[ArtK78]

This hand came up in a Swiss Team the other day. I got the hand right, but I don't know if I took the right action. Thought I would throw it open to discussion.

Scoring: IMP

(3♦) - ?

---

[Hanoi5]

4♦, let partner pick a Major.

However the hand may be too weak for that action, in which case I guess Pass is better. 3♠ sort of hides the hearts which I don't want to happen.

[aguahombre]

This is one of those hands you can't "get right" in a forum. You have agreements with partner on whether 4D could be this light. My agreements and yours might be different; my opinion and my partner's should not be different. If I try 4D with this one, she will still be bidding after the session is over.

So, I pass and hope for "right" choices by partner, and/or wrong choices by the other guys. I might have another chance to "get it wrong" later.

[mikeh]

The problem with 3♠ is that it may get us to the wrong suit. The problem with 4♦ is that it may get us to the wrong level. The problem with pass is that it may keep us out of the auction entirely.

I think bridge is a bidder's game. Pass is the 'safe' call, and maybe the 'textbook' call, but I don't think it is the winner's call.

Put me down for 4♦ and an apology to partner.

I would pass with my minors reversed...there is more chance that partner can reopen then.

Ask me tomorrow and I might answer differently.....I hate this problem...the only thing I am fairly confident about is that bidding 3♠ is worse than either of the other choices and even it might turn out to be the best move on a lot of hands.

BTW, it is hands like this that are persuading me that I have been too rigid in terms of what 4♦ should deliver...I still think it should deliver more than this, but not as much as I used to think. AKxxx KQ10xx x xx now seems to me to be fine, whereas I used to think it had to be even more.

[hanp]

Double.

[hanp]

I couldn't find the double button but I really want to double. I'll do other.

[gnasher]

hanp, on Jul 19 2010, 08:50 PM, said:

Double.

Are you planning to pass 4♣?

[hanp]

Yes, unless it gets doubled of course. I fear 5C more than 4C to be honest. I might be playing in a 5-2 fit at the 5-level while the rest could be in a 5-3 fit at the 4-level.

[ArtK78]

Sorry - I omitted double as one of the choices. So I guess we should read "other" as meaning "double" unless someone comes up with a true "other."

[nigel_k]

Good problem. I would double (and pass 4♣).

It's too hard for partner to act with a decent hand if we pass because he is likely to be short in one major and because he will reason that we won't be this good with short diamonds. So it's between 4♦ and double.

4♦ is an overbid but gains over double if partner has no four card major and 4M makes but 3N does not. That will happen sometimes but I think it will be outweighed by the times we stop at the right level after doubling.

If partner passes the double, this may or may not be good for us but at least I have some useful stuff on defence.

[hanp]

Yeah I think 4D will cost mostly when partner tries for slam.

[mikeh]

I wouldn't vote for double if it were offered.

Not only may we play clubs when we belong in a major, but this is not the hand on which I want to find an opening lead, should he pass, nor a dummy I want to table in 3N.

It's not that any alternative is risk-free, but double seems to run a lot of risks while aiming at a number of very small targets, than collectively aren't big enough.

leaving aside low-probability issues (when it's right to defend or to play 3N) double wins only when partner has playable clubs and chooses the right level, or he'd go nuts over 4♦...the latter is a huge risk, but not, imo, as bad as the aggregate of the risks of double.

[andy_h]

I'm in for 4♦ as well. Partner knows to allow some leeway for me after a preemption right?

[Cascade]

Too light for 4♦ for me.

I too am wondering what the doublers are planning over partner's 3NT.

[mikeh]

Cascade, on Jul 19 2010, 05:18 PM, said:

Too light for 4♦ for me.

I too am wondering what the doublers are planning over partner's 3NT.

so...what do you call?

[Pict]

I don't play bids over pre-empts as scientific, so 4D is clear for me, because it probably leads naturally to a good outcome.

[gnasher]

If you double and partner bids 3♥ or 3♠, are you tempted to raise?

[mikeh]

gnasher, on Jul 19 2010, 06:13 PM, said:

If you double and partner bids 3♥ or 3♠, are you tempted to raise?

spades, no....need him to cover hearts, clubs, and diamonds, where I have 5 obvious losers, and to have spades good or long enough to come home, on an auction where splits rate to be bad. So he needs too many cards.

Hearts, yes.... if he has length in hearts, he may be short in spades, so needs about a Queen less (all else being equal) in working values if he fits hearts than if he fits spades. But he still needs the right cards and the right quantity. I won't go chasing snipe on this hand...so...spades, no, hearts, yes but I pass anyway.

[bluecalm]

I double with 4♦ being close 2nd choice.
Obviously both bids may work or backfire. My intuition tells me double works more often.

[the hog]

I am passing. This hand is too light for a 4D bid. I think double is so poor that it is not even worth considering.