When would you balance opposite a passed partner

[WesleyC]

Both Vul @ IMPs

 

The auction starts:

 

P (P) 1♣ (3♦)

P (P) ???

 

You hold:

 

♠HH65 ♥A965 ♦--- ♣KT632

 

Assume that Double and Pass are your only options!

 

<edit>

I've ruined the poll layout and can't seem to change it :/

Any help appreciated :D

[dake50]

D-void makes this mandatory reopen. Even S-QJxx. Won't like convert for penalties but even that isn't hopeless if I trust partner.

[gwnn]

Axxx at least, otherwise I have severely sub par defence.

[benlessard]

AQxx

 

Good opps wont go for -500 here. Partner passed hand neg X isnt forcing to game. So i dont expect too much values for partner.

[Fluffy]

AQxx

 

Good opps wont go for -500 here

opponents don't knw that the suit is 5-0 when they bid :).

 

Good opponents should not know, ok, sometimes they know but you shouldn't assume it :).

[nigel_k]

Definitely double on all of the above.

 

Apart from being likely to work on the hand, I want partner to feel very comfortable passing with a decent hand and length in their suit. In this case I also happen to have useful cards for defence if he passes. With something like QJxx QJxx - KQxxx I would start to get nervous.

[peachy]

Dbl with all of them. And indeed Dbl and Pass are the only options, anything else is [you pick the ugly adjective].

[WesleyC]

I used to double in auctions like this with just about any hand that has a void. But after chatting to a few top players I've become slightly more conservative.

 

The first problem with doubling on a weak hand is that partner, looking at a pointy card or two and a few trumps, will pass too much. 3Dx will rarely be more than 1 off, and sometimes it will make. The second problem is that the weaker we are, the stronger partner rates to be. With 8-11 HCP partner will force to game every time - sometimes with 3NT! Often it will be theoretically right to double (ie 3D= & 3M=) but we can never realize that gain, ending up minus in 4M or 3NT instead.

 

Doubling light can hit the jackpot. If partner has nothing wasted in diamonds and a 5c Major, 4M will usually have play. However on some of those hands, partner might stretch to make a negative double (or the opps might raise diamonds) so some diamond wastage seems likely. Interestingly, if the auction started P (P) 1C (3D) P (4D) X there is an even better chance that 4M is playable.

 

Improving the spades slightly to Axxx makes a huge difference. The Ace is often worth a whole extra trick on defense so all of partner's marginal penalty passes are now (at least) beating the contract. If partner has a rock +500 is a possibility. But most importantly when partner has a 5c Major, game is just about always a reasonable shot and often its completely cold.

 

My feeling is that while doubling on ♠QJxx is close, Passing with ♠Axxx is a significant mistake.

 

♠QJ = Not quite enough.

♠K = Probably good.

♠A = Clear Double.

 

At the table partner passed with ♠A9xx. Double would've got us to 5C on a (probably losing) trump guess but 3D was making so 5C is certainly where you want to be.

[benlessard]

If your partner with

 

Axxx

Axxx

----

KTxxx

 

had good chance to make 5C than you should have made a negative double with your hand or bid 3M to show 5M + 3/4 clubs

 

I can assure you that Axxx isnt a clear double nor a mistake.

[WesleyC]

I think partner's actual hand was roughly:

 

Qx QJT Txxx AJxx

 

Are you doubling on that?

[benlessard]

Yep, im a passed hand and i have 10 working pts. My hand cannot really be better than what it is. Over 3M ill probably try 3Nt but 4C is ok too.