[jdonn]

AKJ8 QJT9xx xx x, not the strongest opponents at the club. You are R/W.

1NT 15-17 on your right, you bid a natural 2♥. LHO bids 3♥ and partner passes. RHO looks nervous then blurts out "I think that's a transfer" and bids 3♠. You pass and LHO bids a stern 3NT. RHO hems and haws and reaches and pulls back and finally bids 4♠.

For some reasons which I stated and even better ones that I didn't, you are not going to call a director no matter what they do, how much UI they take advantage of, etc. However in that context you still want the best score possible on the hand.

Double 4♠, expecting LHO may run with her non-spades, or pass and take your money in 50s?

[bluecalm]

I pass. Even if somehow 4♠ is normal contract I doubt people will be doubling it so we should have decent board in that case.
In case 4♠ is not a normal contract we should get a top anyway and double may convince them to run away.

[Pict]

Pass, expecting (hoping) they make loads of tricks elsewhere.

[Phil]

I assume since you are playing weak opponents at the club that this is MPs?

Take the money. Doubling is an invite to hear a stern 4N.

[jdonn]

Phil, on Aug 1 2010, 03:01 PM, said:

I assume since you are playing weak opponents at the club that this is MPs?

Take the money. Doubling is an invite to hear a stern 4N.

But maybe your defense against that is pretty good too? Or maybe that is taken as blackwood? Just playing devil's advocate...

[bluecalm]

I am afraid of them running to 5m if anything, not sure if that is at all likely though.

[nigel_k]

I don't know exactly how bad they are but probably they can figure out that a nonforcing 3NT followed by 4NT is not Blackwood. LHO can bid 4NT whether I double or not, and 4♠ could even be their least expensive contract so I would just double at IMPS.

If it's matchpoints there's probably little upside in doubling and the downside is greater since people avoid 5 of a minor even when it's right, but I want them to be scared to bid against me next time so I would still double.

[Phil]

jdonn, on Aug 1 2010, 03:15 PM, said:

Phil, on Aug 1 2010, 03:01 PM, said:

I assume since you are playing weak opponents at the club that this is MPs?

Take the money. Doubling is an invite to hear a stern 4N.

But maybe your defense against that is pretty good too? Or maybe that is taken as blackwood? Just playing devil's advocate...

Yes my defense is pretty good, especially against nervous club players!

I've played a lot of club bridge against awful opponents. Here, our table feel is that the opponents have suffered a misunderstanding. LHO (who I'm learning to dislike as I read this thread) is acting improperly. My RHO seems like he/she very well could be acting ethically and not taking advantage of the blatant UI.

I guess I have a soft spot for people like this. So I keep my original answer and pass 4♠. Even if I have to explain why I'm not trying my hardest and "getting the best score possible", I can tell my partner (client?) that I thought they were in a strange spot and didn't want to turn an 85% board defending 4♠, into a 40% score defending 4N when they run a slew of minor tricks against us.

[kayin801]

Easy pass cause either we're already way ahead (3NT or 5m is the right contract) or we're in the same place as everyone else and we're better at defense.

[pooltuna]

lead the ♥Q and take you undertricks in the 50s. At worst they are playing a 4-3 split as normally 3♥ in this auction is stayman

[CSGibson]

It depends. If I'm a pro playing with a client (I'm not, btw, but the OP might be), I'm doubling this and every subsequent spot they get into, because I believe I will score higher this way, and because I'm being paid to produce my best results. I will also double if I dislike the people I'm playing against, purely for spite.

Outside of those two circumstances, however, I am going to just play 4 spades. I anticipate that it will be a good score anyway, and maximizing my score on every board is not necessarily worth adding to the feeling of ill will around the table.

Edit: I just saw that the goal was to maximize the score. In that case, wield your might axe, sir.

[Fluffy]

LHO might have 4 spades and roll this home quite easilly I am not doubling.

[whereagles]

The only reason for not doubling is LHO will quite probably pull to 5m.

Normally I would pass, but I can't help doubling on this occasion. From the description, they clearly messed up.

[billw55]

I choose not to double.

LHO seems to have already demonstrated ethical impairment, why should I think he is leaving 4♠ alone? He will bid 4NT either way.

But RHO is much more likely to interpret 4NT as to play, if I have doubled 4♠. I want to increase the chance that he takes it as blackwood, or anything other than simple rescue, so I pass.

And in the minority case that LHO is satisfied with 4♠, I certainly do not want to double. They might even make it.