(in)sanity check

[awm]

Matchpoints, all vulnerable, RHO deals

 

pass-pass-3♦-pass

pass-???

 

♠QTx

♥AQxx

♦xx

♣QJ9x

 

Balance or go quietly?

[Jlall]

Seems like a very easy X, obv red at MP is the worst because we might go down 2 in something, but w/e, gotta bid your hand.

[MFA]

Boring, balanced hand. I don't think it will be a huge winner in the long run, but sure, I'd double.

[TylerE]

Pass, feeling pretty good about it. Would help to know system. (E.g. is partner expected to open above average 10 counts...or are we playing Roth-Stone... makes a difference here). Doubling feels likely to turn a plus into a minus, which is like...the worst...at mp. Would double if 4441.

[rbforster]

Balance or go quietly?

Double quietly, showing better hearts than spades :D

[awm]

Pass, feeling pretty good about it. Would help to know system. (E.g. is partner expected to open above average 10 counts...or are we playing Roth-Stone... makes a difference here). Doubling feels likely to turn a plus into a minus, which is like...the worst...at mp. Would double if 4441.

I'm not sure you're reading the auction right here.

 

Partner never had a chance to open the bidding; he is in fourth chair.

 

We play relatively "normal" 2/1 methods. Our hand passed in 1st chair, so evidently we do not open all (or even most) balanced 11s. We're not playing Roth-Stone though.

[RichMor]

Pass, feeling pretty good about it. Would help to know system. (E.g. is partner expected to open above average 10 counts...or are we playing Roth-Stone... makes a difference here). Doubling feels likely to turn a plus into a minus, which is like...the worst...at mp. Would double if 4441.

I'm not sure you're reading the auction right here.

 

Partner never had a chance to open the bidding; he is in fourth chair.

 

We play relatively "normal" 2/1 methods. Our hand passed in 1st chair, so evidently we do not open all (or even most) balanced 11s. We're not playing Roth-Stone though.

Guess I'm not reading the auction right either.

 

Looks like 'our hand' passed in second chair not first. Not a big deal but it does affect the meaning of the third chair vulnerable preempt.

 

LHO probably has good Diamonds for a vulnerable third-postition 3 bid. I think the hand is worth a double, but it is close.

 

RichM

[Fluffy]

obvious double to me.

[bid_em_up]

obvious double to me.

me too

[OleBerg]

Double is Easy, but by no means safe.

[pooltuna]

Double is Easy, but by no means safe.

does this translate into "Double is correct but has great variance in results"?

[awm]

[hv=d=e&v=b&n=sjxxxhxxxxdaxxcax&w=skxhkjxdkqt9xxctx&e=sa9xxht9djxckxxxx&s=sqtxhaqxxdxxcqj9x]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

I made what I thought was a normal balancing double, and partner decided to leave it in. This was not a good result as 3♦X made easily (in fact declarer dropped a trick in the play to make only three). Partner was very upset with my balancing double on what he thought was an obvious pass. I thought partner was resulting and that leaving the double in was rather speculative.

 

Of course, if partner bids a major the best we're likely to get is -200 (down two undoubled) which is only slightly better than -670.

[MFA]

Partner should know that when we make a reopening double being a passed hand we rate to have shape. So leaving it in with Axx is terrible.

[gwnn]

I think leaving it in ever is terrible from N, it can be a 3M bid or a 4D bid depending on which seat partner is etc, but never ever a pass.

[jdonn]

Of course if partner had bid anything that would have been bad too, so his pass was awful but didn't cost too much.

 

Ugh, I mean double really does look normal and I can't fault it, but maybe vul at mps pass is the percentage action. Going for 200 just looks so common holding this balanced hand with little offense.

[655321]

I think double is clearly correct, it is not a hand you are proud of but still.

 

However, if you move one of your diamonds to spades, now you have a 4414 11 count as a passed hand. Everyone would double now, so I am not sure why your partner thought that he would have done better defending 3♦X opposite that hand.

[Jlall]

Yeah partner passed and you had a defensive 11 count with 2 diamonds. If he didn't like your X then he must think you should always have a stiff diamond...then his pass is even worse?

[bluecalm]

Your partner was clearly out of his mind. You are passed hand. You have extreme maximum for defense. What did he expect ?

As to reopening double I feel pretty good about it. Not reopening could lead to many disasters (like missing cold game or 9card partial). I would prefer to open this hand in the first place though.

[jdonn]

I am far from convinced double is clearly correct. But there's no doubt it's clearly normal, and I still would have done it since I'm not going to test my hunches at the table like that especially when I'm not even confident in them.

[bluecalm]

By saying his partner was clearly out of his mind I meant his pass over double, not his comment about the double. I am not convinced double is clearcut either, especially against good opponents.

[Phil]

I think double is slightly aggressive but normal. There are players that love to make heavy preempts in 3rd seat, and they pay off on hands like this. They give up on 3N and sometimes partner cannot double if the opponents get out of line.

 

If I knew I had one on my left I would honestly pass. If they do it too often, it borders on a partnership agreement, but good luck with that one.

 

While partner holding a 9 count isnt unusual, its sucks you have all these cards offside.

 

Partner's pass of the x is nuts.