[jillybean]

---

Teams

10-12 1NT

[akwoo]

A 5332 hand plays almost a trick better than the equivalent 4333 hand.

The problem here is that it plays a trick better on both offense and defense.

Surely part of your calculation here is not only how much you can make declaring but also how much you can make defending.

Given the vulnerability, doubling does look less attractive, so I guess 2S it is. Against weak and mini NT, my preference these days is 2M shows a sound overcall and 2D is multi showing a weaker 2M overcall. (I'm happy to play it the other way around also.) That works well here, because the sound overcall is indeed more likely to be 5 cards.

The 10-12 NT has definitely done its job on this hand though.

[P_Marlowe]

For intervention it is the worst, you dont overcall on 4333.
There is a reason, most conv. req. you to have 44 or 54 distribution.

My ex. with mini NT is limited / barely existing, so it is possible, that
I am to tame. I would pass and await what comes, p is still alive.

In 4th seat I would make the call.

[mikeh]

I’ve played a great deal of 10-12/11-13/10-13 1N, at every possible level of competition so (perhaps wrongly) I think I have a good notion of what works most often, bearing in mind that no approach will ‘always work’.

Mistake number one, typically by club level players, is to think that one should compete more often over mini notrump than strong notrump. My belief is that one should have roughly the same distributional and hcp power to compete aganst all ranges of 1N, at least in direct seat.

Mistake number two, again typically by club level level players is to think that one’s defence to 1N should be the same against weak and strong, particularly for those who do not play a direct double as penalty.. imo, it’s essential to be able to double for penalty.

Mistake number three, which is surprisingly often made even by experienced players, is letting the 1N side off the hook after starting with a penalty double.

All of this is by way of a preface to my suggestion that we start with a strength showing double. I normally want around 15 hcp for this but I have 2 tens so will upgrade here, especially since my alternatives are bad. While 5332 is very different from 4333 I truly dislike overcalling on five card suits unless I have a two suited hand. So I’d be extremely reluctant to show spades. Indeed, I’d rather pass than show spades, and there’s just too much chance we’re going to be robbed blind if I pass. Btw, if one passes, do it in tempo…a slow pass should effectively bar partner unless he has a clear action. In reality, at the club level, far too many players take full advantage of tempo issues.

So I double and await developments. Fortunately, in my partnerships, we have agreements as to how we proceed from here.

[DavidKok]

I have played a lot of 10-13, 9-12 and other kamikaze ranges, and I'd double with this hand. Sorry, I don't really think there is a clear alternative.

[P_Marlowe]

mikeh, on 2026-October-27, 11:25, said:

I’ve played a great deal of 10-12/11-13/10-13 1N, at every possible level of competition so (perhaps wrongly) I think I have a good notion of what works most often, bearing in mind that no approach will ‘always work’.

Mistake number one, typically by club level players, is to think that one should compete more often over mini notrump than strong notrump. My belief is that one should have roughly the same distributional and hcp power to compete aganst all ranges of 1N, at least in direct seat.

Mistake number two, again typically by club level level players is to think that one’s defence to 1N should be the same against weak and strong, particularly for those who do not play a direct double as penalty.. imo, it’s essential to be able to double for penalty.

Mistake number three, which is surprisingly often made even by experienced players, is letting the 1N side off the hook after starting with a penalty double.

All of this is by way of a preface to my suggestion that we start with a strength showing double. I normally want around 15 hcp for this but I have 2 tens so will upgrade here, especially since my alternatives are bad. While 5332 is very different from 4333 I truly dislike overcalling on five card suits unless I have a two suited hand. So I’d be extremely reluctant to show spades. Indeed, I’d rather pass than show spades, and there’s just too much chance we’re going to be robbed blind if I pass. Btw, if one passes, do it in tempo…a slow pass should effectively bar partner unless he has a clear action. In reality, at the club level, far too many players take full advantage of tempo issues.

So I double and await developments. Fortunately, in my partnerships, we have agreements as to how we proceed from here.

The question to you from me would be, how much have you to weaken the hand to go with pass?

[akwoo]

mikeh, on 2026-October-27, 11:25, said:

So I double and await developments. Fortunately, in my partnerships, we have agreements as to how we proceed from here.

Same at MPs at this vulnerability, where you have to worry more about being +500 instead of +620? Or do you have enough system that you can rely on your partner appropriately pulling the double when that's the case?

[mikeh]

akwoo, on 2026-October-27, 15:22, said:

Same at MPs at this vulnerability, where you have to worry more about being +500 instead of +620? Or do you have enough system that you can rely on your partner appropriately pulling the double when that's the case?

I’m not sure I understand the first part of your question. When I know that RHO has 10-12 and I have a balanced, though nice, 14 hcp, the odds are high that this is a partscore hand, so worrying about +620 seems premature, not to mention being overly optimistic.

And I do have quite good (we think) pretty good methods, so I’d have a reasonable expectation that we can reach a good game if it’s available. Partner needs the bulk of the missing hcp and he knows what he has.

Our basic approach is that my double means that they can’t play a contract below 2S undoubled, and that the second double by our side is a (convertible) take out double. We also have rules for what a pass shows. We want to be able to double for penalty without a big trump stack.

I’m not claiming we always get great results. But my sense is that historically west end to do reasonably well.

[mikeh]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-October-27, 12:12, said:

The question to you from me would be, how much have you to weaken the hand to go with pass?

Not much