Law of total imps...

[Gerben42]

As a 3NT bidder maybe I'm not passing enough but I can go 11 down in 3NT before it gets more expensive than 3♥X made. If they double I will SOS but I think this is unlikely enough not to bid 4♦ right away.

[keylime]

Adjunct time: At 3H doubled, what do you LEAD and why?

[Guest Jlall]

you're not on lead, so you don't.

[Kalvan14]

3♠: pard does not have 5 spades

3NT: where are my tricks coming from?

4♦: possibly my best contract

pass: oppos are quite likely to be 1 or 2 down in 3♥X.

 

Overall, and without a lot of confidence, I pass.

[arrows]

I pass without looking at my cards a second time.

 

If I am not happy with partner leaving the double in, I won't double.

[Guest Jlall]

I chose to pass. This is not generally my style, but it seemed right to me at the time for whatever reasons (maybe my style has changed).

 

Partner had AKxx -- KJx AKTxxx. There was a club void out and we were only able to get 2 spades a heart and a diamond for -530.

 

At the other table after the same start they pulled to 4D, and partners hand bid 5 diamonds(!) instead of 5C. This was Xed and -1400, so we won 14 imps for -530 lol. If we had pulled to 4D I'm sure our partner would have bid 5C which would go down a couple undoubled. All's well that ends well.

[han]

Good job Justin! :(

 

I enter this thread a bit late, but I think I would also pass.

[mike777]

I chose to pass. This is not generally my style, but it seemed right to me at the time for whatever reasons (maybe my style has changed).

 

Partner had AKxx -- KJx AKTxxx. There was a club void out and we were only able to get 2 spades a heart and a diamond for -530.

 

At the other table after the same start they pulled to 4D, and partners hand bid 5 diamonds(!) instead of 5C. This was Xed and -1400, so we won 14 imps for -530 lol. If we had pulled to 4D I'm sure our partner would have bid 5C which would go down a couple undoubled. All's well that ends well.

Is 5C after 3H by LHO a reasonable choice in flight A?

What is the max for x and then 4clubs after LHO bids 3H?

[Guest Jlall]

I'm not sure if I would X again a second time or try 4C. Second X is hard to be critical of though. I don't think 5C over 3H is a good bid as partner may still have 4 or 5 spades, or lots of diamonds, since he has a yarb he wouldn't have freebid.

 

This hand is probably too good to bid a non forcing 4C with though, and does not necessarily show 4 spades. It also shuts 3N if you are going to pass that bid (I wouldn't).

 

On the other hand, something like this may happen when you X a second time.

[Chamaco]

I think this illustrates yet another time the adage "when in doubt, try to avoid takeout double with a void in opps suit".

("doubt" here would be only about the second round double IMO)

 

 

Very very oftenn, doubling with a void in opps suit does not let pard (even if he is world class !) evaluate well the defensive vs offensive power of the hand: if the double is pulled, all is well (of course! all those who advocate t/o doubles with a void do it because "all suits supported), but when the double is left in (which is more likely, since pard will usually have length if we are void), is is very frequent that our eventual plus (if any), is less rewarding than an alternative contract for our side.

[luis]

I must say I don't like the second double.

I already hate doubling wiht a void so doing it twice is bad for my heart.

4♣ should be more healthy he already doubled the first time so doubling again is just tempting a bad decision from you.

[Finch]

This reminds me of a hand in a match we played last Saturday.

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=skqxxxhjxxdxxcxxx&w=sxxxh9xxdkj9xcq10x&e=shaq10xxdaq10xcakjx&s=sajxxxhkxdxxxcxxx]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

The auction at both tables was

2S x 4S P

P x all pass

 

I can't really see an alternative. You can say East shouldn't double on a void the second time, but it's hardly implausible that 4Sx is going to be the right spot.

[Walddk]

One has to live with 500 instead of 1430 or 1370. I can't see an alternative to double over 4♠, and West must surely sit for it. That's what pre-empts are for; sometimes there is no room for scientific investigation.

 

Roland

[keylime]

Well said Roland.

[Chamaco]

I can't really see an alternative. You can say East shouldn't double on a void the second time, but it's hardly implausible that 4Sx is going to be the right spot.

What about 4NT ?

(I'd bid 4NT even over a direct 4S opener)

 

The offense/defense ratio suggests to me that in a suit contract, the 5-level should hardly be too high, but again, I am neither good nor experienced as most Forum posters here.

[Blofeld]

I'm fairly sure (on Frances' hand) that if East is going to take an action other than double that it should be at the first opportunity. Being willing to let partner sit for penalties at the 2-level but not the 4-level makes no sense.

 

That said, I'm doubling.

[Kalvan14]

I would double twice on Frances' hand. 4NT is a bit committing: on the posted hand, you'll play 5♦+1 (cannot believe you bid slam); on a slightly different hand it might turn a certain plus into a minus.

Pre-empts are used to make life difficult for opponents, and reasonably often they are successful.

IMHO, irrespective of the result on this hand, opening 2♠ first hand (even at fav vuln) with a moth-eaten 5-3-3-2 is not a winning tactic in the long run.