[Codo]

Scoring: IMP

---

The bidding so far:

Partner rho me lho
1♥ pass 3♣ 3 ♦
4 ♦ 5 ♦ ??

1 ♥ was around 11-19 HCP
3 ♣ shows a four card raise with 7-9 or 12-14 HCPS
4 ♦ was at least a mild slam try with a shortness in Diamond

You have discussed the following possibilities:
X I want to defend
pass forcing, I am not sure whether I want to defend or play 5 Heart.
5 ♥ my hand is better to be put in dummy then in defence.

You may not agree ant think that some funny other treatments are superior, but this is not the point. The point is the judgement of this hand:

Do you rate this hand as offensive, defensive or "I don't know yet"?

If vul. will influence your choice, please tell me how and why.

[Apollo81]

Given these methods I would double. The hand just doesn't have much playing strength compared to what we could hold, and the ♦A is likely wasted opposite a void.

[Hanoi5]

They're down at least 2, I think (if my partner has a mild slam try), so if they're vul. and I'm not I'd rather double them. Any other I think I want to play 5♥.


Edit: I hadn't read what 3♣ meant. It's horrible to play like that and now I'm not even sure of what's going on, does my pd have a slam invitation when I'm 7-9 or 12-14? I'm inclining towards X now which could be our only plus at this point.

[mtvesuvius]

Who is vulnerable?

Without the vulnerability, I feel that I'd rather put this hand down in dummy. My heart values are dead in 5♦ and though my A♦ may also be wasted, at least it's a pitch for partner.

[Apollo81]

BTW the fact that we could have 12-14 is very significant here, IMO. This makes it a much easier decision than if we had explicitly showed a mixed/constructive raise at our last turn.

[jdonn]

It's a very easy double with the least shape possible (I would almost never make a Bergen type raise on 4333) and a diamond honor opposite shortness.

That being said, a few things are missing from this problem. What is the vulnerability? And even more importantly, I would need more details than 'mild slam try'. Is it a slam try opposite the 7-9 range, and therefore a virtual slam force opposite the stronger range? Or is it a slam try opposite the stronger range, and therefore an automatic signoff opposite the weaker range? It can only be one or the other.

Edit: Ok sorry, I didn't see that you intentionally left out the vulnerability so that's fair enough.

[MFA]

I assume that 4♦ was a slam try opposite the weak type or I would definitely have no problem.

The diamond ace might face a void. So I double in spite of the 2 key cards.

[mikeh]

This has to be a double.

I dislike the dual-range nature of the raise (I don't think it is playable, and this is only one example of problems with it.. plus... what problem does the dual range solve?)

But, given the OP stipulations, surely one way we distinguish between the gf raise and the constructive raise is by invoking the fp with the gf and making either a double or bidding 5♥ with the constructive. And while I have nice trump, I have poor shape and my A may be opposite a void on this auction.. thus not as useful as it might be. Ax KJxx xxx xxxx looks more like a 5♥ call.

[Phil]

Sorry, don't care for the methods, although they are probably manageable without competition.

Given the methods, I would think pass would be forcing and indicate the stronger of the ranges. 5♥ should be a really useful minimum and I certainly don't have that with a dubious ♦A and no s/v's.

So I x.

[whereagles]

This isn't easy. It depends on the degree of club wastage.

I dbl or bid 5♥, depending on the mood/opps.

[Fluffy]

diamond ace is not good if partner has singleton (better anywhere else), and it is awful if he has void, so double.

[bid_em_up]

I don't like the methods either necessarily, but given thats what we're playing, shouldn't X now show the 7-9 range, and pass show the 12-14 range?

So we X.

[Cascade]

Pass

♦A defensive (but usually one trick on offense) but not as defensive as ♦KQx or similar.

♥KJ offensive (and almost certainly worth nothing on defense).

I have a ruffing value (doubleton club) which is mildly offensive.

Basically I don't know whether I want to defend or for partner to play at the five-level.

[ArtK78]

If partner has a singleton diamond, I have 2 cover cards (potentially a third - the doubleton club - if partner has AKx(x..) of clubs (or AQx.. of clubs with a successful club finesse). Partner should have at least 4 losers given that he did not open 2♣. Therefore, slam is remote at best (even 5♥ might go down).

Of course, if partner is void in diamonds, my ♦A may be worthless on offense.

All this means that double is clear cut. I don't even want to play in 5♥, and 5♦x should be a sure plus score. This is a non-problem at IMPs.

If partner is wildly distributional, he will pull my double in any event. If not, then we are going plus in 5♦x.