[mich-b]

3 decisions from last weekend , all around the same theme :pass or compete.

Scoring: IMP

4♥-P-P-?

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Scoring: IMP

4♥-P-P-?

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you had no suitable convention to use on the previus round, so would you double now?

Scoring: IMP

4♥-P-P-?

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Doble here is agreed as takeout. Would you?

I will be very happy if someone could run a simulaton for hand 1.

[Jlall]

4N, X, pass. The third one is an LOL to me, pls never bid. They haven't found a fit yet and you could easily just be completely screwed on this hand, and all your values are defensive, and Qxx of spades is gross, etc.

Also the first one sucks obviously that you have a doubleton heart rather than doubleton spade and could go for a hugeeeeee number but you can't let em steal it, your hand is too good and you don't need that much and they might bid 5H and they might not be able to X etc.

[maggieb]

I would pass all 3.

[MarkDean]

1. 4NT. I think this is very tough, might pass another day.
2. I would not double here. If they are not stopping, we might either get clobbered in something, be defending 2♥x making, or tip declarer on the play. If they are stopping here, things might be better, but we might not have any fit, and defense is not great.
3. Really clear pass.

[dellache]

MarkDean, on Nov 22 2009, 07:07 AM, said:

1.  4NT.  I think this is very tough, might pass another day.
2.  I would not double here.  If they are not stopping, we might either get clobbered in something, be defending 2♥x making, or tip declarer on the play.  If they are stopping here, things might be better, but we might not have any fit, and defense is not great. 
3.  Really clear pass.

Exactly the same answers for me.
On board 1, I'll bid 4NT only if I'm able to bid it fast. I don't want my RHO to know I've made a borderline bid.
On board 2, DBL may very well help them if they intended to play in the 4-4 in 4♥. And I'm not so sure partner will like to declare any doubled contract if he has 3523 in a 0-4HCP hand.

[jdonn]

1. I pass
2. I double
3. I most definitely pass

[the hog]

4NT, X, Pass.
None of these is particularly hard.

[andy_h]

1. Close but I pass.
2. Double, although it's true we could be helping them in the play in 4♥ but 3♥ could be their limit and we might make 4m or on a good day we have a save in 5m!
3. Pass

[Phil]

Agree with Josh.

Acting on 3 is a LOL.

I don't like any action on 1 - we have reasonable defense against 4♥ and the doubleton heart sucks. Can I really expect pard to cover enough here? I think not. If I were 2-1 I'd act.

Even passing on 2 could be right, but I think we have a minor fit somewhere. If they have hearts, we might have spades. Axxxx xxxxx void xxx?

[kgr]

dellache, on Nov 22 2009, 09:54 AM, said:

MarkDean, on Nov 22 2009, 07:07 AM, said:

1.  4NT.  I think this is very tough, might pass another day.
2.  I would not double here.  If they are not stopping, we might either get clobbered in something, be defending 2♥x making, or tip declarer on the play.  If they are stopping here, things might be better, but we might not have any fit, and defense is not great. 
3.  Really clear pass.

Exactly the same answers for me.
On board 1, I'll bid 4NT only if I'm able to bid it fast. I don't want my RHO to know I've made a borderline bid.
On board 2, DBL may very well help them if they intended to play in the 4-4 in 4♥. And I'm not so sure partner will like to declare any doubled contract if he has 3523 in a 0-4HCP hand.

me too,
on 2nd if I DBL , I expect that opps will still play the contract, but they will make more tricks when I have DBled.

[helene_t]

1 I would certainly bid 4NT. I wouldn't be shocked if a simulation favored pass, but until I have seen that I bid 4NT.

2 I am not sure about, maybe if an initial dbl would have been artificial p will think I have a strong balanced hand if I double now. If an initial dbl would have been penalty I am happy about dbl now. Otherwise I lean towards 2NT although dbl and pass would be reasonable, too,

3 I pass although I am somewhat surprised by the boldness of some other posters, I don't think dbl would be that ridiculous.

[pooltuna]

1) 4NT
2) pass, usually better to let the opps play in their trump suit when it breaks 5-0 and do you really want partner trying to figure out what to bid when he holds 5♥ and no points
3) No

[jdonn]

Phil, on Nov 22 2009, 06:27 AM, said:

Agree with Josh.

Acting on 3 is a LOL.

I don't like any action on 1 - we have reasonable defense against 4♥ and the doubleton heart sucks. Can I really expect pard to cover enough here? I think not. If I were 2-1 I'd act.

Even passing on 2 could be right, but I think we have a minor fit somewhere. If they have hearts, we might have spades. Axxxx xxxxx void xxx?

Yes I should have mentioned in my post, I think it's a HUGE (uppercase letters no exaggeration) difference on the first one to be 2-1 instead of 1-2, which is why I pass.

[whereagles]

1. 4NT seems obvious.

2. Pass now. Wait for them to bid game and double.

3. Been in this situation before, with much better hands, and while I managed to butt-in and get out unscratched, mostly I was in for -500. Pass this one. You'll almost never have a game and your hand is very defensive.

[MFA]

4NT
Pass
Pass

[MFA]

jdonn, on Nov 22 2009, 09:10 PM, said:

Phil, on Nov 22 2009, 06:27 AM, said:

Agree with Josh.

Acting on 3 is a LOL.

I don't like any action on 1 - we have reasonable defense against 4♥ and the doubleton heart sucks. Can I really expect pard to cover enough here? I think not. If I were 2-1 I'd act.

Even passing on 2 could be right, but I think we have a minor fit somewhere. If they have hearts, we might have spades. Axxxx xxxxx void xxx?

Yes I should have mentioned in my post, I think it's a HUGE (uppercase letters no exaggeration) difference on the first one to be 2-1 instead of 1-2, which is why I pass.

I think you might be exaggerating this, since some of the winning cases for 4N are where partner produces a singleton heart. With 2-1 partner has to cover the second spade loser with high card(s). But surely 2-1 would be better.

[Codo]

Yes 4 NT double and pass, the second one is the most dangerous bid, the third more then obvious.

[gnasher]

MFA, on Nov 24 2009, 01:28 AM, said:

I think you might be exaggerating this, since some of the winning cases for 4N are where partner produces a singleton heart. With 2-1 partner has to cover the second spade loser with high card(s). But surely 2-1 would be better.

Also, if we do have two heart losers the opponents won't expect it, so some of the time that we're going several down they won't double.

[phil_20686]

I agree with the consensus. Not close to any action on hand 3.
I think its clear to double on bd 2. You have a reasonable defensive hand, this could be trash stayman (esp if they dont play smolen), and even if not its hard to imagine that partner will pass this out wrongly, he can hardly expect you to have more, and if you play in 2sx in a 4-3 fit well thats just life, but sometimes they wont double.
There is also an upside if i double now and then we run to 2s, partner will someitmes be able to double 4H when he couldnt otherwise. Hand one it just seems obvious to bid 4N. THere are a huge class of 10-15 counts partner could have with 3 or more hearts where you are going to miss a vul game vs some NV undertricks, and only a small number where you are going for a large penalty.

[Fluffy]

I don't understand acting on board 2. They are on missfit, and everything is breaking bad, why would I wanna play this one?

On first I would bid 4N then think.

Third one I would normally pas bt I admit to make such doubles from time to time.