Another big hand

[jules101]

[hv=pc=n&n=shak9daqj9cakt973&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=pp2c(GF)p2d(relay%20%22not%20a%20bust%22)2s(see%20below)3c3sdp]133|200[/hv]

 

 

EW do not play weak 2s, so a 2♠ opener for them would be an 8 playing trick hand, with 5+ card ♠ suit. One may surmise that West has a good weak 2 in ♠, but frankly you are on a guess! They might have anything.

 

Double suggest partner has some wasted values in ♠.

 

 

What now?

 

Pass?

 

4♦?

 

some number of clubs?

[1eyedjack]

I am passing. I read East with not a massive trump fit. With 4 of them he would probably raise to 4S. So I am expecting a serious trump stack against declarer. Bit of a unilateral decision, and I expect to pay off against a slam our way. I would certainly prefer it if partner's trumps were stacked over the length, but I am not expecting many entries to dummy.

3N by South may be the last making game, and there is no way to get there now.

[Hanoi5]

I'd go with 4♦, what are partner's spades that he didn't bid 3NT?

[VM1973]

I pass. I have a fistful of defensive tricks and no proven fit.

[whereagles]

I see like 6 tricks on my own. If pard can cooperate with the 1 trick he's suggesting, this is going 3 down no sweat.

 

Pass. Pitty I can't lead a trump.

[mikeh]

Pass.

 

To me, the key is that partner could have made a forcing pass, so this double is for blood. While of course I'd like a spade, the odds are that partner doesn't expect me to have one anyway...assuming he has 4 spades, and I can't imagine him doubling with only 3. So on that basis, I have at least as good a defensive hand as he should expect.

 

If our limit is game, which his double suggests is the case, we're going 500 or 800 here. If we have slam, then we have a chance at 1100 anyway, tho 800 is probably more realistic. The problem is that if we have slam, it is probably in diamonds, and it seems very unilateral to go hunting for that possibly non-existent fit at this stage.