[gwnn]

xx
AKQxxxx
Kx
Ax

LHO opens 1♠, RHO bids 1NT forcing, we're favorable, we try 4♥, LHO bids 4♠, passed to us.

[matmat]

I am always wrong on these... I don't think we can double. given our hand and a normal 1N from RHO, we should not expect to set. what do we do if p takes out the double to 5m? bid 5h? doesn't that show a much better hand?

i runno, but i think possibly the problem comes from the original 4♥ call in that our hand is too good.

[kenrexford]

I don't like playing Texas Transfers with this hand.

[pclayton]

Caveat: I was Csaba's pard here.

I think if you are overcalling 4H (3S decribes this hand well IMO) then its a mandatory double.

How much more defense can you possibly have for a green preempt?

[helene_t]

Agree with Phil.

[rogerclee]

I think this is an easy double. I expect partner to pull with nothing, as he should realize that I cannot possibly be expecting to set in my own hand.

[ArtK78]

4♥ followed by double says that you bid it to make, not to preempt. Let partner in on the secret.

Double.

[Free]

Dbl. Agree with Justin, the bidding problem was the round before.

[awm]

I don't like the 4♥ bid, because of precisely this sort of problem. My own observations have been:

(1) Opponents will very often bid 4♠ over a 4♥ bid like this. They tend to push in competitive auctions. If opponents do choose to sell to 4♥ or 4♥X, they are usually right to do so.

(2) The potential advantage of bidding 4♥ then, is that sometimes opponents will overbid to 4♠. But sometimes they will have their 4♠ bid too. If we could always manage to double 4♠ when opponents have overbid and pass it out when they have their calls, then bidding 4♥ would certainly be a winner. However....

(3) We have to double, because partner is totally out of the loop here. Our attempt to win the board by bidding 4♥ directly will fail disastrously if 4♥ was making and we let them take an undoubled sacrifice.

(4) Having doubled, we can't defend 4♠ undoubled. We're now betting that either 4♠ is failing or 5♥ is a good sacrifice (not clear) and that partner, looking at very few of our side's assets, can figure out which option is better (even less clear).

(5) Finally, there will be a great number of hands where 4♠ is a close call, either making or one off. Say it's fifty-fifty, and the other table defends 4♠ each time. Our options are to defend 4♠X (losing 5 imps half the time, gaining 3 imps the other half) or to bid on to 5♥ doubled, say two down (losing 9 imps half the time, gaining 8 imps the other half). This is a losing proposition in general. Sometimes it is simply right to defend undoubled.

Anyways, I agree with the crowd that having bid 4♥ there is little choice now but to double.

[P_Marlowe]

X, as long as you have agreed, that
it shows an interest to sacrifice unless,
partner has some defence against 4S.

But I am not 100% sure, this is really best,
given the defence we hold.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pclayton]

A lot of people who I respect are passing 4♠, but I think thats just plain nuts.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Dec 26 2007, 12:15 PM, said:

A lot of people who I respect are passing 4♠, but I think thats just plain nuts.

Like who? That is unbelievable...

[whereagles]

4♥ ok. now dbl to say "i got some extras"

[jdeegan]

I don't like to take issue with anyone who has won a national championship, much less a world championship, but I am having difficulty seeing the logic in doubling. I have 16 HCP, but only two sure tricks against their 10 trick game. They could easily have all of the rest of the deck's high cards and KNOW IT from the bidding. Sure, LHO was under some pressure, but SO WHAT. At this juncture, his info is better than mine. More to the point, what master move is partner supposed to make after I double?

I really think the double is wrong. What does it gain compared to what does it risk?

[pclayton]

jdeegan, on Dec 26 2007, 10:56 PM, said:

I don't like to take issue with anyone who has won a national championship, much less a world championship, but I am having difficulty seeing the logic in doubling. I have 16 HCP, but only two sure tricks against their 10 trick game. They could easily have all of the rest of the deck's high cards and KNOW IT from the bidding. Sure, LHO was under some pressure, but SO WHAT. At this juncture, his info is better than mine. More to the point, what master move is partner supposed to make after I double?

I really think the double is wrong. What does it gain compared to what does it risk?

In this case 800 versus 300 but thats another story.

[Cascade]

Jlall, on Dec 26 2007, 03:37 PM, said:

I bid 4H then X with these hands a lot and have gotten good results from it so I will continue that. The bidding problem was the round before though, if you are bidding 4H on this you are committed to Xing.

Exactly

You either double now or do something different on the previous round.

How else will partner know you dont have some crap that could be as bad as ♥QJxxxxxx and out or similar at this vulnerability.

[benlessard]

At these colors i like to play that X by the preemptor mean intend to bid on but with some defense just in case partner want to pass. So for me this hand is near perfect for this.

[whereagles]

Jlall, on Dec 28 2007, 12:51 AM, said:

I am wrong a lot

good. that settles it then