[mcphee]

This hand came along from a swiss last round playing the leaders for the win. All vulnerable your LHO deals and here is the auction to you.
P P 1H P you have J9xx Qxx J9 AK9x
2C 2S P ? 2C was drury
3S was choice/ perhaps a cue bid raise better choice.
4D P 4H ? .
When your RHO passes partners 2S overcall I believe 3C should be like a fit showing raise of S, what other reason can we have for advancing in C? The bid just to continue the auction was 3S raise.

Now over 4H you either pass or defend. Obviously parter having passed to begin this active auction is a factor. So the options now are
4S
P
Dble

How would you rate the 3 choices offered?

[gnasher]

If this was the auction:

P  P  1H  P
2C 2S P  3S
4D P  4H

It wouldn't occur to me to do anything but pass.

We've made them guess, and have no reason to believe that they've guessed correctly. In fact, we have reason to believe that they've guessed wrongly: LHO, a passed hand, started by showing an invitation, but then bid game without any encouragement from his partner; RHO's bidding is consistent with having opened a subminimum; partner's failure to open a weak two suggests limited offensive strength and more defensive values. And, of course, I have a fair amount of defence.

However, none of that makes it sensible to double. 4♥ might still be making, or it might be making once I tell them how to play the heart suit.

[OleBerg]

gnasher, on Apr 17 2009, 05:40 PM, said:

P  P  1H  P
2C 2S P  3S
4D P  4H

Thx.

4♠ = Downright silly. I had a thousand ways to raise partner to 3♠, so if I wanted to get to 4♠ (which is silly in itself), I should have included him in the decision.
Pass = The normal, standout bid.
Double = Greedy and quite silly. Not as obviously stupid as 4♠, but maybe even more expensive in the long run. (When this backfires it is more often an expensive swing, while the bid of 4♠ often is less expensive, but it is more frequent.)