Awkward

[Phil]

♠7532 ♥-- ♦J98 ♣ AKJ932

 

All vul, IMPs, short matches.

 

Partner passes and RHO opens 2♥. Right or wrong, you x.

 

LHO bids 3♦ (McCabe) showing a raise to 3♥ wanting a ♦ lead. Partner doubles - what's this?

 

1. What do you do over the x?

 

2.

Say you pass. LHO now bids 3♥ and partner doubles this. Sit or pull?

 

 

Thanks

[mikeh]

In partnerships in which I have discussed such matters, a double of an artificial raise of a suit I have doubled for takeout is a responsive double....that is: it means what it would have meant had LHO raised to 3♥.

 

In a random partnership I would expect the majority of players to treat the double as penalty.

 

Fortunately for my current decision, I pass either way...if partner has a responsive double, we have (barely) adequate defence and in any event, with my heart void, I very much doubt that LHO is sitting for it.

 

Ok...now I looked at the spoiler. Ugh. Now I know why I disliked the double of 2♥

 

It is an easy 4♣ if the first double was responsive. It is a less easy call but still my bid if the first double was penalty....he can still correct to 4♦ if he is say 3=4=5=1.

[dellache]

1. Whatever the meaning of DBL, I pass this. LHO is gonna bid 3/4 ♥ and this is fine. (Note: I certainly wouldn't have Xed 2♥)

2. Now pard doubles 3♥ ? I would not have Xed in first place, so nothing makes sense to me, and this has became a guessing game. I would not have the guts to sit this at the table (4♣), though it's probably right in average. Maybe it's just a matter of preserving partnership integrity now : what is best in that respect ? Risking 3♥-X making or risking going down some hundreds at the 4(5) level ?

[gnasher]

I think that without other agreement, double of 3♦ says that partner wanted to bid diamonds, and he doesn't mind if I do some more bidding. I like the idea of playing it as responsive, though.

 

When partner doubles 3♦ and then doubles 3♥, it's obviously not just a desire to defend - if he had that, he would pass 3♦ and then double 3♥. I expect partner has the values to do something, but doesn't know what to do. I, on the other hand, do know what to do: it's obviously wrong to pass with so little defence and so much offence, I don't have primary diamond support, but I do have six good clubs. 4♣ seems clear.

[mfa1010]

Agree fully with gnasher.

[kayin801]

I think this auction should be equivalent to 2♥-X-3♥-X, fwiw. I think it's a 4♣ bid over the original X, since we don't have that much interest in defending.

[andy_h]

Agree with gnasher too. I also want to add a site note that I really dislike the first double.

[Furlan]

1: responsive

2: 4C

3: abstain

[Phil]

Partner's hand was something like: Kxxx KJT9x Txx x. A few days later his bidding still makes no sense to me. I pulled the double (I think we nip 3♥ a trick) and ended up in 4♠ mercifully undoubled.

 

I would think double is just 'diamonds'. He can bid 3♥ if he wants me to do something. A delayed double has to be penalty.