[helene_t]

♠Qxxx
♥-
♦Txxxxxxx
♣x

Matchpoints. You are red/white. LHO deals and opens 1♣

(1♣)-4♥-(5♣)-pass
(pass)-x-(pass)-?

[JonnyQuest]

Can I redouble?

No?

Okay then, Pass it is.

[ggwhiz]

A (short) crossruff in the reds?

[JanisW]

What hands justify 4♥ followed by a double?

Partner is very unlickely to look at 3 Aces or a club-stack.
As he is on lead it also cannot be lead-directing asking for a ♦ lead... but maybe he wants to alert me to make an unorthodox play

I'll pass hoping for
1. A♥
2. ruff Ps K♥
3. lead ♦

or
1. A♦
2. ruff P's A♥
3. lead a ♦


regards
JW

[manudude03]

I'm passing, but I won't try anything fancy on defense. Partner knows if they have a diamond void.

[The_Badger]

And you thought you got lucky when RHO bid 5♣

Nothing better than pass and hope you can 'nick' three tricks off the top.

[nige1]

helene_t, on 2017-October-22, 06:17, said:

♠ Q x x x ♥ - ♦ T x x x x x x x ♣ x
Matchpoints. You are red/white. LHO deals and opens 1♣
(1♣)-4♥-(5♣)-pass
(pass)-x-(pass)-?

Pass seems normal, however, I like the convention where a double by a 4-level pre-emptor says "I have a very good suit. Please bid one more unless you have good defence". e.g.
♠- ♥ A K Q x x x x x x x ♦ x x ♣ x
With such an agreement, I would bid 5♦ or 5♥.

[wank]

nige1, on 2017-October-22, 20:07, said:

Pass seems normal, however, I like the convention where a double by a 4-level pre-emptor says "I have a very good suit. Please bid one more unless you have good defence". e.g.
♠- ♥ A K Q x x x x x x x ♦ x x ♣ x
With such an agreement, I would bid 5♦ or 5♥.

there's no such convention in the pass out seat. it's so you don't bid ahead of partner when he's got a penalty double. here partner already knows we don't have a penalty double, because we didn't make one.

[rmnka447]

Without any special agreements, such as nige1 suggested, I pass.

[helene_t]

JanisW, on 2017-October-22, 12:57, said:

What hands justify 4♥ followed by a double?

Good question. It wasn't discussed. It was me who bid 4♥ and then doubled. I had Jx-AKQxxxxx-K-AJ.

[JanisW]

helene_t, on 2017-October-23, 19:24, said:

Good question. It wasn't discussed. It was me who bid 4♥ and then doubled. I had Jx-AKQxxxxx-K-AJ.

Of course 4♥ is not nonsensical, but I would've started with an X. You are a tad strong for 4♥ in my opinion, as partner has not acted yet. Opposite a passed hand, anything goes.
Or is 4♥ only bid with the clear intention of making and 3♥ is your highest weak jump?

Of course your LHO was pushed into bidding 5♣, but he non the less did so pretty much freely, as he did not have to bid at all. So partner has to be broke and there is definitely some distribution going on. Would not be too suprised if xxx,x,Ax,Kxxxxxx was put on the table and call myself lucky, that partner is the one with the void... (AKxx,Jxxx,QJ,Qxx with opener).

As I am not sure where the 3rd trick should come from and would pull 5♦ from partner to 5♥(is P even allowed to bid 5♠?), I think you should decide between pass and 5♥. The exception being that X means: I think they can make it, if you have no defence (whatever that should be on the bidding so far?), so please pull the X without a trick. Now poor partner is looking on his Q 4th in ♠ and has to decide...
X being a clear penalty-double only makes sence, if 4♥ is bid to make, imo.


Definitely an interesting X to talk about with Partner.

regards
JW

[manudude03]

JanisW, on 2017-October-24, 06:06, said:

Of course 4♥ is not nonsensical, but I would've started with an X. You are a tad strong for 4♥ in my opinion, as partner has not acted yet. Opposite a passed hand, anything goes.
Or is 4♥ only bid with the clear intention of making and 3♥ is your highest weak jump?

Of course your LHO was pushed into bidding 5♣, but he non the less did so pretty much freely, as he did not have to bid at all. So partner has to be broke and there is definitely some distribution going on. Would not be too suprised if xxx,x,Ax,Kxxxxxx was put on the table and call myself lucky, that partner is the one with the void... (AKxx,Jxxx,QJ,Qxx with opener).

As I am not sure where the 3rd trick should come from and would pull 5♦ from partner to 5♥(is P even allowed to bid 5♠?), I think you should decide between pass and 5♥. The exception being that X means: I think they can make it, if you have no defence (whatever that should be on the bidding so far?), so please pull the X without a trick. Now poor partner is looking on his Q 4th in ♠ and has to decide...
X being a clear penalty-double only makes sence, if 4♥ is bid to make, imo.


Definitely an interesting X to talk about with Partner.

regards
JW

I don't think the double is pure penalty, but rather values. 4H is often bid as both a weak pre-empt or a good hand where you just want to play there, and the double just shows the latter.

[bravejason]

How about 5 spades, gambling that partner has hearts and spades? Might be a great call. Might go down, down, down, down...

[wank]

bravejason, on 2017-October-26, 13:32, said:

How about 5 spades, gambling that partner has hearts and spades? Might be a great call. Might go down, down, down, down...

lol partner's overcalled 4H. he's not doubling for takeout. double shows a strong 4H bid with convertible values - aces. he wants you to choose between saving in 5H and trying to take 5C off. considering you've got a void in partner's suit it's not a tricky decision.