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pclayton

Over 1 diamond?   

75 members have voted

  1. 1. Over 1 diamond?

    • Pass (doublers are nuts)
      27
    • Pass (but double is reasonable)
      25
    • Double (but pass is OK too)
      12
    • Double (passers are wusses)
      11


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I wonder what a Bermuda Bowl winner would do.

There were a hand in the 1993 BB final between Norway and Netherlands where a famous norwegian X-ed on 4333 and minimum values and later his partner overcompeted and went for a number. They later told me that it wasn't the X that was wrong...

 

I can probably find the actual deal later or Harald can give the details.

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[hv=d=s&v=b&n=skj742hj985dqtcj2&w=saqthkt3dk83c8743&e=s9865h7d9762cakq5&s=s3haq642daj54ct96]399|300|Scoring: IMP

1 X 3 4

pass pass X [/hv]

 

Board 71. Helness - Helgemo went for -1100 vs 3 down 1 losing 15 imps.

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[hv=d=s&v=b&n=skj742hj985dqtcj2&w=saqthkt3dk83c8743&e=s9865h7d9762cakq5&s=s3haq642daj54ct96]399|300|Scoring: IMP

1 X 3 4

pass pass X [/hv]

 

Board 71. Helness - Helgemo went for -1100 vs 3 down 1 losing 15 imps.

- Perhaps I'm being simple minded, but a 14 count is different from a 12 count.

- Wouldn't you agree 4 is a definite overbid (or even a misbid)? Not to criticize great ones...

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- Perhaps I'm being simple minded, but a 14 count is different from a 12 count.

- Wouldn't you agree 4 is a definite overbid (or even a misbid)? Not to criticize great ones...

Sure agree on both accounts.

 

It was just posted as a reply regarding the question about Bermuda Bowl winners, as that jogged my memory and I recalled the conversation Geir and I had about this hand.

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For me this is an easy pass, but it depends on style. I wouldn't dare to call the doublers nuts. (I would make more enemies than I can afford. :()

 

My simple reasons why I won't double with this kind of hands. There are roughly three scenarios:

 

1) It is their hand. We don't want to be in the bidding with such poor suits.

 

2) It is our hand. The auction is expected to go 1-Pass-Pass and partner can act. I have quite a few possible bids avaiable to show partner that I have a decent hand that couldn't double at the first turn.

If LHO finds a bid with 5 points opposite 11, we will at worst loose a partscore, but probably they will be down for a tie (or win when they go down 2).

 

3) It is a 20-20 hand. The hand looks like a misfit: The side that wins the contract is the side that is likely to go minus. I don't want to win the contract.

 

Obviously, there are also scenarios where a double may lead to a good result and pass to a bad one, but the above three scenarios seem most likely to me.

 

Rik

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Nothing to do with skill level, there will be passers and doublers at pretty much any level. (But of course passers are wimps.)

There will be a higher ratio of doublers:passers the higher up the skill ladder you go.

There are also many on beginner/low intermediate level who routinely double when they have a weak NT because they can't stand passing when they would have opened. (Above a certain level I agree.)

 

Personally, I would double.

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To me this is close between pass and double. I can see myself choosing both, depending on vulnerability, opponents and time of day. In my experience doubling with 3334 (4 card in the unbid minor) and the appropiate strength has led to more good results than bad, but as mentioned by other posters the honour-location is not optimal on the given hand.
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I think a major fact is how you can control the bidding after partner reopen with a X. With 13 pts and a double stopper you have an easy 2Nt. With 15 pts & Qxx in S with or without 4H its tougher. If you cue-bid are you forcing to game ? If so so might easily go overboard if partner X agressively.

 

Since 8 pts tend to be enough in balancing seats 14-15 pts hands are tough to handle after partner made a balancing double.

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Totally obvious pass for me. I think double is not a good call unless you specifically play italian style t/o doubles. I think the "wusses" play bridge, others thow the die and let them land where they will.

It's a good game, you know, when you win on 1 2 3 or 4 and lose on 5 or 6. But some people are too scared to take any risk at all to know a positive expectation when they are looking at it.

 

I don't expect the discussion to convince anyone of much. After all, look how many 1NT bidders there are! Clearly the opinions of a crowd are to be taken with a grain of salt.

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Totally obvious pass for me. I think double is not a good call unless you specifically play italian style t/o doubles. I think the "wusses" play bridge, others thow the die and let them land where they will.

It's a good game, you know, when you win on 1 2 3 or 4 and lose on 5 or 6. But some people are too scared to take any risk at all to know a positive expectation when they are looking at it.

 

I don't expect the discussion to convince anyone of much. After all, look how many 1NT bidders there are! Clearly the opinions of a crowd are to be taken with a grain of salt.

We're in the water cooler now, right?

 

This is just standard macho posturing. Some people are so scared of appearing to be girlie feeble bidders with no balls, that they would rather make an insanely agressive call with negative expectation than the technically correct pass.

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Totally obvious pass for me. I think double is not a good call unless you specifically play italian style t/o doubles. I think the "wusses" play bridge, others thow the die and let them land where they will.

It's a good game, you know, when you win on 1 2 3 or 4 and lose on 5 or 6. But some people are too scared to take any risk at all to know a positive expectation when they are looking at it.

 

I don't expect the discussion to convince anyone of much. After all, look how many 1NT bidders there are! Clearly the opinions of a crowd are to be taken with a grain of salt.

We're in the water cooler now, right?

 

This is just standard macho posturing. Some people are so scared of appearing to be girlie feeble bidders with no balls, that they would rather make an insanely agressive call with negative expectation than the technically correct pass.

If you are going to start insulting people who weren't even talking to you completely out of the blue, it would probably be more polite to have actually posted your opinion in the thread already, lest people think this was the only reason you came.

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Ever since Garozzo jumped on my bandwagon, "pass" has picked up a lot of traction in the poll.
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It's a good game, you know, when you win on 1 2 3 or 4 and lose on 5 or 6. But some people are too scared to take any risk at all to know a positive expectation when they are looking at it.

Depending, of course, on how much you're gaining on 1-4, and how much you're losing on 5 & 6.

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