[mohitz]

♠AJx ♥Axx ♦xxx ♣xxxx

IMPs, they vul, we not. Partner deals

1♦ - (2♥) - p - (3♥)
X - (p) - ?

[gwnn]

looks like a pass to me.. partner should have a good hand for this double and they should be going for 500. I anticipate that he didn't have a good hand for this double and they are going for 200 or we're going for 730. that's life.

[bluecalm]

4♥.

Passing is lol to me. You can try it at MP's or against morons but against serious competition most likely they are either making or going for small number when you could make a game/slam.

[Rossoneri]

Pass. Can't see a reason to pull this unless there's something special about the double.

[jdonn]

Easy pass, got them! Partner probably has a heart void so my ace is a bad card for offense. If he has a singleton he is that much stronger anyway. And he should not be some random minimum hand that doubles because he has short hearts, he needs extras.

If I bid I would bid 3NT and at least get use out of my ace. Why would I be dying to play in a suit on this hand? If partner doesn't pass 3NT I'll know what to do next.

[pooltuna]

mohitz, on Aug 9 2010, 11:46 AM, said:

♠AJx ♥Axx ♦xxx ♣xxxx

IMPs, they vul, we not. Partner deals

1♦ - (2♥) - p - (3♥)
  X  -  (p)  -  ?

pass and try to beat the contract

[manudude03]

pass and write 2 zeros on the plus column

[MFA]

Pass and trump. Obviously no guarantees but it looks clear.

[jdonn]

MFA, on Aug 9 2010, 01:03 PM, said:

Pass and trump. Obviously no guarantees but it looks clear.

Ace of trumps, if we lead low who knows he might get a ruff we could have prevented. Plus there is no reason to lead low since partner shouldn't have a doubleton, plus even if he has a doubleton we have an ace to get in with and lead the third.

[Phil]

Pass and definitely lead the Ace of trump followed by my highest spot.

[bluecalm]

I think you guys play against morons too often :-)
Still can't believe pass is popular.

If you think "we got them" just because you have 2 aces with no real trump stuck there is something wrong with either your opponents or yourself...

[gwnn]

a poster who would have less tact than I might say "and you bluecalm, you play with moronic partners too often :-)"

but since I am tactful I will just say that this is not a very nice thing to say, my opponents are highly intelligent, at least when I am comparing them to me.

[aguahombre]

gwnn, on Aug 9 2010, 12:23 PM, said:

a poster who would have less tact than I might say "and you bluecalm, you play with moronic partners too often :-)"

but since I am tactful I will just say that this is not a very nice thing to say, my opponents are highly intelligent, at least when I am comparing them to me.

Yeh, well being in Utah I thought Mr. Calm said Mormons. Anyway, I think pass shows more respect for partner than distain for opponents.

[bluecalm]

I have a problem here.
On one hand seeing you guys passing reasonable approach is to assume I may be wrong.
On the other hand I am so sure and this is so "lol so ezy" case for me that I mentally unable to change my attitude for now. It would be great if some of you who know some elite players could ask them about this problem and post.
I really want to be more open minded about this problem but for now I am just unable to

[neilkaz]

I pass and lead my ace of trump and another and am very happy to hold something else that will take a defensive trick, my ace♠.

[awm]

It's not that we expect good opponents to go for some huge number here.

I expect the normal result for passing to be +500. Occasionally it will be +200, and occasionally +800.

The issue is that it's not clear where we are going on this hand. Despite a lot of values, it doesn't seem that we have a really good fit anywhere. We might make 3NT, but we have only the one heart stop and it's easy to imagine going down if we have to lose a trick to establish partner's diamonds. We might make five of a minor, but it's also possible to imagine going set if things break badly... and if the suits were breaking, opponents might not compete to 3♥, and would probably go for a big number in 3♥ anyway.

So the attitude here is to take your plus score. You're almost always getting a plus score. If it's +500 or +800 you just outscored your own game. If it's +200, at least there is consolation that your game will not always make, and that you would've had to "guess" somewhat which game to bid (and might have gone wrong).

[Gerben42]

They got us. Pass. Feel unlucky if it makes...

[bluecalm]

My main objection is "sure 200 maybe 500".
Partner may well be 3-1-7-2 or 4-1-6-2 with weak spades.

Hands like:

Qxx x AKQxxxx Ax or:

Qxx x AKJxxx AQx or even:

Qx x AKJxxx AKxx

mean 3♥ often makes when we often make game ourselves.

[quiddity]

Why are you playing partner for such unlikely holdings? A doubleton spade for his takeout double? A solid SEVEN card diamond suit?? Why not just play him for his most likely holdings: 4144, 4054, 3154, scattered extra values?

[jdonn]

bluecalm, on Aug 9 2010, 02:16 PM, said:

My main objection is "sure 200 maybe 500".
Partner may well be 3-1-7-2 or 4-1-6-2 with weak spades.

Hands like:

Qxx x AKQxxxx Ax or:

Qxx x AKJxxx AQx or even:

Qx x AKJxxx AKxx

mean 3♥ often makes when we often make game ourselves.

Well now, that's a rather un-diverse gallery of example hands don't you think? And they can easily be down on the second and third anyway, not to mention on the second and third you may well go down in game (depending what game you bid).