[Ai Hao]

Red vs opps white, RHO open 1♠ in 1st seat, your hand:

♠107
♥A76
♦AJ985
♣AQ10

What would you bid?

1, x
2, pass
3, 2♦

[rogerclee]

Double, this is routine.

[gwnn]

yep please double with these hands

[pclayton]

But wait we don't have four cards in the Unbid Major!

[skjaeran]

It's an obvious double to me. A lot of Norwegians wouldn't double with only 3-card ♥s here, and prefer to overcall 2♦. I don't like that approach at all.

[ArtK78]

I tend to overcall 2♦ on these cards. Partner should be willing to bid hearts or clubs freely since I am showing a reasonable hand at these colors.

I realize that my choice will be a minority choice in this Forum, as double will be very popular. But I think that 2♦ will work out better in the long run.

[kenrexford]

This is a borderline hand, IMO. The up-side to a 2♦ overcall is that I have enough stuff to reopen a 2♠ with a double, that my suit is apprpriate for a lead, that I have enough internal junk and external controls to make 2♦X an unlikely final contract, and I am not horrified by an aggressive partner blasting 3NT with Kxx and the spade Ace.

I think that's enough for me to bid 2♦. Move my diamond Jack to hearts, and clear double. Keep everything where it is but reduce my diamonds to AJ9xx and I double.

[mike777]

rogerclee, on Oct 4 2008, 10:52 AM, said:

Double, this is routine.

ditto.

[the hog]

X. 2D is not a good bid.

[CSGibson]

X. No second choice.

[skjaeran]

kenrexford, on Oct 5 2008, 01:05 AM, said:

This is a borderline hand, IMO. The up-side to a 2♦ overcall is that I have enough stuff to reopen a 2♠ with a double, that my suit is apprpriate for a lead, that I have enough internal junk and external controls to make 2♦X an unlikely final contract, and I am not horrified by an aggressive partner blasting 3NT with Kxx and the spade Ace.

I think that's enough for me to bid 2♦. Move my diamond Jack to hearts, and clear double. Keep everything where it is but reduce my diamonds to AJ9xx and I double.

2♦ followed by double would show a stronger hand for me.

[kenrexford]

skaeran, on Oct 5 2008, 06:26 AM, said:

kenrexford, on Oct 5 2008, 01:05 AM, said:

This is a borderline hand, IMO.  The up-side to a 2♦ overcall is that I have enough stuff to reopen a 2♠ with a double, that my suit is apprpriate for a lead, that I have enough internal junk and external controls to make 2♦X an unlikely final contract, and I am not horrified by an aggressive partner blasting 3NT with Kxx and the spade Ace.

I think that's enough for me to bid 2♦.  Move my diamond Jack to hearts, and clear double.  Keep everything where it is but reduce my diamonds to AJ9xx and I double.

2♦ followed by double would show a stronger hand for me.

It would for me too, usually. This hand is right at the lowest edge, because of the prime controls and fitting junk (actually in two suits -- I really like that club holding).

[Free]

Depends on the players in the panel. If they're weak I'd say 2♦, if they are good players, "Dbl WTP"

[P_Marlowe]

X.

The alternative is 2D, but due to the bad
suit quality I prefer X.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[bid_em_up]

Double seems clear.

[ASkolnick]

I'm sorry, I am with the 2♦ bidders as well. I tend to bid out shape first. As for the people saying, you must be a bad player if you don't is silly. I also agree with Ken, if my 5 card suit, looks like a 4 card suit, I would double, but AJ9xx is a reasonable suit.

What would you like me to do with my 9 count and 4 card hearts on the auction,

1♠-X-2♠-

I guess a responsive double is OK, but when LHO bids 3S, I have no idea where I stand. If I bid 2D and decide to reopen, that is good. Or now, partner can make a responsive double with the hand and I could bid.

Double is always the most "flexible" action it seems, but nobody seems to understand that when the auction gets back to you, you may not be able to catch up.

