Fun hand from last night's club game

[Vilgan]

So, after 2 boring hands I was dealt:

♠ void

♥ x

♦ AJT9xx

♣ JT8xxx

 

Partner deals and I see her reach for her bidding box. I know a major is coming out, but the question is.. how many?

 

Then she pulls out and lays down the card: 1♦!!

 

Auction proceeds as follows:

1♦ 2♥ 3♥ 4♥

p p 5♦ x (at which point the opps started writing down the contract)

p p ?

 

Now.. how crazy is XX here at matchpoints? It seems like 5♦ X'd will be a fairly common contract (rarity for doubled contracts) and it has a pretty good shot at making. All partner needs is the K of diamonds and either a top club honor or a stiff or the A of hearts, which seems very possible and the opps seemed very unlikely to pull it if i XX'd. Anyways, I xx'd and it went down one. So we lost to the tables in 5♦ X'd, and beat the tables who let the opps play 5♥, 5♠, or 6♥. Anyways, was a fun hand so thought I'd toss it out there. Would anyone else XX at matchpoints? At imps I think pass is automatic since they could easily make 5♥ and the extra 200 or whatever wouldn't be worth the risk.

[jdonn]

It is rarely wise to redouble a contract at matchpoints just to make. If it makes doubled you probably won't even improve your score by making it redoubled, but if it's going down one doubled you are certainly likely to make your score worse by going down one redoubled. Plus you don't want them to run to 5♥, that's for sure. I don't know why you think they would be unlikely to run, your redouble could indeed cause them to wise up.

[kenrexford]

Ah, but here's a story that argues for a redouble:

 

Teams.

 

I'm dealt ♠void ♥xxxx ♦xxxx ♣xxxxx

 

Not much there. But, white on red, partner opened 1♦. RHO overcalled 1♠. Having noticed that the opponents were using a Rosenkranz redouble, early on when RR was first becoming popular, I bet that they could not field these auctions well. A void in their suit. Four hearts. WTH, I'll double.

 

Sure enough, LHO redoubled, alerted. Partner made a free bid of 2♣. This was passed to me. Interesting. A double fit, with a void in their suit. The lack of a rebid of spades to my right suggested a nine-fit at most, giving partner four spades. 4054 seemed a fair bet. I like this! Why not cue? 2♠!!!

 

LHO passed, and partner rebid 3♣, 3♠ to my right, 4♣, X-P-P-P.

 

There were two things that could happen with the lead. Either we were cold for 7 or cold for 6 (both minors split 2-2). We received the lead for a cold 7. But, partner panicked and managed down one. -100 did beat -140 for a one IMP gain.

 

Had I redoubled, however, partner might have actuallu decided that he should make this and brought in the contract. If they pulled, I could bid the game and at least get that score.

[han]

redouble is really wrong here I think.

[the hog]

Why xx? You are probably getting a good score anyway if it makes. If it goes off you have earned a bottom.

[Vilgan]

Why xx? You are probably getting a good score anyway if it makes. If it goes off you have earned a bottom.

How is off 1 a bottom?

 

2 tables were in 5 x'd, 1 in 6 x'd, and the rest everyone was defending a major.

 

I am beating EVERYONE but the 5♦ x'd tables already. In a different situation where they might pull it, pass is immediate. But table feel was pretty much 100% that they wouldn't pull.

 

So say we are sitting at 80% of the matchpoints. XX gets either 100 or 60. I thought it was a good chance to make so I went for the extra 20% of the matchpoints.

 

Not going to say omg redouble was a brilliant bid. But suggesting it is turning a top into a bottom is a bit ridiculous. Just seemed like one of those rare situations when something X'd making would be a common result. Soooooo thought it was a fun hand. Was also cool to be 6/6 in the minors and hear partner open a diamond.

[the hog]

Read Josh's post. I wasn't going to be so blunt, but I think the xx is ridiculous.

[P_Marlowe]

Yesterday I played a TM against strong opp, at least stronger

than me and my partner (and this by a fair margin).

 

They stopped in 3NT, and I knew it would go down, I doubled,

hoping they had a bidding misunderstanding (they did), but that

they would sit.

They did not, they run to 4C (the alternative contract), which

made =, on the other table our teamates reached 5Cx-1.

... we would have pushed the board, if I had passed.

 

The moral: Take the money, be content with a avg.+ score.

 

Of course I mainly Xed, because I wanted us to catch up, and

partner may have also safed the day,

... but I think, I should have passed.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe