[david_c]

One from last night's simultaneous pairs:

Scoring: MP

---

  W  N   E   S
1NT p   p   Dbl
  p   p   2♦! p
 2♥  3♣  p   ?

1NT is weak (12-14); 2♦ was a transfer to hearts.

What's your call?

[rbforster]

I think I would have doubled 2♦ to show a penalty of hearts last round. Now probably 3N.

[whereagles]

What's wrong with bidding 2♠ the round before? Anyway, now 3♠ or 3NT, depending on how lucky I feel. Probably 3NT.

[mikeh]

I would have expected that double of 2♦ would suggest diamonds, not hearts... but the area of competitive bidding after they run from a weak notrump is not something to work out at the table... altho, having said that, it seems to me that this is a low-frequency situation... most players in RHO's seat would already have got out of 1N before I doubled.

As it is, I bid 3N... we are NOT playing 3♣, I hold solid heart stoppers... and 3♠ may well endplay partner in the bidding, the way I expect to endplay LHO in the auction

While in spades I may well get to ruff heart losers, in notrump I get to cash heart winners (and I am a trick lower so can afford to lose an extra heart trick)...

[se12sam]

Dbl 2♦ to show penalty in hearts (I hope). This could help define the auction, if such an agreement already exists.

As your side is in a forcing auction, partner should pass 2♥ to check if you are interested in doubling. Since partner did not offer you the choice to double 2♥, I'd guess a singleton heart and long + strong/semi-solid clubs -- handy in 1NTx but not so much in 2♥x

A 3♠ bid might work if you think partner will not pass. But otherwise, I'll go for 3NT.

[david_c]

Rob F, on Apr 15 2009, 06:45 PM, said:

I think I would have doubled 2♦ to show a penalty of hearts last round.

Ah, fair enough, that would help a lot. But I'm fairly sure that this partner would take double as showing diamonds, like Mike said.

[mikeh]

BTW, playing the double as showing a penalty double of hearts may be hugely problematic if the opps can successfully arrange tp play in 2♦ x'd on, say, a 5-3 fit

[rogerclee]

I would bid 3♠, good problem.

[Phil]

I agree great problem.

They really play delayed transfers here? Is this common in England? Do they have to xx to play 2♦? Or is this a problem that went to a committee for MI?

These auctions are the football (American version) of a broken play; where there's a lot of scrambling involved and trying to put something together.

I'll bet very few pairs have discussed what a double of a delayed 2♦ means. If RHO had transferred to hearts initially, our double wouldn't be diamonds - it would be 'cards', although our initial double shows that.

Presumably pard has a little bit to sit for the x of 1N x's, so I'm just going to shoot out 3N.

[Apollo81]

If partner's double of 2♥ would have been for takeout, then I would definitely bid 3NT, suspecting dummy to have short spades.

[david_c]

Phil, on Apr 16 2009, 12:28 AM, said:

They really play delayed transfers here? Is this common in England? Do they have to xx to play 2♦?

This pair was playing "exit transfers" which means redouble shows clubs, 2♣ is for diamonds, etc. That's very popular amongst the club players in this part of the country. (I did warn you this was a simultaneous pairs!) After a direct double I suppose I can see the logic behind this system. I don't think it makes much sense after a fourth-seat double, but at least they were on the same wavelength. (And they won't be giving it up after this board!)

[marcD]

Not sure why partner is bidding 3♣ ahead of my possible dbl. Guess he must have heart shortage and would pull a penalty double of 2♥ . So 3NT seems ok (he seems to have some values since he did not run over 1NTx) . I would have dbled 2♦ to show values and clearly establish this is our hand.

[Hanoi5]

I only remember seeing someone play 3NT after a 1NT opening in a Killing Defense book, but I'd bid it here. If my partner thought he might pass 1NTx and now he's bidding 3♣ it shouldn't be hard to take 3 tricks with his hand and the lead.

[david_c]

Well, I don't think the actual result is very instructive, but just for amusement value, here is what happened:

Scoring: MP

---

  W  N   E   S
1NT p   p   Dbl
  p   p   2♦! p
 2♥  3♣  p   3♠
  p   4♦  p   4♥
  p   5♣  p   p
Dbl  p   p   5♦
Dbl  AP

That was -800 for a well-deserved outright national bottom.

OK, I realise there was more wrong with this auction than just the 3♠ bid, but I thought that was the most interesting decision. Please don't criticise my partner too much - it was only a pick-up partnership after all. (And we did score a pleasing 66% overall despite this.)

[Phil]

david_c, on Apr 16 2009, 09:37 AM, said:

Well, I don't think the actual result is very instructive, but just for amusement value, here is what happened:

Scoring: MP

---

  W  N   E   S
1NT p   p   Dbl
  p   p   2♦! p
 2♥  3♣  p   3♠
  p   4♦  p   4♥
  p   5♣  p   p
Dbl  p   p   5♦
Dbl  AP

That was -800 for a well-deserved outright national bottom.

OK, I realise there was more wrong with this auction than just the 3♠ bid, but I thought that was the most interesting decision. Please don't criticise my partner too much - it was only a pick-up partnership after all. (And we did score a pleasing 66% overall despite this.)

Looks like an interesting play problem in 3N.

[pirate22]

Escape mechanism by east (2d!) and being doubly cute--- east must have a bust,
and this case east made a deliberate non escape iniataly,to muddy the waters.
but South when you x 1n/t and your pard passed(you know north has values),
now the escape bid of 2d! came up.......yes a pick up partnership,i would and u shld have x 2d when the 2ht bid came up now your pard would pass,and u x again np------------the double cuteness of east was not to take out early into his 5 card rubbish hts and 0 points regards

[rbforster]

david_c, on Apr 16 2009, 09:37 AM, said:

Well, I don't think the actual result is very instructive, but just for amusement value, here is what happened:

Dealer: West Vul: E/W Scoring: MP

♠ 2 ♥ Q3 ♦ 98543 ♣ KQ654 ♠ AKQJT ♥ AT97 ♦ K76 ♣ 2

  W  N   E   S
1NT p   p   Dbl
  p   p   2♦! p
 2♥  3♣  p   3♠
  p   4♦  p   4♥
  p   5♣  p   p
Dbl  p   p   5♦
Dbl  AP

Even without an undiscussed double of 2♦, I think your partner had a clear pass (not 3♣) over the completed transfer. Qx is a fine holding to sit for your double (should you make one), and if you can't double it's a forcing auction so you'll have to bid something and he can respond to that (probably with 3♣).

[Double !]

A lot depends on the meaning of the balancing dbl. We play that it is primarily for majors, so the fact that partner passed indicates that he/she has some decent cards.
I am not passing 3♣. I'll gamble 3NT: I need a couple of tricks from partner which he/she should have considering the pass of my initial double.

DHL