[gnasher]

Scoring: IMP

RHO deals
             1♠ p
1NT dbl 2♣ p
p     dbl  p   p
2♠    p   p   ?

---

Opponents play 4-card majors, but 2♣ shows 5+ spades and 4+ clubs. Partner's first double was takeout; the second showed extra values and probably at least four cards in each red suit.

[pooltuna]

gnasher, on Oct 5 2009, 06:46 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

RHO deals
             1♠ p
1NT dbl 2♣ p
p     dbl  p   p
2♠    p   p   ?

---

Opponents play 4-card majors, but 2♣ shows 5+ spades and 4+ clubs. Partner's first double was takeout; the second showed extra values and probably at least four cards in each red suit.

Hate your ♠ spots but yeah I will take a bite

[jdonn]

I'm not sure what you're asking but I bid 3♦.

[Cyberyeti]

I'm trying to make sense of the auction and partner's probable shape, I'd go for 2551 if I had to guess.

This may not defend as well as you hoped if partner's cards are in the long suits, and might play OK in diamonds. The question is whether partner has 5 diamonds.

To pass 2♣ out then pull to 2♠ when 2♣ is doubled, what does he have ? Presumably only 3 clubs and 1 or 2 spades, would he give false preference with Hxx in clubs and 2 small spades ? This would be my guess as to what's going on.

Give opener AJ109x, QJx, x, Axxx, dummy xx, Kxxxx, xxx, KJx and partner Kx, Axxxx, AKJxx, x would this be reasonable for this auction ?

You will make 3♦ and haven't beaten 2♠ yet. I think on that basis I will bid 3♦. I think the same holds if the J♣ moves to the other hand.

[RichMor]

Pass.

Expect that 2♠ will fail but it's too close for a double.

Bidding 3♦ is OK too, but I'm going chicken.

RichM

[jdonn]

jdonn, on Oct 5 2009, 10:41 AM, said:

I'm not sure what you're asking but I bid 3♦.

Oh I see, you mean is this enough to double or not. Heck no! It's imps, we have a lot of hopes of bad breaks but no sure tricks at all, and we even have an undisclosed fit.

[gnasher]

I think you can write down the shapes of the other three hands to within one card. They're either

              2542
2542                      5314

or

              2452
2542                      5404

Partner didn't bid Michaels, so he can't be 5-5 in the reds. He didn't bid a red suit, so he can't have a six-card suit. He did make a takeout double, so he's unlikely to have a singleton club.

LHO is grovelling, but he didn't try to play in hearts, so he doesn't have six. He has exactly two spades, because he passed 2♣ but then ran to 2♠.

RHO didn't bid 2♠ himself, so he's unlikely to have six of them, especially given how poor our spots are.

[Cyberyeti]

gnasher, on Oct 5 2009, 03:10 PM, said:

I think you can write down the shapes of the other three hands to within one card.  They're either

              2542
2542                      5314

or

              2452
2542                      5404

Partner didn't bid Michaels, so he can't be 5-5 in the reds.  He didn't bid a red suit, so he can't have a six-card suit.  He did make a takeout double, so he's unlikely to have a singleton club.

LHO is grovelling, but he didn't try to play in hearts, so he doesn't have six.  He has exactly two spades, because he passed 2♣ but then ran to 2♠.

RHO didn't bid 2♠ himself, so he's unlikely to have six of them, especially given how poor our spots are.

This makes no sense, why pass 2♣ rather than bid 2♠ and go for 300 in a 4-2 fit undoubled with a known 5 or 6-2 spade fit available, that's why I discounted 2-2 for that hand.

Many players won't michaels with certain ranges of hand so thought that was it.

[jdonn]

Yes how can LHO possibly be 2-2 in the black suits and pass 2♣? If he was that worried about getting in trouble he would probably pass 1♠ to begin with.

[whereagles]

Dbl, lead a trump. Where are their tricks?

[hatchett]

Not enough. I expect it to go one off most of the time, but there is some risk of it making.

[rhm]

whereagles, on Oct 5 2009, 04:26 PM, said:

Dbl, lead a trump. Where are their tricks?

Why?
Dummy should not be short in ♣ since he passed 2♣, your partner must be.
Tricks will not come from ruffs in dummy.

For the bidding to make sense

LHO should be 2♠=5♥=3♦=3♣
Partner 2♠=5♥=5♦=1♣
RHO 5♠=3♥=1♦=4♣

I would bid 3♦.
2♠ probably goes down on a ♦ lead, but it could be close.

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

jdonn, on Oct 5 2009, 10:23 PM, said:

Yes how can LHO possibly be 2-2 in the black suits and pass 2♣? If he was that worried about getting in trouble he would probably pass 1♠ to begin with.

Perhaps my view is coloured by what LHO (a good player) actually had, which was 10x 109xxx 9xxx Ax. He probably didn't start off worried, but became worried after the double of 1NT. I expect he decided that given his length in the red suits partner was more likely than usual to be 5-5.