[joker_gib]

inquiry, on Dec 9 2004, 10:28 AM, said:

Imagine behind late in a team game needing a huge swing. 7NT would be brilliant stroke then. Imagine a short imp tourneyment with 6 boards and after 3 you are dead average, needing a lot of imps to move foward.

I don't know if I would make such a bid even in that situation Ben !

[PriorKnowledge]

Most stupid dbl I have ever seen. It steers partner away from the correct lead, risking >2200 in order to gain an extra 100.

Dbler should play a game that requires no thinking like war or old maid.

[inquiry]

whereagles, on Dec 9 2004, 10:45 AM, said:

While it is kinda natural that the double asks for a spade lead, isn't it also natural that any double of 7NT shows an ace? Isn't it better to use double as "I have an ace - try and guess which, but please don't lead passively", instead  of "please lead a spade". Note that a spade lead isn't even that unusual: there is a real chance pard will lead a passive spade without a double.

Hmm...

Is it natural for your partner to lead dummys first suit against grand slam, and is it correct to always double with an ace.

These are two different questions. Is it always right to double with an ace? The answer to that is no. Sure against 7NT if your partner leads the suit you bid, you got em. But the use of the double to help direct the defense is much more useful than a speculative, I got an ace and maybe it will win a trick when I am not on the lead double.

The first question is a little more interesting. If you assume your partner will always make the passive lead of a spade on this auction without a double, then double would be wrong with the ♠ACE.

What does Eddie Kantar say about ligthner doubles in this situation? We will ignore the situation where he talks about if our side has bid a suit, and since this is notrump, we can avoid the situation where doubler might have an unexpected void. So this leaves... "(based upon) an unexpected AK (or AQ) in a suit bid by the opponents, (Very often dummy's first bid suit.)" He goes on to summarize by saying when in doubt, lead dummies first bid suit.

Now, your spin on this auction,,,, that partner would naturally lead a passive spade would have a direct affect on what a double SHOULD MEAN. IF you are convinced that a passive spade is what partner would normally lead (and partner believes this logic too), then double should have the opposite of the normal meaning, and mean, lead not a spade. But sadly, double meaning "lead not a spade" is not nearly as useful as a double that says "LEAD A SPADE," since parnter tells you what to lead (no guess), versus a three suit guess with the double. So if artificially made double mean lead highest suit not bid by dummy, that would be more useful than don't lead suit bid by dummy.

BTW .....,,,,,,,:::::..... ;;;;;;;

[whereagles]

What a mess, Ben But you're right that guessing between 3 suits is worse than guessing just 1... lol.

[civill]

Passively leading Heart!

[keylime]

Failing to lead a spade would get a very hard smack on my face from my wife, followed by hot coffee poured from the large coffee maker we use at the local duplicate (the giant steel one) onto my lap as I was duct taped down to the chair, followed by a dumping of any and every dry ingredient in the large kitchen (including fire extinguishers), followed by being tattooed with makeup all over my face and ending with a long walk home trying to avoid police.

Yes, I'm not kidding.