[paulg]

Scoring: MP

     (2♠) 3♥ (3♠)
4♥ (4♠) Dbl (Pass)
?

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Experienced tournament players, but not experts, as opponents and the second session with a new expert partner opposite.

Your call?

[dicklont]

I bid, although partner has doubled and wants to defend.
Partner cannot know that we will make zero heart tricks against 4♠.

[Codo]

The 2 ♠ bidder bids again. Either he is soemone who wants to play any hand or he has a reason to bid 4 Spade. We should belive the second reason. So pd knows that the chance of a heart chicane is around 90 %. He doubled 4 Spade and I have some defensive values.
If my pd will take my double with this hand out, I will hate him.

Besides: We freely bid game AND the 2 Spade bidder did something unusual. To me partner was in a forcing pass situation and in that case, a pass is mandatory.

[han]

Yeah I'd also bid 5H, I have at least two more trumps than partner can expect. If I thought LHO was a complete lunatic (instead of just a regular lunatic) then I might pass.

[Apollo81]

If my opponents are not experts, then I would not read much into the 4♠ bid. I'd pass, as I'd expect both 4♠ and 5♥ to be frequently down one.

[pclayton]

Another reraise by the preemptor. vulnerable nonetheless!

I never see these problems IRL but I'm not defending with 5 trump, a stiff and so-so defense.

[paulg]

This problem was the cause of an appeal, as it was maintained that partner's double was after a hesitation.

On the actual hand, 4♠ was making and 5♥ going down one.

You can see all the hands and what the legal community thinks in the thread on the bridge laws site.

Paul

[benlessard]

I think its a close call, and i can live with both 5H and pass. I think 5 seconds is a normal tempo for an unusual bidding sequence. IMO bidding in tempo include some leeway for tough and unusual bidding wich is clearly the case here, bidding 5 over 4 or X or not decision are always tricky.

The sad fact here is that the slow double clearly suggest pulling and if everybody agree there was a tempo break then you have no choice to put 4Sx making.

[dicklont]

Codo, on Oct 20 2008, 07:30 AM, said:

If my pd will take my double with this hand out, I will hate him.

Sorry Codo, it seems I was right on this hand but now my partner hates me.
Next time I'll pass and be loved .
Let's hope that then 4♠ is one off.

[paulg]

benlessard, on Oct 21 2008, 08:47 AM, said:

I think its a close call, and i can live with both 5H and pass. I think 5 seconds is a normal tempo for an unusual bidding sequence. IMO bidding in tempo include some leeway for tough and unusual bidding wich is clearly the case here, bidding 5 over 4 or X or not decision are always tricky.

I agree.

Unfortunately for EW I was the last player on the appeals panel to be located and so was not on the Appeal Committee. They should have started looking in the bar.

Paul

[Codo]

I do not understand the ruling at all.
Frances (in the other threat) had it right. A weak two bidder bids again. That makes me think about this issue for some seconds.
We play together the first time. Is pass forcing?

Sorry, but the descission was nuts. I had needed more time to pass.