[cencio]

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In south double or show your club ?
If south double in north pass or tell the h ?

[pescetom]

Neat problem.

In South I would bid the clubs, but it's close.

If South doubles I would bid hearts.

[mw64ahw]

X a) you can rebid Clubs, b) you get to understand advancer's strength, c) you can get to ask advancer's strength and length via 2N over a 2M reply.

e.g
2♦-p-p-(X)
p-(2♥)-p-(2N)
P-(3♣) min with 4

Second thoughts with 9 playing tricks
3♦ stopper ask

[Cyberyeti]

mw64ahw, on 2026-April-20, 02:59, said:

It has to be a double a) you can rebid Clubs, b) you get to understand advancer's strength, c) you can get to ask advancer's strength and length via 2N over a 2M reply.

Well unless partner passes which has to be a decent possibility given that he very likely has at least 5 diamonds

[mw64ahw]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-April-20, 03:02, said:

Well unless partner passes which has to be a decent possibility given that he very likely has at least 5 diamonds

Looks like a good score.

[Cyberyeti]

mw64ahw, on 2026-April-20, 03:10, said:

Looks like a good score.

Well it is if the diamonds are good enough and the clubs aren't too long.

[awm]

The South hand is too strong to bid a simple 3♣. In my preferred methods, I would bid 3♦ as South, which asks partner to bid 3NT if he has a stopper in diamonds. This is normally a hand with long clubs like this one. Of course, if you have different agreements (for example treating 3♦ as majors) then you will need to double.

I'd certainly pass a double as North. North has an atrocious hand to declare in hearts (basically no values, might not take a single trick) while he's likely to take three defensive tricks in diamonds. Note that 2♦X isn't even a game (so it's not expensive even if it makes).

[pescetom]

 awm, on 2026-April-20, 03:52, said:

The South hand is too strong to bid a simple 3♣. In my preferred methods, I would bid 3♦ as South, which asks partner to bid 3NT if he has a stopper in diamonds. This is normally a hand with long clubs like this one. Of course, if you have different agreements (for example treating 3♦ as majors) then you will need to double.

I'd certainly pass a double as North. North has an atrocious hand to declare in hearts (basically no values, might not take a single trick) while he's likely to take three defensive tricks in diamonds. Note that 2♦X isn't even a game (so it's not expensive even if it makes).

Yes you're probably right that passing double might be better as it's not so expensive even if it makes.

We play the cue of diamonds as majors so I don't have that option.

[mikeh]

mw64ahw, on 2026-April-20, 02:59, said:

X a) you can rebid Clubs, b) you get to understand advancer's strength, c) you can get to ask advancer's strength and length via 2N over a 2M reply.

e.g
2♦-p-p-(X)
p-(2♥)-p-(2N)
P-(3♣) min with 4

Second thoughts with 9 playing tricks
3♦ stopper ask

A typical post. For the rest of us, not playing methods that you seem to create based on the actual hand, doubling then bidding notrump shows a big balanced notrump hand.

[mikeh]

As for the OP problem, if south doubled, north couldn’t have an easier pass.

This is an excellent hand for awm’s treatment of 3D but , while I do play that (1D) P (P) 3D asks for a stopper, in my partnerships (2D) P (P) 3D is 5=5 or better in the majors.

So I’m kinda screwed in that at the table I’d not be happy if partner passed my double since he would do so on hands where slam is good or we score better in a game. But my choices seem to be double or an extremely adventurous 3N, based on the likelihood that they can’t run diamonds. I doubt I’d have the nerve to do that one but it’s amazing how often that sort of call works and I’d (mistakenly) pull if they doubled

Btw, defending is going to be problematic. Three rounds of clubs , the third round ruffed and overruffed. North needs to switch to spades, so south needs to ndicate a spade switch with his club plays or north might make the tempting heart play, letting declarer pitch a spade on the third round of hearts,

[mw64ahw]

[quote name='mikeh' timestamp='1776692703' post='1090023'
A typical post. For the rest of us, not playing methods that you seem to create based on the actual hand, doubling then bidding notrump shows a big balanced notrump hand.
[/quote]
Good point on the 2N follow, which I realised and then added the 2nd thought, but no real need to highlight.