[awm]

♠T
♥QJT97
♦972
♣KQJ4

None vulnerable, matchpoints, strong field and opponents.

2♠ (weak) - Pass - Pass - ???

Do you balance? If so, double or 3♥?

[655321]

Double, never pass.

[ArtK78]

Agree.

[Lobowolf]

awm, on Mar 15 2010, 11:26 AM, said:

♠T
♥QJT97
♦972
♣KQJ4

None vulnerable, matchpoints, strong field and opponents.

2♠ (weak) - Pass - Pass - ???

Do you balance? If so, double or 3♥?

I'd double; hate defending 2M at matchpoints when they have a fit, and the odds strongly favor them having one. I also prefer to take less unilateral actions; despite the 5-card major, I have support for 3 suits...I'll let partner in on the final decision.

[jjbrr]

I'm superstitious when it comes to balancing. I'll pass quietly, though I expect double to be right more often than not.

Just to break up the monotony a little.

[phil_20686]

i'd dble, and it doesnt feel close at all. I would dble with less....

[kenrexford]

Double.

[gwnn]

I will pass here, i have 0 aces and very few kings, if any.

[aguahombre]

Strong field and opponents=more information.

Partner has 4 or more spades. In a weak field, RHO would not necessarily bid 3S with 3-card support.

We probably don't have game because CHO would probably find a bid with 16+.

So, we decide the frequency that partner will leave in a double with a happy result, or take it out with a happy result --vs. ugly results from the same things occurring.

I don't do sims very well, but my gut says JJBRR.

[Fluffy]

I consider 3♥ strongly, the suit quality is wonderful, so good that it might be better to play 3♥ in teh 5-2 than 3♣ in the 4-4. And playing 2♠X doesn't make me very excited with this high ODR, matchpoints is a majors game!

I would never pass. But I might double tomorrow with the same hand. But today I feel like 3♥.

[rogerclee]

Fluffy, on Mar 15 2010, 11:26 AM, said:

I consider 3♥ strongly, the suit quality is wonderful, so good that it might be better to play 3♥ in teh 5-2 than 3♣ in the 4-4. And playing 2♠X doesn't make me very excited with this high ODR, matchpoints is a majors game!

I would never pass. But I might double tomorrow with the same hand. But today I feel like 3♥.

Your partner has another bid, you know.

[jjbrr]

Ya 3♥ is great if partner always passes opposite a weak 3♥ bid and raises opposite the good 3♥ bids. Unfortunately he'll raise regardless.

[TimG]

I'm also a passer. It may not usually be good to defend 2M at MP, but I think action here will often lead to overbidding or defending 2SX when it is making.

[karlson]

I would balance for sure. I think even though hearts rates to be the right strain, partner will bid a (bad) game much more often over 3h than over double, so I would double.

[Codo]

At mp you cannot pass.

I am with Gonzalo, (usually a good choice) and bid 3 ♥ - yesterday I had doubled.

[Free]

I just can't pass this, Dbl.

[mike777]

awm, on Mar 15 2010, 11:26 AM, said:

♠T
♥QJT97
♦972
♣KQJ4

None vulnerable, matchpoints, strong field and opponents.

2♠ (weak) - Pass - Pass - ???

Do you balance? If so, double or 3♥?

dbl...

non expert

Congrats Adam on REno.

[awm]

Scoring: MP

---

At the table, I passed this out, concerned that partner would leave a double in and 2♠ would make. This was not the best decision -- as you can see 2♠ is one down and 3♥ can make. However, I suspect that if I had bid 3♥ partner would've raised to game (or perhaps tried 3NT, which is even worse). Double should be the winning action here.

Declarer played the hand well to go one down; +50 was worth 4/17 MP for our side. If 2♠ is doubled and left in (and declarer plays equally well) then +100 would be worth 8.5/17 (average). If we can somehow get to 3♥ making, that's worth 13/17, but 4♥ failing is only 2.5/17.

[hanp]

Adam, how did you do in Reno? And what did you think about the platinum pairs, was it similar to blue ribbon and 3-day LM pairs events or was the field more restrictive?

[awm]

hanp, on Mar 17 2010, 10:39 AM, said:

Adam, how did you do in Reno? And what did you think about the platinum pairs, was it similar to blue ribbon and 3-day LM pairs events or was the field more restrictive?

I'm back in Los Angeles now, having played only in the platinum pairs (plus the charity pairs warmup on the first day). We made day three, which is certainly an accomplishment in that field, but did not play particularly well on the last day and ended up 34th overall.

The best comparison is that the day one field of the platinum pairs is a lot like day two of the blue ribbons. It's already quite strong, with a lot of top pairs playing in the event. Day two is kind of like day three of the blues.

The last day field is stronger than any pairs event I've experienced. The most similar for me was day two of the Reisinger (I haven't been to day three of that event). It was nice to see that ACBL brought out the screens for it, as well as enough pre-duped boards for us to play barometer-style (no, the scoring was not barometer, but we played the same boards at the same time).