[jillybean]

Dealer: South Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ AKQ94 ♥ AT64 ♦ 7 ♣ AQJ

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♠
 Pass  Pass  Dbl   ?  

[Phil]

I used to redouble with these hands, but I think xx should be reserved for balanced or semi-balanced hands.

A far better strategy IMO is to pass and make a takeout double of 2♦. If they bid hearts I'm happy. Not sure I feel about defending 2♣ to be honest, but I'd chance a 2♥ call I think.

[kenrexford]

Phil, on Apr 21 2009, 04:19 PM, said:

I used to redouble with these hands, but I think xx should be reserved for balanced or semi-balanced hands.

A far better strategy IMO is to pass and make a takeout double of 2♦. If they bid hearts I'm happy. Not sure I feel about defending 2♣ to be honest, but I'd chance a 2♥ call I think.

Phil, think about what you just wrote. Just how more "balanced or semi-balanced" can you get, in the context of five-card majors, than 5431? Sure, 5332 is more balanced, but that's it.

[kfay]

kenrexford, on Apr 21 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

Phil, on Apr 21 2009, 04:19 PM, said:

I used to redouble with these hands, but I think xx should be reserved for balanced or semi-balanced hands.

A far better strategy IMO is to pass and make a takeout double of 2♦. If they bid hearts I'm happy. Not sure I feel about defending 2♣ to be honest, but I'd chance a 2♥ call I think.

Phil, think about what you just wrote. Just how more "balanced or semi-balanced" can you get, in the context of five-card majors, than 5431? Sure, 5332 is more balanced, but that's it.

Being pedantic.

5422

[Phil]

kenrexford, on Apr 21 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

Phil, on Apr 21 2009, 04:19 PM, said:

I used to redouble with these hands, but I think xx should be reserved for balanced or semi-balanced hands.

A far better strategy IMO is to pass and make a takeout double of 2♦. If they bid hearts I'm happy. Not sure I feel about defending 2♣ to be honest, but I'd chance a 2♥ call I think.

Phil, think about what you just wrote. Just how more "balanced or semi-balanced" can you get, in the context of five-card majors, than 5431? Sure, 5332 is more balanced, but that's it.

No I was thinking about any 5332 / 5422 or 6322. I don't consider a 5431 balanced unless you give me a singleton honor.

[kenrexford]

kfay, on Apr 21 2009, 04:30 PM, said:

kenrexford, on Apr 21 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

Phil, on Apr 21 2009, 04:19 PM, said:

I used to redouble with these hands, but I think xx should be reserved for balanced or semi-balanced hands.

A far better strategy IMO is to pass and make a takeout double of 2♦. If they bid hearts I'm happy. Not sure I feel about defending 2♣ to be honest, but I'd chance a 2♥ call I think.

Phil, think about what you just wrote. Just how more "balanced or semi-balanced" can you get, in the context of five-card majors, than 5431? Sure, 5332 is more balanced, but that's it.

Being pedantic.

5422

In the context of a redouble, I'm not sure that this is more "balanced." With 5422, you like defending two contracts but not so much two other contracts. With 5431, you like defending three contracts. That seems more "balanced" in the sense that you have lots of aspirations of good things on defense.

Also, with 5422, you like partner bidding two suits but not so much two suits. With 5431, you like three bids partner can make but only dislike one of them.


Of course, you are right definitionally, as 5431 is apparently called "quasi-balanced."

[JLOL]

Easy XX

[Codo]

Pass can only work that your later double or your later 2 Heart bid shows this hand and if partner is one thze same wavelength.

So it is redouble or 2 Heart.

XX tells the strength, but you must know what to do after partners or opponents 2 Diamond bid.

2 Heart shows most of the shape and nobody is able to bid 2 Diamond any more.

I think it is close, but I like to bid my majors.

[andy_h]

I do. The opponents are so dead. If partner penalises 2D I am *very* happy.

[Gerben42]

Easy 2♥. Maybe partner can raise and we can laugh at opponents for letting us find our game.

Quote

  I do. The opponents are so dead. If partner penalises 2D I am *very* happy.

Partner passed your opening. Certainly he is hiding with 3 ♦ tricks!

[andy_h]

Gerben42, on Apr 22 2009, 11:50 PM, said:

Easy 2♥. Maybe partner can raise and we can laugh at opponents for letting us find our game.

Quote

   I do. The opponents are so dead. If partner penalises 2D I am *very* happy.

Partner passed your opening. Certainly he is hiding with 3 ♦ tricks!

You'd be surprised how well XX works. I'm guessing partner's not the type to be responding on most 0-5 counts so what's stopping partner from holding ♦QJ9x or maybe 5 or maybe 6(!) diamonds! Yes this has happened to me before. It was during this year's yeh bros and I held something like AKJxx AQx x AJ8x. It was against Lauria-Versace. Guess what? Partner had 0-3-6-4 with 2 jacks and they later resided in 2♥X going for 1100! But now, it seems like I have an even better hand!
What can go wrong with XX? I can later bid hearts too so I don't need too make a total underbid with 2♥. Is partner meant to automatically raise with x Qxxxx xxxx xxx?
XX establishes that we truly have a huge hand. Not always a random 18bal.

[Codo]

This is the B/I section, so you should bid what works best against B/Is, not against Lauria-Versace.

If you bid 2 Heart, you have a better chance to get it there (or in 2 Spade) when they have a diamond fit.

When you redouble and bid 2 Heart later, everything would be nice too- besides the fact, that they have a much easier road to compete with 3 Diamonds when it is right.

[bhindi]

Codo, on Apr 22 2009, 08:57 AM, said:

This is the B/I section, so you should bid what works best against B/Is, not against Lauria-Versace.

If you bid 2 Heart, you have a better chance to get it there (or in 2 Spade) when they have a diamond fit.

When you redouble and bid 2 Heart later, everything would be nice too- besides the fact, that they have a much easier road to compete with 3 Diamonds when it is right.

Yes, B/I opps will likely escape for 100

Partner can compete in his suit over 2D if he's got one.

[andy_h]

Codo, on Apr 23 2009, 12:57 AM, said:

This is the B/I section, so you should bid what works best against B/Is, not against Lauria-Versace.

If you bid 2 Heart, you have a better chance to get it there (or in 2 Spade) when they have a diamond fit.

When you redouble and bid 2 Heart later, everything would be nice too- besides the fact, that they have a much easier road to compete with 3 Diamonds when it is right.

Yes, I did notice which section this was. Why do you think xx cannot work against B/I's too? Add an extra jack or queen somewhere and most B/I's I would imagine open 2♣. If this hand doesn't fit in with XX, then I do not know what hands do.
Notice that I also mentioned that partner won't be responding to 1NT with some 5 counts. That makes it even better for us to XX with this such powerful hand.
What makes it even more attractive is that it is nil vul, to be penalising the opponents.

[jillybean]

Finding B/I opps is rare nowadays, everyone is Expert or better.

Anyway, here's the hand

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♠
 Pass  Pass  Dbl   RDbl
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

[Hanoi5]

I sort of like 2♥ better than redouble. Naming a new suit when they have doubled us for take out in this sort of situation works best for we'll find a fit in an 'unexpected' suit. Redoubling with a singleton diamond doesn't look very promising.