[affe82]

All red, imps, team competition you pick up:

♠x
♥AQ86
♦QJxx
♣A7xx

You and partner play 5542 with weak 2s and 2♣GF or 20-21
1♣ balanced or nat, 1♦promising an unbalanced hand.
After a 1♣ opening you play transfers which is of little use regarding this hand but might be interesting to know.

action starts with you:
1♦ - 2♣ - 3♣ - 3♥-
?

3♣ is a good raise of diamonds. Double would have been take out. Double from you now is penelty.
How good is our hand and what actions are to be considered?

[ArtK78]

Where are the spades indeed.

You have to double. This gets across to partner that you have a lot of stuff in hearts. Partner may pass the double, bid 3NT or take some other action. If the opponents find spades, you can still bid 5♦ which is where you are likely to wind up.

Given your controls and the likely heart tricks, I am not worried about the opponents bidding and making 5♠.

If partner is worried about clubs for 3NT, he can bid 3♠ which, in this auction, must show spades.

[Free]

Isn't Dbl more like "I have ♠ and ♦, choose wisely"?

I guess ♠s are divided 4-4-4-1 and partner didn't Dbl because he didn't have both Majors.

[pooltuna]

X and some number of ♦ is my only consideration at this point. As for where are ♠ IME each of the other 3 players has 4. BTW I am wondering if the opps, over 3♣, play X as support or negative. I would X, hopefully partner can choose properly over that. The opponents hands are starting to look like 4xy6 and 46wz

[pooltuna]

Free, on 2011-August-17, 08:29, said:

Isn't Dbl more like "I have ♠ and ♦, choose wisely"?

[snip]

reread OP's second to last sentence carefully for an answer

[Phil]

Free, on 2011-August-17, 08:29, said:

Isn't Dbl more like "I have ♠ and ♦, choose wisely"?

I guess ♠s are divided 4-4-4-1 and partner didn't Dbl because he didn't have both Majors.

I think I'll set up a poll this morning but I prefer to play 1♦ - (2♣) - x as both majors or diamond support + 1 major. So partner won't have four spades here in my methods.

[affe82]

Phil, on 2011-August-17, 08:48, said:

I think I'll set up a poll this morning but I prefer to play 1♦ - (2♣) - x as both majors or diamond support + 1 major. So partner won't have four spades here in my methods.

I, as opener of posting, agree with this sentiment.
Partner will probably only hold 4 of a major with diamond support if he has a weakish (in context of a good raise that is) hand with 4 small (in the major). Even then double is often our chosen treatment.
Does this in any way affect our decision one way or the other?

[Phil]

affe82, on 2011-August-17, 08:54, said:

I, as opener of posting, agree with this sentiment.
Partner will probably only hold 4 of a major with diamond support if he has a weakish (in context of a good raise that is) hand with 4 small (in the major). Even then double is often our chosen treatment.
Does this in any way affect our decision one way or the other?

If I have a reliable partner, then the opponents have a buried NINE card spade fit. Maybe RHO is 5-6 in the majors and wasn't sure how to make a responsive double. In any case, doubling 3♥ is a sure fire way to get LHO to run (who is either 4-5 or 4-6 in the blacks). I think I can shut out their spades with a quiet 4♦ call. I've already shown an unbalanced hand, and opposite something like Qxx xxx AKxxx xx I think we are high enough.