[pclayton]

skaeran, on Oct 5 2008, 03:26 AM, said:

kenrexford, on Oct 5 2008, 01:05 AM, said:

This is a borderline hand, IMO.  The up-side to a 2♦ overcall is that I have enough stuff to reopen a 2♠ with a double, that my suit is apprpriate for a lead, that I have enough internal junk and external controls to make 2♦X an unlikely final contract, and I am not horrified by an aggressive partner blasting 3NT with Kxx and the spade Ace.

I think that's enough for me to bid 2♦.  Move my diamond Jack to hearts, and clear double.  Keep everything where it is but reduce my diamonds to AJ9xx and I double.

2♦ followed by double would show a stronger hand for me.

Or a hand with better diamonds and a stiff spade.

[jdonn]

ASkolnick, on Oct 6 2008, 03:22 PM, said:

I'm sorry, I am with the 2♦ bidders as well. I tend to bid out shape first. As for the people saying, you must be a bad player if you don't is silly. I also agree with Ken, if my 5 card suit, looks like a 4 card suit, I would double, but AJ9xx is a reasonable suit.

What would you like me to do with my 9 count and 4 card hearts on the auction,

1♠-X-2♠-

I guess a responsive double is OK, but when LHO bids 3S, I have no idea where I stand. If I bid 2D and decide to reopen, that is good. Or now, partner can make a responsive double with the hand and I could bid.

Bid what?

And what if his four hearts are really five hearts?

It's not that 2♦ couldn't work or that double must lead to a good spot. It's that this is a very common problem that experienced players have confronted many times before, so we are used to thinking about it and don't have to rehash the plusses and minuses each time. The fact is you have support for all unbid suits, and so double gives you the best chance of reaching your best fit.

[waubrey]

Double, hoping to find a major suir fit. No second choice.

[kenrexford]

jdonn, on Oct 6 2008, 03:46 PM, said:

ASkolnick, on Oct 6 2008, 03:22 PM, said:

I'm sorry, I am with the 2♦ bidders as well.  I tend to bid out shape first.  As for the people saying, you must be a bad player if you don't is silly.  I also agree with Ken, if my 5 card suit, looks like a 4 card suit, I would double, but AJ9xx is a reasonable suit.

What would you like me to do with my 9 count and 4 card hearts on the auction,

1♠-X-2♠-

I guess a responsive double is OK, but when LHO bids 3S, I have no idea where I stand.  If I bid 2D and decide to reopen, that is good.  Or now, partner  can make a responsive double with the hand and I could bid.

Bid what?

And what if his four hearts are really five hearts?

It's not that 2♦ couldn't work or that double must lead to a good spot. It's that this is a very common problem that experienced players have confronted many times before, so we are used to thinking about it and don't have to rehash the plusses and minuses each time. The fact is you have support for all unbid suits, and so double gives you the best chance of reaching your best fit.

Wow. I'm very impressed.

There are hands where double is clearly right, and there are hands where 2♦ is clearly right. You, however, have played and discussed so many hands in that tweener range (between X and 2♦) that you have been able to gain an understanding of exactly where the plusses and minuses tilt ever-so-slightly in favor of the double over the 2♦ overcall?

Wow. I suppose you also have been able to hash and rehash the ever-so-slight differences between when that balance tips as a function of the opening bid (whether 1♣, 1♦, 1♥, or 1♠) and of the base suit (whichever that may be), as an additional function of whether the side suits are 3-3, 3-4, or 4-3.

I also suppose that, in your circles, these factors and conclusions are well known, having been discussed at great length, of course.

But, one thing I don't get. Your conclusory statement seems really dumbed down. "The fact is you have support for all unbid suits, and so double gives you the best chance of reaching your best fit." I mean, using that theory, ♠-- ♥432 ♦AKQJ1098 ♣432 would be a clear double. I never looked at it right, I suppose, because I would think that overcalling some number of diamonds was right. Now I feel silly for missing the obvious double.