When (if ever) do you come in?

[Siegmund]

Matchpoints, all vul.

 

♠AQ3

♥2

♦J764

♣KJ962

 

Partner deals and passes. P-(1♦) to you.

A bit shy of a textbook 2C overcall, but your side may well want to be in the bidding.

 

If you don't act, the other side's uncontested auction will be

 

1♦-1♥

1NT-2♥

 

Those of you who choose option #2 or #3 in the poll, you may further spell out whether you bid or double in the comments.

[mikl_plkcc]

I think this is a standard balancing double.

[Hanoi5]

At these colours I might prefer to pass. I'm hoping they go down with hearts stacked in partner's hand vs us playing 2♠ on a 3-3 fit if I double.

[Winstonm]

I think this is mainly a frequency question: how often do we expect the opponents to be in an 8-card fit in this auction? It we expect a decent fit, then balancing is clearly right. From my experience, the answer to this question is based on the opponents bidding particulars. Do they rebid 2H with 5 or is it a guaranteed 6? Does opener frequently rebid 1N with a singleton in partner's bid suit?

 

Both opponents have shown limited values, so the question is fits.

 

PS: I screwed up the poll by voting never because I misread the auction the first time. My poll answer would be: I don't have enough information at this point except to eliminate answers. I would not bid over 1H or 1N, but I might bid over 2H.

[gwnn]

2C first

[broze]

I always bid 2♣ over 1♦ if it's close - an excellent way to give the opps a chance to end up in the wrong strain. Here we see an added bonus in that the bid solves another problem later in the auction.

[Lord Molyb]

I also bid 2♣.

If I balance a double over 2♥ then I will play in 2♠ opposite ♠7xxx ♥KQx ♦xx ♣Axxx, probably off when 3♣ has a decent shot.

[ggwhiz]

I always bid 2♣ over 1♦ if it's close - an excellent way to give the opps a chance to end up in the wrong strain.

 

Catch a negative double on a 4-3 hand, medium values and a 2♥ response from opener on a 4-4 and they are in jail.

 

Not that this happens often but it never happens if you don't bid 2♣ and other good things can happen including setting the defence.

[MrAce]

Over 1♦ i pass, i am very badly placed if pd bids 2♥ over my 2♣. Which is very likely.

 

Over 1NT i pass, i am not annoyed to defend 1 NT when they are vuln.

 

Over 2♥ i double, this DBL the way i play bans pd from bidding spades with less than 4 card (or i would balance with 2 ♠)

[Codo]

Timo, I do not get it. Which hand do you fear, where partner will bid 2 ♥ over 2 ♣?

If my partner bids here, he has a reason: A good hand in his passed hand context or club support. In both cases, I can find a playable spot sometimes in 2 NT often in 3 ♣.

 

The downside in 2 ♣ is that they will usually still find their heart fit and sometimes a bad penalty. But I would still choose it and it is not close.