Forever young

[gwnn]

Partner overcalled at favourable MP's after LHO dealt.

 

1S-2D-2S-x

4S-p-p-???

 

xxx

Axxx

AQT

xxx

[bluecalm]

Easy pass in my opinion. If partner had 6diamonds and say spade void or other very offensive hand he would go to 5♦ himself as double should promise at least 2 diamonds and we have 3 here on most cases anyway.

[billw55]

Pass, I have good defense. Also my flat hand does not encourage me to bid on, either to make or to sac.

[Hanoi5]

Pass. More than half my HCP's are in partner's suit and we might make one or no tricks in that suit. I doubled 2♠, partner knows I'm not poor.

 

What's with the songs? Are you playing while listening to 80's classics or something?

[gwnn]

surely they're better than kfay's all-caps abominations. :unsure:

[andy_h]

Not sure if I want to live forever, but I'm sure I would have raised diamonds on the previous round :unsure:

[Phil]

5♦. This cannot be down more than 3, so the only way it is wrong is if 4♠ is being set. Most of our hand is useless on defense, and diamonds will be 3-1 a lot of the time.

 

It wins when 5♦ is inexpensive, and it wins big when they push to 5♠ and go set.

[Fluffy]

what about 5♦ making?, well, I bet my partner wouldn't overcall 2♦ with the real hand anyway.

[655321]

Pass, also I am OK with the auction so far.

[kfay]

surely they're better than kfay's all-caps abominations. :(

my posts are exciting.

 

yours are mundane!!!

[gwnn]

your posts are tacky.

[mikeh]

I pass: I would not have doubled earlier: aiming for a 4=4 heart fit is too narrow a target. I would have raised diamonds, thus confirming for partner that he can save if he has extreme shape. As it is, he made a 2/1 overcall on a poor suit, so he rates to have defence.

 

Saving seems far too committal. I rate to have 2 defensive tricks (ok, maybe I am overstating the diamond Ace but there is no compelling reason to think declarer IS void as opposed to may be void) and partner should have a card or two outside his suit.

 

BTW, in addition to the improbability of finding a 4-4 heart fit, and the creation of this 'what do I do now?' sequence, the earlier double would have left us poorly placed had LHO merely bid 3♠. I guess you can tell how much I hate that responsive double.

[MFA]

I disagree with double. ♥Axxx is not important in comparison to our strong support. Not a surprise that the auction explodes as it often does when we have unshown support.

 

I play transfers and would have bid 3♣ as a good raise.

 

Without transfers I would have bid 3♠. My hand is very suitable for 3NT, so underbidding with 3♦ is certainly out.

[billw55]

Most of our hand is useless on defense,

lol two aces?

[Phil]

Most of our hand is useless on defense,

lol two aces?

Well, unfortunately partner's ♦K probably isn't taking a trick, and our ♦Q is wallpaper. And its quite possible that we are taking no diamond tricks here.

[billw55]

Well, unfortunately partner's ♦K probably isn't taking a trick, and our ♦Q is wallpaper. And its quite possible that we are taking no diamond tricks here.

Possible, certainly. I think one diamond trick is par. But that's a trick partner doesn't know about; for all he knows the opponents have the ♦A and a stiff. Also partner found a two level overcall with at most KJ in his suit; he must have a fair amount of outside values, even at favorable. I think 4♠ is not a favorite to make, and neither is 5♦ with my flat hand.

[hanp]

I disagree with double. ♥Axxx is not important in comparison to our strong support.

 

This.

[655321]

I disagree with double. ♥Axxx is not important in comparison to our strong support. Not a surprise that the auction explodes as it often does when we have unshown support.

 

I play transfers and would have bid 3♣ as a good raise.

 

Without transfers I would have bid 3♠. My hand is very suitable for 3NT, so underbidding with 3♦ is certainly out.

I agree that ♥Axxx is unimportant compared to ♦AQT, also that if you have a bid below 3♦ available to show a good raise that would be easily the best bid.

 

However, if your choices are between 3♦ (too strong) and 3♠ (often forces us to the 4 level on a partscore hand) I think the double is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

[quiddity]

For a second opinion on making a responsive double with exactly this hand type, see: http://thegargoylechronicles.blogspot.com/...0/board-19.html

 

As for the OP, clearly you want to defend and the choice is between pass and double. You have 2 defensive tricks and partner overcalled 2D - he did not preempt - so there's a good chance we're beating this. There's also a decent chance that we can make 4D so I'm tempted to try a matchpoint double here. It also gives partner another chance to run if he has a second suit.

[MFA]

For a second opinion on making a responsive double with exactly this hand type, see: http://thegargoylechronicles.blogspot.com/...0/board-19.html

His actual example is not so good. I have never had opponents who bid so timidly. Both of them had a clearcut second bid. It's not realistic that we have this nice and quiet auction to 4♥ with twenty total tricks, lol.

 

Doubling with this hand type is fine in general. OP's hand has just too concentrated and sharp values, so I prefer 3♠. xxx, KJxx, Jxx, AQT and you could easily sign me up for a double instead of 3♠.

[whereagles]

I think I would prefer an immediate 3♦, to follow up with dbl later to show a good hand in context.

 

As it is anything can happen, from 4♠ going down to 5♦ making. It's a bit of a guess and I'll take the push to 5. Pass can easily be right, though. Certainly if opps are joking and have but 8 spades total.

[MFA]

I think I would prefer an immediate 3♦, to follow up with dbl later to show a good hand in context.

Initially we also have to cater to our own contract. There are no guarantees that the opponents will bid again.

 

AQ in partner's suit and an ace is really huge. Give partner a spade stopper and ♦Kxxxxx. That was already 8 tricks towards 3NT and he should have much more than that.

[mikeh]

I disagree with double. ♥Axxx is not important in comparison to our strong support. Not a surprise that the auction explodes as it often does when we have unshown support.

 

I play transfers and would have bid 3♣ as a good raise.

 

Without transfers I would have bid 3♠. My hand is very suitable for 3NT, so underbidding with 3♦ is certainly out.

I wish I had thought of 3♠. Partner will usually hold 6 diamonds and KJxxxx and a spade card still isn't enough, so we can expect to have play for 3N if he can bid it, and even if it fails, it may be a good save against 3♠.

 

I'd like to take my call back and bid 3♠

 

I don't play transfers here: do you use 2N to transfer to clubs? I admit that giving up a natural 2N may not cost very often, but I still prefer it (even tho I am a big user of transfers in lots of auctions)

[cherdanno]

- I think the case for 3♠ originally wins, although I don't hate double as much as others.

- I really can't understand saving now. Is it our lack of aces, or our extreme shape that drives us to the 5-level opposite a 2-level overcall? We are a strong favorite to take two tricks against 4S, and so does partner (who would be more inclined to jump to 3♦ at these colors if he had no defense).

[quiddity]

For a second opinion on making a responsive double with exactly this hand type, see: http://thegargoylechronicles.blogspot.com/...0/board-19.html

His actual example is not so good. I have never had opponents who bid so timidly. Both of them had a clearcut second bid. It's not realistic that we have this nice and quiet auction to 4♥ with twenty total tricks, lol.

The point is not that it worked out for him in practice on that deal. The point is that Martin, who strikes me as a decent player, chooses to double with exactly that hand: a balanced 10-count with AKx in a suit that partner overcalled at the 2-level. And his argument makes a lot of sense: if the opponents continue to bid, partner will tend to do the right thing. He will defend with a balanced hand, which is what we want because we are balanced and have several defensive tricks.