[nick_s]

A hand from last night's pairs game at the local club:

♠ Axxxx
♥ Kxxxx
♦ xxx
♣ -

Green vs Red

(3♣) - Pass - (Pass) - to you

the x's are all less than an 8.

I decided I had to pass because of a BIT from pard, but I think I would have X'd without it. What do you think?

[rogerclee]

I would never pass regardless of partner's tempo, this hand is a clear double to me.

[NickRW]

How much of a BIT? - pard gets 10 seconds anyway.

Anyhow - I think this a clear hand to X with regardless of the BIT - you don't really need a lot from pard to make 4M and that might have included a lot of hands that might have not acted over 3C. Even if partner has quite a rubbishy hand surely 3 of anything one down is going to be a better score than leaving 3C.

Nick

[hanp]

I think partner is very likely to leave in 3CX. Now, that may not be bad.

[mtvesuvius]

hanp, on Jun 4 2009, 02:59 PM, said:

I think partner is very likely to leave in 3CX. Now, that may not be bad.

My thoughts also... I think if I were to bid, 4♣ may also have some merit, especially with a BIT.

[Apollo81]

The BIT is really obnoxious. I would always double with this hand and I don't think it's close at all, but I think a sizable number of other players would choose to pass or bid 4♣, which might make it a LA in others' view.

[jdonn]

I can accept that pass is not a logical alternative due to holding an A and a K as protection in case partner passes a double. Change either suit to KJ or QJ respectively and you get a lot less sympathy from me if you double after partner tanks.

[NickRW]

hanp, on Jun 4 2009, 07:59 PM, said:

I think partner is very likely to leave in 3CX. Now, that may not be bad.

Yes. Quite possibly. But if the BIT suggests that (and I'm not entirely sure it does), then the less worry we have over someone querying the double.

Nick

[gnasher]

I think double is madness. It's all very well hoping for pass-3♥-all pass, or a nice penalty when partner passes and produces three or four tricks, but in real life it is much more likely to lead to 3♣x making, 3NTx down a few, or 3♦ in a hopeless 4-3 fit.

[jdonn]

Isn't the main reason to double the hope that partner bids 4 of a major? Also if partner passed a double, I'd be pretty disappointed if he had just 3 tricks. I mean, KQTx of clubs alone is 3 tricks.

[Apollo81]

I think I would have to pass with the BIT on the actual hand.

[whereagles]

Hesitation seems to suggest pard is undecided between a penalty pass and 3NT. In my opinion, that would in turn suggest that 4♣ is a better bid than double.

I would double (pass is definitely not an LA), but I'm not too happy with it. Without the hesitation I would probably bid a more venturous 4♣.

[nick_s]

Partner held:

♠ Tx
♥ AQx
♦ KQ9x
♣ KQxx

opposite my:

♠ Axxxx
♥ Kxxxx
♦ xxx
♣ -

3♣ was down 3 and worth 4 out 12 MPS. 4♥ should go down, but was allowed to make at several tables.

I was more interested in how clear you guys thought it was to act on my hand than the stuff about the BIT.

Whether there was a BIT or not was a close call. RHO said yes, LHO asked what a BIT was, the kibitzer said there was no BIT. Regardless, this is a new partnership and a new club for me so I wanted to be squeaky clean .

Partner clearly has a problem over 3♣. Personally, I would have tried 3N, but a timely pass would have worked out best.

[MarkDean]

I find this thread amazing. I would pass even without a BIT. If partner is just shy of a 3NT bid and has a 4cM, we may have 4M, but otherwise, I think it is going to end badly: if we can make 3M, parnter will bid 4M, or we might be down in diamond or nt. I think partner passing is more likely to be bad than to be good.
It is MPs and we are white/red: I think partner will pass somewhat aggressively, especially as he is less likely to have a good major given our length.

[Apollo81]

nick_s, on Jun 5 2009, 09:32 AM, said:

Partner clearly has a problem over 3♣.

Partner clearly has a pass over 3♣.

[Codo]

Apollo81, on Jun 6 2009, 03:01 AM, said:

nick_s, on Jun 5 2009, 09:32 AM, said:

Partner clearly has a problem over 3♣.

Partner clearly has a pass over 3♣.

I thought the forum bid is 3 NT with aorund 18 HCps, so with 16 and real good stoppers, you have both, a clear pass and a problem.

[gnasher]

I'd have bid 3NT without on partner's hand without even thinking about it. Pass puts too much pressure on 4th hand.

[mtvesuvius]

I would have also bid 3NT, I just don't think that passing will get partner to reopen as much as he should.