[inquiry]

Scoring: IMPS

(1♥) 2♣ (2♥) DBL
(Ps) 3♦ (Ps) ? ?

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Your bid is, and why?

[Cascade]

Gerber!!!

I am a bit light for the original double. Although what I have looks useful - except I would rather the ace was in a different suit. Partner will need extra to bid game.

[Winstonm]

I can't answer this - I would have bid 3C the first time. In competition, once the fit is known I don't look real hard for another fit but try to define my hand so partner has a clue what to do.

If partner had: KJxx, xxx, A, AQJxxx he could bid 3S over 3C and we haven't missed anything - and with the 9+ card club fit I sure won't be looking for an 8-card spade fit on the 98xxx.

[Fluffy]

I also think I would rather bid 3♣ the round before, but if I ever felt this agressive I bid 4♣ now.

[inquiry]

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I am sorry this hand didn't seem to be as interesting to others as I found it. This is from a cayne match yesterday, JEC held the hand in question and did double. He then bid "only" 4♣, which might be the right bid. However, a little thinking might reach a different conclusion. I was wondering if the analysis to try 5♣ was sound. It goes like this. Partner opened 1♣ not 1♦ and then rebid ♦'s. I think he must be 5 or 6 ♣ and 4♦. They didn't compete strongly in ♥, so partner rates to have two or more likely three hearts, that gives him at most one spade, I have ♦Q, ruffing value in ♥, four card club support. Doesn't this feel like a perfect fit hand? Anyway, it might be resulting too much. But kudos to those who found the 5♣ bid....

At the other table, the hand shown opened 1♦ and rebid 2♣ and got to play in 2♦ NS.

[jdonn]

Why can't partner be 2335?

[fred]

4C would be my easy first choice on the round before. If I had to offer a second choice it would be 5C (which I like better than either 3C or DBL).

My judgment suggests it is far more likely that we belong in 5C (either to make or as a sacrifice) than that we belong in 4S. 5C is where the money is so you should make the call that puts partner in the best position to bid 5C when that is right. Neither 3C nor (especially) DBL rate to get the job done as far as getting to 5C is concerned.

Spades is much more likely to be right when partner has 4 of them. This is not very likely, but on some of the hands in which partner was dealt 4 spades, he will bid 4S over 4C. So it is not like 4C gives up on spades completely.

Besides this hand being about clubs (and not spades) to me, I find the concept of making a responsible DBL without a real diamond suit to be a little scary. Maybe partner *should* bid 4NT (and not 5D) with a good 4-6 hand, but it is a lot easier to say that when the hand is over.

For me a responsive DBL when partner has overcalled says either you really have the other two suits or that you can handle the auction no matter how high partner wants to bid in one of the other two suits. This hand doesn't qualify.

Perhaps because of the way I think about responsive DBLs is strange (is it?) I don't understand the 3D advance of the responsive DBL with the actual hand. I would have certainly jumped to 4D (and like 5D - oops 4NT! - better than 3D).

After the actual sequence, the responsive DBLer is truly screwed - 5C would be a real shot in the dark now and 4C does not exactly do a good job of describing this hand. He could (and should IMO) have saved himself from this problem by bidding the right number of clubs (instead of DBLing) the round before.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[TimG]

fred, on Jan 2 2009, 08:06 PM, said:

Besides this hand being about clubs (and not spades) to me, I find the concept of making a responsible DBL without a real diamond suit to be a little scary.

I love it. So many people play irresponsible doubles these days. Really, the slip of the fingers seems quite appropriate.

[dake50]

Does partner overcall 2C with 4xS often? 3xS as AQx? Instead of TO/Dbl? Nah! Clubs is soo likely right I 4C last round.

[dburn]

I would have bid 4♣ rather than double, but I would not have raised to 5♣ on the overcaller's hand. Nor, having doubled, would I have bid more than 4♣ on this hand. I guess some minor-suit games are too tough - for me, at any rate.