[Shugart23]

Playing Match points :

RHO opened 2S.....my hand has 9xxx in Hearts, xxx in Spades and AJx Diamonds, KQx in Clubs.

I pass, LHO passes, and my partner, short in Spades, doubles on my behalf.

I pop it to 4H and go down a zillion because LHO has 5 hearts (ugh)


The question I have, is what is the strength requirement for my partner to re-open the bidding with the double ? She was light (about 10 points) where I thought she should be good 13 Plus or better...

I think my bid was also probably too aggressive, but not sure what else I could have done

[helene_t]

Partner's double with 10 points is ok if his shape is good for a double.

Your 4♥ bid is indeed quite aggressive. Partner doesn't always have four hearts, they are quite likely to split 4-1 because preemptor often has a singleton, and partner can have less than opening strength when he doubles in balancing seat.

On the other hand, if a 3♥ bid could also be made with zero points, I can understand that you want to show some life with your ten points. The solution (but this is somewhat advanced) is to play Lebensohl. Playing that convention, you bid your suit at the 3-level (in this case 3♥) with about 8-11 points, maybe 8-12 opposite a balancing double. With a weaker hand (and no suit you can bid at the 2-level) you bid 2NT, which asks partner to bid 3♣ unless he is very strong. This 3♣ bid you can pass if your suit is clubs, otherwise you correct it.

[Shugart23]

Thanks; we play transfer lebensohl in the direct doubling position....I have to think back why we don't in the reopening position

[akwoo]

Whether a shapely 10 in balancing seat is too weak to double here depends on how strong actions in direct seat are.

For me, I would like to pass many 14 counts in direct seat, in which case partner does really have to come in with many 10 counts.

I think whatever Lebensohl variant you play in direct seat also makes sense in balancing seat - just remember to adjust your ranges to account for the fact that the balancing action is 3-4 hcp lighter.

[Jinksy]

With most of my partners I play Leb on unless both of us are passed hands.

[gszes]

xxx 9xxx AJx KQx

rho opens a weak 2s p p x p now what

helene_t suggests the use of leb here (a very useful convention) to help
solve this type of problem hand. The biggest advantage of leb comes in the
ability invite the xer to game vs having to bid the same way with all
hands that cannot bid game. Note that leb would not have helped too much
on this particular hand and you still would probably have gone down a
gazillion in 3hx but at least you save 300 points.

Note the poor playing prospects of this hand in a 4h contract. Your spade holding
suggests a lot of losers and if p has to ruff those losers their trumps will be
shortened and any honors lho has will suddenly become winners. This hand is much
closer to being a minimum even using leb though either way your side will still
end up in 3h (probably x). Thinking how the play of the hand will go can help
with deciding how much to bid (you might have thought longer before bidding 4h
especially at MP where reaching game isn't usually necessary to achieve a reasonable
result).

[bdegrande]

My methods are that, in balancing seat, you add an ace to your hand and then take the action that you would normally take in direct seat, so there are many 10 counts (and even some lighter shape hands) that would balance. As the balancer's partner, you subtract an ace and then make the bid that you would normally make, so 4♥ is an overbid. XXX in ♠ is a big negative, I would bid 3♥ and hope to make it,

[msjennifer]

I have already passed and my hand contains 9 and half losers.I do play lLebensohl in all positions and so I will play in 3 hearts after making the 2 NT relay.It does not matter how many I go down if the distribution is very freak and partner does not have a goodish heart suit and also if he has balanced on a hand with 8 or more losers.