[gwnn]

xx
AJTxxx
Ax
AKQ

favorable at imps

partner passes

p-2♠-?-3♠/4♠
p-p-?

Whatever you do first round, LHO will bid spades at the lowest level (but not 5/6/7) and partner will pass.

So what will it be?

[Phil]

4H and x seems about perfect to me.

[Jlall]

Definitely start with X, I think overcalling 4H with such a terrible suit and 6322 (capable of playing NT or a minor eaisly) and not that great of a hand anyways. What's wrong with X then 3H?

If LHO bids 3S continue with 4H. If LHO bids 4S not much choice but to double. I guess if I had a wire that LHO would bid 4S I would bid 4H then X

[ArtK78]

I misvoted. I voted for x and x, but I meant to vote for x and 4♥.

Clear double the first time, intending to bid hearts at any level up to and including the 4 level. If the opps bid 4♠, I would double again.

While 4♥ over 2♠ is not a weak bid by any means, it doesn't show the power that this hand has. A 4♥ overcall tends to be a very one-suited hand with a lot of tricks. This hand has a very good heart suit, but it is much more flexible than the typical 4♥ call. Slam is possible in clubs or no trump - even diamonds opposite a long suit. I do not want to discourage my partner from bidding about 4♥ if he has a reasonable hand.

[Phil]

Jlall, on Aug 14 2009, 10:44 AM, said:

Definitely start with X, I think overcalling 4H with such a terrible suit and 6322 (capable of playing NT or a minor eaisly) and not that great of a hand anyways. What's wrong with X then 3H?

If LHO bids 3S continue with 4H. If LHO bids 4S not much choice but to double. I guess if I had a wire that LHO would bid 4S I would bid 4H then X

Fair enough, but if you're going to bid 4♥, why not bid it right away?

My key concern is when LHO bids 4♠, but you are aware of the perils of doubling in this instance. I don't want pard bidding 4N on 1255 and I may have to guess if he has 13(45), although this shape is doubling.

If LHO bids 3♠, I suppose we are in a break-even position, since bidding hearts looks obvious, even if pard advances 4m.

So the main question is when LHO passes. Surely we are bidding 3♥ over 2N (forcing? I forget). I suppose you are in a slightly better spot if pard bids 3m, but pard will not play you for 6 hearts, at least not initially.

[Cascade]

4♥ then double.

I don't have access to any wires and I am afraid of 4♠ over which I am poorly place with an initial ambiguous double.

[Fluffy]

3♥ then double for me, I hate never bidding my suit.

[skjaeran]

Double and 4♥ (another double if they bid 4♠ before I get a second chance).

[cherdanno]

Phil, on Aug 14 2009, 11:20 AM, said:

Jlall, on Aug 14 2009, 10:44 AM, said:

Definitely start with X, I think overcalling 4H with such a terrible suit and 6322 (capable of playing NT or a minor eaisly) and not that great of a hand anyways. What's wrong with X then 3H?

If LHO bids 3S continue with 4H. If LHO bids 4S not much choice but to double. I guess if I had a wire that LHO would bid 4S I would bid 4H then X

Fair enough, but if you're going to bid 4♥, why not bid it right away?

Because that shows a different hand? Double then 4♥ over 3♠ is the best description of this hand by far. Double is only awkward when LHO raises to 4♠ immediately but (unless I tank-double) this does not seem so likely.

[Phil]

I'm wondering what the hand looks like that bids 4♥ and doubles.

x AKJTxxx, AQx, Ax?

[neilkaz]

I am a 4♥ and doubler. Looks right for that to me.

[kennye]

If I double now, I can easily lose the heart suit. Majors are almost always the focused suit if possible. 4H makes LHO guess, and I can follow up with double if necessary to show defense also.

[Cascade]

Phil, on Aug 15 2009, 09:48 AM, said:

I'm wondering what the hand looks like that bids 4♥ and doubles.

x AKJTxxx, AQx, Ax?

Something like this:

xx
AJTxxx
Ax
AKQ

[shevek]

Don't know.

One option that should have been there is:
Double then 5♥ over 4♠.

Few would choose that, of course. That's the point.
If you somehow know that you won't hear 4♠ on your left, then it's fine to double and bid 4♥.

Since you can't know that, bid 3♥ or 4♥ according to partnership sentiment and double on the way out.

[gwnn]

Why should it be there???? LHO would not bid 4♠, sorry! His hand is not a 4 level support bid!

[skjaeran]

gwnn, on Aug 16 2009, 08:38 AM, said:

Why should it be there???? LHO would not bid 4♠, sorry! His hand is not a 4 level support bid!

Joking, I suppose....

You don't know that at the table, so it's something you take into consideration when you decide what to do over 2♠.

[cherdanno]

skaeran, on Aug 16 2009, 02:11 AM, said:

gwnn, on Aug 16 2009, 08:38 AM, said:

Why should it be there???? LHO would not bid 4♠, sorry! His hand is not a 4 level support bid!

Joking, I suppose....

You don't know that at the table, so it's something you take into consideration when you decide what to do over 2♠.

True, but since we have a doubleton spade, and since opponents are red against white, I don't think it's all that likely the bidding is at 4♠ at our next round after we double.

[gwnn]

I'm not joking. I asked everyone about their opinion about the best actions over the continuations. The poll catered to the specific continuations that this deal would give. Of course you can take into consideration that. In fact it is not a good idea to take into account my description of the future bids when you make the initial bid, since this information you will not get to use at the table.

There seem to be four styles for this kind of hand:

-"What's your plan?"
-Opening a thread then a follow-up thread assuming the majority vote was chosen.
-Opening a sub-thread in the thread
-Just giving away the follow-ups, either hidden or not.

I personally like the fourth one because in my experience most posters are not really biased by knowing what the others will bid. Also some of the other options suffer from the drawback that you will not get good coherent replies (for example if you open a sub-thread usually only about half the original posters will get back to it).

Anyway partner had something like

xx
KQxx
xxxx
xxx.

So 4♥ just makes, 4♠ is down 1. This was from a teaching table and the player who held these cards doubled and doubled, I thought it was weird but all the teachers were impressed with the flexibility of the call.