks from a passed hand. That is what I have.

[gnasher]

On the first hand I'd have opened 2S. Having opened 1S, I'd bid 2H.

On the second one, partner will often pass a double because he has nowhere to go, even if he's not particularly confident of beating it. I bid 3C.

[Fluffy]

On first 2♠

Second one is pretty close, will bid Double only becuase it leaves us a level lower, if reopening a 3♣ preept with diamonds I'd bid 3♦.

[helene_t]

Agree with 655321 (I even succeeded in spelling his name correctly )

[whereagles]

agree with ken

[the hog]

Agree with David Burn

[kfay]

I'll bid a slow 2♥ and X on the second hand. X really seems normal to me.

[Apollo81]

1. 2♥, doesn't seem close to passing.
2. 3♣, tough call. With major suit cards offside and a D void I am not wanting to defend unless partner has significant extras beyond a normal penalty pass.

[TimG]

Jlall, on Feb 27 2008, 11:05 PM, said:

w/r imps you hold:

AKxxx QJx JTxx x. You open 1S in third (partner would open all unbal 10s and bal 11s), LHO overcalls 2D, partner Xs, RHO passes...and you?

With barely half the deck (at best) and no reason to suspect the opponents haven't found a fit, it seems to me that passing the double is a crap shoot.

Quote

Txxx Txx --- AKJTxx r/w imps. You choose to pass first seat, LHO opens 2D p p to you. You?

3C. Double seems to be aiming at a very small target.

[mike777]

1) pass
2) double

[pclayton]

1. Pass. This hand is a nice little defensive minimum and it's not a disaster if they make. 2♥ looks secure, but play it on repeated trump leads.

2. 3♣. I'm not doubling here but we still might have 3N so I have to do something.

[mikegill]

1) 2♥, not close to a pass - where are our 6 tricks coming from? Pard is a passed hand and seems to even open aggressively.

2) 3♣, always hesitant to X with a void and suspect defense.