[Hilver]

Teams
N / all vulnerable

Sitting West You hold:
♠ 7 4 2
♥ A K 9 5
♦ 8
♣ Q J 9 3 2

W N E S
- 1♦ p p
?

1♦= 3+ card diamonds (Best minor)
An overcall of 1NT by East would have been 15-17 HP and a stopper in ♦
EW don't play Raptor

Well, Your bid please? And why?

[KingCovert]

Obviously it depends on your agreements, but, I think in the absence of any non-standard agreements, double looks pretty normal. If I had to rank them:

1) double
2) 1♥
3) 2♣

[Cyberyeti]

X seems beyond obvious, nothing else considered unless ops have given me a lot of AI that they were considering doing something else.

[neilkaz]

A balancing double for me.

[FelicityR]

Double seems too obvious. 1♥ is nonsense, 2♣ is foolish, pass isn't an option with your shape though I am slightly concerned why partner hasn't bid over 1♦. As a balancing double you are right at the bottom end of the point range, vulnerable too. But X it is.

[helene_t]

There's no logical alternative to double.

[Tramticket]

FelicityR, on 2020-March-18, 16:37, said:

though I am slightly concerned why partner hasn't bid over 1♦.

Game chances are relatively small (but not impossible) opposite a partner who can't bid over 1D. But your opponents' game chances are also small. Even at IMPs, a part score swing can be important and a 5 IMP swing on a part-score is worth a fight.

[Tramticket]

helene_t, on 2020-March-18, 16:50, said:

There's no logical alternative to double.

Agreed

[gordontd]

I'm puzzled by you asking us how we would rule when we aren't given a case to rule on. You do however now have some poll results, so maybe we can consider the case?

[justfran]

In a team game the x is takeout unless your partner can definitely set the contract in his own hand with no help from you

[bluenikki]

FelicityR, on 2020-March-18, 16:37, said:

Double seems too obvious. 1♥ is nonsense, 2♣ is foolish, pass isn't an option with your shape though I am slightly concerned why partner hasn't bid over 1♦. As a balancing double you are right at the bottom end of the point range, vulnerable too. But X it is.

If south has his pass, partner is marked with strength. So the reason for east's pass must be a preponderance of length and/or strength in ♦ .

But in bridge today, there is no reason to be confident that south does have his pass.

The real danger to re-opening is that south has something like Axxxxx x xxx xxx and opener has KJxx xxx AKxxx AK

[Tramticket]

bluenikki, on 2020-March-19, 06:58, said:

The real danger to re-opening is that south has something like Axxxxx x xxx xxx and opener has KJxx xxx AKxxx AK

Many of us will find a response with that hand.

[bluenikki]

Tramticket, on 2020-March-19, 07:07, said:

Many of us will find a response with that hand.

All of you *should*. The standard 60 years ago was pass denied 6 pts *including* distribution.

But people pass hands better than this all the time.

[bluenikki]

justfran, on 2020-March-19, 04:17, said:

In a team game the x is takeout unless your partner can definitely set the contract in his own hand with no help from you

If you mean penalty pass shows 7 winners, that is silly. AKJxx of ♦ and a side ace is fine.

At imps you don't worry about whether the penalty exceeds the value of the game you might have.

[bluenikki]

bluenikki, on 2020-March-19, 14:11, said:

If you mean penalty pass shows 7 winners, that is silly. AKJxx of ♦ and a side ace is fine.

At imps you don't worry about whether the penalty exceeds the value of the game you might have.

That's for a penalty pass of a *balancing" double.

[chris545]

Double would be an obvious answer as an instant response, however, there are 12 other diamonds to account for and around 18 HCP to also account for. On what would your partner bid and not bid, distribution is skewed already with the hand shortage of diamond's, if partner has a good quantity of diamonds and not many points partner may well just pass, hoping to capitalize on trump advantage for if partner had values he would have bid, A double would give a chance for both parties to reassess and make a bid, possibly a game. The pass has a lot going for it as a punt for a good score, or a small loss

[Hilver]

Well, all of You who did reply, thanks.

Partner (East) held:
♠ K Q 8 5
♥ Q 7 3
♦ K J 9
♣ K 6 4

Declarer (North) held:
♠ A J x
♥ x x
♦ A Q x x x x
♣ A x

At the other table opponents ended up in 3NT +1

So, obviously I made a mistake by not doubling.
And, almost all of You would have made a double.

My motives not doubling:
1. Partner does not have a 15-17 NT with a stopper in ♦
2. Partner did not make an overcall in ♥ or ♠
3. North did not open a 15-17 NT, so he has a strong 18-19 HP or a strong unbalanced hand with long diamonds.

[Trinidad]

Hilver, on 2020-March-20, 07:35, said:

Well, all of You who did reply, thanks.

Partner (East) held:
♠ K Q 8 5
♥ Q 7 3
♦ K J 9
♣ K 6 4

Declarer (North) held:
♠ A J x
♥ x x
♦ A Q x x x x
♣ A x

At the other table opponents ended up in 3NT +1

So, obviously I made a mistake by not doubling.
And, almost all of You would have made a double.

My motives not doubling:
1. Partner does not have a 15-17 NT with a stopper in ♦
2. Partner did not make an overcall in ♥ or ♠
3. North did not open a 15-17 NT, so he has a strong 18-19 HP or a strong unbalanced hand with long diamonds.

I understand your motives, but you missed two things:
First, responder didn't bid anything. The points must be about even, and possibly better for us. You can simply compete, or do you think opener has a 27 point hand?
Second, partner's hand and opener's hand could have been exchanged. (Ok, move a club to the hearts to make it a 4432, rather than a 4333 distribution). Or did you think that partner was going to bid something with a 3263 hand with 15 points? Opener would be in deep trouble after your double. The best he can achieve is to play in 1♠X down many.

Rik

[msjennifer]

Sir, a BALALANCING DOUBLE is a clear cut bid. A 1H or a 2C or a TAME PASS are the least attractive options.

[miamijd]

X is so obvious here that it's a WTP?

Here is a good general principle for you. If you are at all short (two or fewer) in the opponents' suit, you should strain to reopen. I would reopen with a X even if the Qc were the Tc. Partner is likely going to have length in the opponents' suit (as he did here) and could have a decent hand (he could even have had a slightly better hand but with no D stop).

If you have length in the opponents' suit, however, you should reopen only when it seems pretty clear to do so. Now your partner is apt to be somewhat short in the opponents' suit, which means that he is less likely to have a good hand (he has length in other suits but didn't overcall or X).

Cheers,
mike