[Simplicity]

Butler scoring, ten tables both vul expert opps. You deal:

AK87 AK2 T65 Q95

Auction proceeds:

1NT-(2NT*)-4♠-(P)
P -(4NT*)-X-(5♦)
?

LHO has shown a good hand with the minors. Your call?

[rhm]

Going on seems clear to me.
Partner's sequence does not show a desire to double them but that this is our hand not theirs.
If I had a clearcut slam try I would make it. 5♥ might be misinterpreted.
In an expert partnership pass and pull should invite slam.
But unless I have such an agreement I would simply bid 5♠ with a less than expert partner.

Rainer Herrmann

[pooltuna]

Simplicity, on May 14 2010, 07:06 AM, said:

Butler scoring, ten tables both vul expert opps. You deal:

AK87 AK2 T65 Q95

Auction proceeds:

1NT-(2NT*)-4♠-(P)
  P -(4NT*)-X-(5♦)
  ?

LHO has shown a good hand with the minors. Your call?

Clearly your ♠ holding and partner's 4♠ call has significantly moved your ODR ---->>>> O and shrunk your D to a point where you would consider yourself lucky to take 1♠ trick. Consequently 5♠

[Hanoi5]

I thought of doubling first. What does partner double of 4NT mean? If he has a trick in the minors we should be getting 500 and 2 tricks in the minors would be 650 in 5♠ but 800 in 5♦.

[Fluffy]

I agree with Rainer that double jsut shows its our hand.

It makes it a close decision between 5 spades and pass, but I don't think we'll get rich in 5♦ anyway, lets try 5♠-

[dake50]

Could partner have transferred into spades over 2N?
If yes, why jump 4S? 6xS with nothing else, ie. NO DT a candidate? My pass offers no suggestion -maybe just what he needs to know.

If no, he has the undefined hand. He hears my PASS over 5D to show no particularly good defense against 5D (no double). He has the helm! I limited my hand with 1NT and no other suggestion.

[MFA]

I would try 5♥. I rule out defending, since I have my points stacked in the majors and LHO probably doesn't have a lot of cards there.

I don't see how 5♥ could be misinterpreted here. We are on lead against diamonds, so it can't be a lead director. We have opened 1NT so I don't see how we ever would have a natural 5♥ bid.

My hand is marginal for 5♥, which really should show the nuts since we won't bid 5 over 5 without a good supporting hand and partner just signed off in game, but AK AK will be working full time and partner rates not to bid slam hoping for more cover cards than that.

[whereagles]

Pass. I don't have a penalty double of 5♦, period.

[Phil]

Partner's double says "we have ownership". It does not express a penalty of either minor, although it doesn't deny such a holding either.

5♠ is easy and not close. I wouldn't be surprised if 5m made and I also would not be surprised if the opponents bid again.

I suppose 5♥ is possible, but I would be nervous making the call, and there is a lingering doubt that it could be natural, simply because of the main reason Michael states: it can't be a lead director.

[pooltuna]

Phil, on May 14 2010, 10:17 AM, said:

Partner's double says "we have ownership". It does not express a penalty of either minor, although it doesn't deny such a holding either.

5♠ is easy and not close. I wouldn't be surprised if 5m made and I also would not be surprised if the opponents bid again.

I suppose 5♥ is possible, but I would be nervous making the call, and there is a lingering doubt that it could be natural, simply because of the main reason Michael states: it can't be a lead director.

But if you don't bid 5♥ you'll never play in your 3-3 ♥ fit!!!

[mikeh]

I have no clear idea what partner is doing.

He could have announced ownership of the hand by a forcing, natural 3♠, but he chose to limit his hand via 4♠, which should be semi-preemptive.

I cannot imagine bidding 5♥. It cannot be a slam try, since partner has, via 4♠, already denied even a hint of slam interest. So while it would be unusual to play it as natural, why am I going out of my way to bid it? It's not as if I want him to bid 6♠ if the opps compete further, is it???

It sure sounds to me like lho is 6=6 or so and partner is announcing that he has too much to sell undoubled, but that really isn't that helpful.

Oh well, one inference is clear: his double announces that he thought we were making 4♠. If he thinks that missing my major holdings, then I think we make 5♠.

In addition, I am not entirely comfortable defending 5♦. I mean, I'm leading a trump but that doesn't mean I'm going plus and it almost certainly means I'm not going plus by very much.

[cherdanno]

I would bid 5♥. I have hopes it works exactly because partner has not announced slam interest. It should show a hand that is exceptionally well suited for slam in case partner just needs cards in the majors. I couldn't think of a more perfect hand matching this call.

Maybe partner has Qxxxxxx Qxxx x A.

[gszeszycki]

i imagine p is trying to warn us against competing over 5 of a minor because the original 4s was based on length not suit quality. P probably has what they imagine as 1 or 2 tricks against minor suit contract. Maybe something akin to
Qxxxxxxx xx AQ x or some such. In any case my boring 4333 hand is beginning to look like a MIRACLE hand I would bid 5H which should allay partners fear of trump quality AND show possible slam interest

[OleBerg]

Like others have said;

X invites us to the party. If partner had either taken a stab or simply wanted to penalize the opponents, he would have passed.

5♥ seems like a good call.

[mikeh]

so what happened?

[Simplicity]

Your partner (me) held: QT9xxx Qxx Kx JT.

At the table 5♠ was bid and doubled for 1 off, diamonds make 10 tricks also.

This was 9imps away, though i imagine most tables had a different auction as most play weak NT and 4cM here in England.

[gwnn]

whoopsie daisy. sign me up for 5H after the fact. sign partner up for hand evaluation courses (sorry )