Board 10

[aguahombre]

[hv=pc=n&s=s43h63daqt843c932&w=skq76hat75dkj6cq4&n=sa92hkj982d2ca865&e=sjt85hq4d975ckjt7&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=pp1n2hd2np3cdp3sppp]399|300| My "movie" shows no alerts . 3♠ down one at the table. Other table 1NX+2[/hv]

 

Commentators stated there was a possible appeal pending on this hand from the third quarter. I missed this board when it was played, and was wondering if someone could fill in the details and what the contention was. I don't think it actually went to appeal, but since I don't know whether a "simple ruling" was involved, I stuck the question in this forum.

[wyman]

There was a question about whether N's heart bid showed 5-5+ or 5-4+ iirc. West claimed he would have been more likely to sit for 3Cx if he knew N could be 5-4.

 

At least this is what I got out of the discussion.

[Phil]

What I had heard was that 2N was alerted as "bid your minor" on one side the screen and was alerted as "invitational" on the other.

 

Looking at the diagram (assuming its right), I am unclear who said what. South doesn't have an invite, yet it would have been South that told West 2N was invitational.

 

I think pulling a penalty double is strange with Qx, but perhaps they just had a mixup on what the x meant.

[mrdct]

You never know exactly what's going on when watching on vugraph, but my impression was that south described his 2NT as "bid your minor" and when quized on whether or not north is promising 5-5 implied "yes". On that basis, west contended that had he been alerted to possibility that north could be 5-4 he would be far more likely to sit 3♣x.

 

Irrespective of how east-west play the double of 2♥, it seems pretty obvious to sit it:

 

• 
   
  
• if double is takeout, then partner has some ♣ length and virtually by definition his double of 3♣ is for money. So I pass 3♣x, he leads a trump and they get hammered. Or he doesn't lead a trump, they get tapped, and they get hammered.
   
  
• If double is values, they're screwed. I did nothing encouraging (i.e. I didn't double 2NT) and partner still hammers 3♣. I pass, and read the above for what I think will happen to it.
  

I don't think west would stand much of a chance at the appeals committee, and evidently no appeal ever went ahead so Joe Grue probably had a similar view.