should you bal dble

[mcphee]

Sould the N hand double in balancing postion? What other choice would you consider, E has opened 1S and are Vul, N/S are not.[hv=s=shaqj2da1072ckq1086]133|100|[/hv]

[han]

I'm going to make a wild assumption here: east has opened 1S??

 

 

 

I would double, with so much extra strength I'm not the least worried that 1SX will be a bad score (especially at this vulnerability.

 

I think that there is no sensible alternative.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

it would be great to know, what did East open?

If spade, ... well I hold a 3-suiter and there is a bid

to describe 3-suiter, dbl.

 

I East opened Hearts and diamonds, I will go

with double intending to bid clubs if I hear spades,

selling my hand as a +15/16 count with good clubs.

 

If East opened 1C, ugliest, I bid 1H or Pass, the nice thing

being they are vul..

 

Marlowe

[mikeh]

Hi Bob: next time include the auction <_<

 

Double of 1♠

 

2♠ is (for me) michaels, but it days gone by, it might do for this hand, altho this hand is a trifle weak for that treatment.

[Guest Jlall]

pretty textbook balancing X.

[mike777]

x will bid 2s over partner's 1nt response.

[luke warm]

the only "problem" with x is a pass from partner, but i don't know how much of a problem it is.. i'd double anyway, it's possible partner has 5 or even 6 spades.. and they are vulnerable

[pclayton]

Pard usually won't pass a 1 level dbl without 5 good or 6 trump.

 

I can't really see how a void is a big liability for a TOx here.

[kenberg]

I really did choose my 3D bid on the other thread before I read this. Or do I assume too much?

[pclayton]

I really did choose my 3D bid on the other thread before I read this. Or do I assume too much?

Me too :)

 

I can see how pard gets paranoid about excess spade wastage and slows it down with 3N (perhaps?).

[Chamaco]

This hand has clearly a huge ODR, that is, if pard leaves the double in, the score is likely to be not so good as if we play the hand.

 

I can imagine that, when we do set opps significantly, we may have a laydown slam (just give pard a couple of honors).

 

If 2S is not Michaels (e.g. as Mike Lawrence suggeets), then the cuebid 2S shows a semi-GF hand.

 

I think that, despite the fact that the hcp content is not up to the requirements for a semiGF bid, the overall playing strength (about 3.5 losers) justifies a semiGF bid, provided we play a suit contract.

[Fluffy]

I', sorry, but cannot think of anything but double.

[joker_gib]

I', sorry, but cannot think of anything but double.

Agree !

[paulg]

Life is too short to waste brain cells considering alternative actions to double. It is better to conserve your energy for the next round, which can only be more difficult!

 

p

[Kalvan14]

2♠ in the balancing seat is not Michaels, for me: it shows a semi-GF hand, and this more or less fits the bill

[zasanya]

This appears to be a situation which mcphee encountered in real life.Could he enlighten us about what happened at the table.

I have voted for the idiotic 2!c and not the obvious text book dbl on the assumption that when a problem is posed disregard the obvious and vote for the obscure.The queen sac syndrome as some chess players turned bridge players would call it. :D

Please disclose the last chapter, Sir.

[kenberg]

This appears to be a situation which mcphee encountered in real life.Could he enlighten us about what happened at the table.

I have voted for the idiotic 2!c and not the obvious text book dbl on the assumption that when a problem is posed disregard the obvious and vote for the obscure.The queen sac syndrome as some chess players turned bridge players would call it. :)

Please disclose the last chapter, Sir.

I hope I am not abusing McPhee's rights here if I mention that there was a presumably companion hand. I cannot find it but I can give it roughly:

 

Qxxx

xx

KQJx

Axx

 

Assuming you pass over a 1S opening, lho passes, pard reopens with a double, what do you do?

 

 

What happened at the table? I of course don't know and perhaps, since the auction involved two people, the author thinks it impolite to say. It still presents a useful issue for partnership discussion. 6D is a fine contract., how should a pair get there? After an opposition opening, most of us consider it important to battle for the part score, hope we can find a game in the right strand, and pretty much ignore slams. Still. It would be good to reach 6 here.

 

 

Quite a few responders called 1NT with the above hand. This may be the correct call. It's important that partner know you think this is the correct call with such a hand. If so, over 1NT he could move on with 2S and the slam may well be reached. If he thinks you have maybe KQx of spades and maybe a red king, he will not get you to a slam. So regardless of what happened at the table, the hand has its uses for partnershipo discussion.

 

 

 

My call with the above was a nervous 3D. It works fine here (unless we get to a probably unmakable 7), but as many pointed out and I agree, there are quite a few hands where it is too high in the wrong strain.

 

Ken

Edited December 10, 2005 by kenberg

[Chamaco]

I hope I am not abusing McPhee's rights here if I mention that there was a presumably companion hand. I cannot find it but I can give it roughly:

 

Qxx

xx

KQJx

Axx

 

Assuming you pass over a 1S opening, lho passes, pard reopens with a double, what do you do?

2NT

[mcphee]

To date there were 37 votes of which the overwhelming choice was to say double in the balancing seat. I believe 34 or 35 votes were for double. For me double is the bid which caters to the best result which includes passing from partner. To be honest if my partner were to pass this double I epect to collect between 500-1100. I can't imagine only 200 as the hand doubleing is rather wealthy in defensive values. The hand was in fact closely laid out as

Q653

85

KQJ3

A54

6D as it happens is not a bad spot at all although it may fail you would be happy to reach that spot with:

void

AQJ2

A1072

KQ1086

 

As responder to the balancing double it seems to me a difficult choice between 2NT and 3D with considerations of 2S. 2S strikes me as a slightly pushy choice, 2NT perfect on values but soft on the S spots, 3D I would like 1 more trump, but such is the way life is. You have to make some choie and you can't be overly critical of these 3.

 

Bidding 2S in the balancing seat removes the option of the penalty dble and is (for me) a poor option. There is nothing to say the opening hand can't have some 18+ hand with a 5+ lenght S suit. To want to comitt to the 3 level and play in what may be a 4-3 fit with the lead coming through the good hand to start is not my cup of tea. For the players who feel that 2S should be some semi GF hand I believe you are dreaming and perhaps consideration should be given to the idea that it might show a hand that would not welcome partner making a penalty pass and more of an offense hand that lacks defensive values, for example any 6-5. While the dble may not be this good no one said it can't be.