[1eyedjack]

MP, 55% robot rebate, best hand South

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Fortunately this zero was not enough to tip me below 55%.

A few borderline decisions here, but the real crime(s) appear to be either the 3N bid or my (South's) subsequent Pass, or possibly both. In passing 3N I had visions of North having weak Spades and a Heart guard, and the Clubs providing a source of tricks for NT. Relying on the Clubs was speculative, but I thought that the Heart guard and/or weak Spades was indicated by the 3N bid. Sure, the Spades could have been stronger, but in contrast with the quality of the Txx Heart guard I would have tipped the hand away from suggesting NT as a strain.

In the lead up to these decisions, what do you all think of the 1H overcall? OK/routine given that he is a passed hand? Would it do the same if non-passed?

What do you think of East's 2H followed by 3H? I sort of expected it to go straight to 3H if that is the limit indicated by "the law".

More influential on the final decisions appears to be my choice of 2S (alternative X) and possibly my pass over 3H.

Mousing over the explanations, the 1S bid shows 5+ Spades. Personally I used to play it that way in partnerships for years, but latterly have reverted to 4+ in this situation. Still, no strong objections to the 5+ school of thought.

So, assured of an 8 card Spade fit, and yet still with some reservations, I bid 2S, and indeed the mouseover confirms that this shows 3+ Spades. However looking at some of the other tables which had the same start, I see that a few doubled where I bid 2S. Mouseing over their double describes it as a "support double" showing 3 Spades. This surprises me. I thought that support doubles on 3 were designed to clarify whether or not an 8 card fit was held opposite a suit with minimum length 4.

Those who chose a support double breezed into 4S (North bids 3S and does not suggest NT). Again I am surprised. *IF* we are playing support doubles in this situation then I would have expected a direct support bid (instead of the double) to indicate better support and a more suit-orientated hand. If anything, if support double suggests playing in Spades, then bidding 2S is an even stronger suggestion.