hrothgar Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Here's is an interesting hand from a team game yesterday evening...I think that its worth posting because it illustrates a useful principle: [hv=n=sak973h972dak3cj2&w=sht8653dqt962ct95&e=sqt852hkjd854c873&s=sj64haq4dj7cakq64]399|300|[/hv] At out table North opened 1♠ and the opponents bid up to 6♠. You're sitting East and need to determine whether or not to double the final contract... Thoughts? Comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bid_em_up Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 It is my belief on suit contract slam hands that it does not pay to double holding a trump stack, unless I am certain I can also beat 6N. That is not the case here. Indeed, doubling 6S loses here when the opps convert to 6N making, turning my plus 50/100/200, into minus 990/1440. Doubling cannot gain enough to offset that kind of loss. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 We've all been taught (I hope) not to double on hands like this. You have no guarantee of beating 6N. OTOH, this concept can be overdone. We've all seen hands where 6♠ goes down about 4, but 6N is -2 or -3. A double still should be considered in the context of the auction, and the rest of your hand. A double can be correct, if you know they don't have a prayer at 12 tricks in NT, because of a lack of another trick source, poor splits in their other key suits, or you think they lack sufficient strength. However, a knee-jerk pass is certainly better than a knee-jerk double if its close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 No dbl for sure, I'm 'quite' sure I have 2 tricks defeating 2♠, but no guarantee that I'll beat 6NT as well. Only double contracts where partner needs to know some special lead is needed, or when it doesn't matter at all B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumpace Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 From the hands, it looks like N/S would know that they have all the aces when 6S gets doubled. Since a double (either lightener or just on plain trump stack) points to bad breaks in _some_ suit, 6NT could/will be bid by them and they will end up making it. (East is not sure that 6NT is going down) If the bidding points to a suit contract then a double might be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshs Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 If partner was silent the whole time, I would never x. Thinking about xing deserves a -5 imp penalty (since a good player might read you for a trump stack). This hand is case in point. 6N is cold and 6S has no play. This falls into the plus good, minus bad category... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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