Bad Luck or Bad Double?

[bd71]

[hv=d=w&v=b&n=saqj42h86d8ckt853&w=s6hkqjdkt9754caq4&e=s875ha9532dj32c76&s=skt93ht74daq6cj92]399|300|Scoring: MP

1♦ (2♦)* P (2♠)

3♦ (3♠) P (P)

X PO

*No alert[/hv]

 

Intermediate field (N. American Pairs Flight C District finals)

When dummy appears, South says 2♦ should be Michaels/majors.

North just looks confused and embarrassed that she got Michaels wrong.

 

Result: Making 4, 930, 0% MP for E/W

 

Logic of the double was that KQJ of hearts was likely one trick and maybe two, I was presumably sitting behind any diamond and club honors with tenaces (perhaps 3 tricks), plus probably a trick from partner. But most of that falls apart when North doesn't have long hearts.

 

Were we just unlucky with opponents getting the convention wrong and fixing us rather than them, or was the double foolish?

[Jlall]

Yes doubling is truly bad. KQJ of hearts is not good, hearts are going to be 3-3 for the opps. They are just going to ruff out the hearts, pull trumps, and claim.

 

Lets put it another way. You have 1 heart trick and 1 club trick. Two tricks. You also have only 1 trump. Your partner has done nothing but pass despite you bidding twice. Surely if you can beat them partner would have doubled. You need tricks to double. You also need trumps.

[cherdanno]

Logic of the double was that KQJ of hearts was likely one trick and maybe two, I was presumably sitting behind any diamond and club honors with tenaces (perhaps 3 tricks), plus probably a trick from partner.  But most of that falls apart when North doesn't have long hearts.

I will let you in into a secret: to take a trick, it's not enough to play the highest card in the suit to trick. You also have to make sure that nobody is allowed to ruff you trick with a trump! :P :P

 

You should expect North to be short in the minors (a typical shape for his bidding would be 6511), so your ♦K and ♣Q probably don't take tricks. Similarly, your ♥J may not take a trick if South has a doubleton heart.

[neilkaz]

This is a poor double, inspite of the mistaken Michaels explanation. Where are your tricks coming from to set 3♠? What makes you think that passed pard can contribute a trick to the defence?

 

You have 15 hcp and the opps stopped at the 3 level and it seems that you could tell that North had gotten Michaels wrong. That isn't supposed to be a reason for you to double and perhaps in the confusion the opps have missed bidding to game.

PD certainly isn't guaranteed to contribute a trick and even if N has both majors South maybe short.

 

There is no reason to expect to set 3♠ here whatsoever. .. neilkaz ..