[helene_t]

G_R__E_G, on May 21 2009, 10:01 PM, said:

Nah - I'd rather save the double for one of those extremely rare hands where I have 8 hearts and 7 spades.

Right, you need conventions for those hands also although they don't come up so often. Like the 1♠ overcall of a precision 1♣ opening, promising 13 cards. The biggest advantage is the negative inference when you don't bid 1♠.

[awm]

Taking this a little more seriously...

At IMPs, you should bid more if you think you might make (even if you're not totally sure) and double if you think they are not making. If you have no idea who is making what, then bidding one more as cheap insurance is often a good idea (i.e. down one against down one is just a small loss, but if both contracts make and you sell it is a total disaster).

At MPs these things are substantially harder. I avoid bidding five over five when I have a doubleton in the opponents suit. While it is possible that we can make at the five-level despite having two quick losers in their suit, when that actually works out we generally need so much in the way of values (high cards or ruffs) anyway that we do even better doubling and defending. The same applies even more to bidding six over five.

In the auction given at MP (4♥-4♠-5♥-5♠) my general strategy would be:

As opener, double if I have two clear defensive tricks (i.e. outside my suit). Note that it is reasonable to open 4♥ with a hand like ♠x ♥KQJxxxx ♦AKx ♣xx especially at MP scoring, and this is the sort of hand that I think is worth a double. Otherwise opener should normally pass in this auction; he has already forced opponents to guess and has no idea what partner holds. It's hard to construct a hand where I would want to bid 6♥ and would not have opened with a different call.

As opener's partner when the auction passes to me, assuming partner didn't double I will play him for about 0.5-1 defensive trick. If I have two clear defensive tricks it's reasonable to double, especially if my heart length isn't so extreme that partner is sure to be unable to take a trick with the ace of his suit. Note that even if opponents play 5♠X making, we were probably not getting a great score for 5♠ undoubled (some people might've sold to 5♥X, some might've competed to 6♥ our way for a good sacrifice, and it's not like they can make 6♠ with my two sure defensive tricks). If I don't have two clear defensive tricks, then I'll consider bidding on, but only do it if it seems really obvious that it's a good sacrifice against 5♠ making. Keep in mind that some people will be in 5♥X so my score in 6♥X will never be that great... when in doubt it's sometimes better to hope that opponents have already overbid (pass or double) or that opponents have missed a slam (pass and don't push them).

[hanp]

vuroth, on May 21 2009, 12:44 PM, said:

Sorry, I'm B/I.  We passed out this hand.  

This was my favorite. (Adam's was pretty good too I am sure, but no joke should be that long)