[fyrish]

Scoring: Total Points

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1♥ - (3♦) - ?

Is it ok to double with this?

thanks

Allan

[P_Marlowe]

For most, the hand would be way to weak.
So the answer to your question is, you should pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[rogerclee]

no

[shevek]

If your ♦A were ♥A say, it would be close.

[H_KARLUK]

fyrish, on Nov 28 2008, 10:19 AM, said:

Scoring: Total Points

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1♥ - (3♦) - ?

Is it ok to double with this?

thanks

Allan

I am open to call of duty. For now I wait and Pass.

[whereagles]

The decision is far more difficult than what you all seem to think.

As usual with preempts, one of the key questions is "do I have to bid NOW?". The answer is "probably, yes". Pard is likely to have long diamonds. If he has extras, he will be quite stuck for a bid after

1♥ 3♦ pass pass
??

He probably won't bid with a 15-17 5332 hand and even with a 18-19 one, he might not do it. Yet, if he does have one of those hands and passes, we'll be robbed blind.

So, to save pard an headache, we probably should bid now and the bid is "double". The hand isn't that weak anyway: we have support for anything pard bids and, should he pass, our defense is ok. Maybe sub-pard, but liveable.

In short: we must bid. So, double.

[cherdano]

I play strong NTs. When my partners open 1♥, they typically have a 5332 in the weak NT range, not in the strong NT range. Besides that, what exactly are we missing opposite a strong NT? (I.e. what are we missing that we are gonna find by doubling?)

[whereagles]

cherdano, on Dec 3 2008, 11:39 PM, said:

1. I play strong NTs. When my partners open 1♥, they typically have a 5332 in the weak NT range, not in the strong NT range.

2. Besides that, what exactly are we missing opposite a strong NT? (I.e. what are we missing that we are gonna find by doubling?)

1. It is not yet "standard" to open 1NT on 5 card majors, thus that hand is still possible.

2. A spade contract on the 44 fit, a club contract on the 62, 63 or 64 fit or a heart contract on the 62 fit, all which would be somewhat harder to find if we pass, unless pard has considerable extras.

[cherdano]

Ok, I give up arguing with posters whose partners have a strong NT with 54 shape or a 6-card suit, or whose partners magically find the 6-2 club fit with 3532 opposite our negative double.

[jdonn]

I pass and don't think it's that close.

[whereagles]

cherdano, on Dec 3 2008, 11:54 PM, said:

Ok, I give up arguing with posters whose partners have a strong NT with 54 shape or a 6-card suit, or whose partners magically find the 6-2 club fit with 3532 opposite our negative double.

Sorry, I missed the strong NT part.

If pard has a strong NT, I definitely want to bid. Maybe I end up in 3NT, but maybe pard passes and they go down vs nothing

[poohbear]

It is a tuff hand. I totally agree with the comment someone made that if the Ace of Diamonds was elsewhere dbl would be much clearer. In fact prob automatic since that Ace would be building tricks as opposed to just acting as a stopper. The way I like to think about these situations is : If partner has a suitable minimum can we make game? lets take this hand KQ10x AKxxx xxx x . Shouldnt partner just bid 4S expecting to make it most of the time? Partner knows you have 3 LVL values unless you stretched with short Diamonds which suits this hand quite well. How is 4S going to play opposite this? As for finding clubs? GOOD LUCK:) Oh and BTW if you get dealt a strong NT just open a strong NT!!

[han]

Clear pass.

[Lobowolf]

whereagles, on Dec 3 2008, 06:44 PM, said:

1. It is not yet "standard" to open 1NT on 5 card majors

It's not?

[Codo]

its about 80% standard in the forum and 8% IRL.

[rogerclee]

Codo, on Dec 4 2008, 12:39 AM, said:

its about 80% standard in the forum and 8% IRL.

It's regional. Americans do it a lot, players from other countries do it much less. Older players also tend to bid their major.

[fyrish]

My wife had the hand recently. She was playing a weak no trump and was worried that her partner had a strong no trump hand and would be shut out of the bidding (which was indeed the case). She doubled and her partner bid 3NT holding ♦765. This did not work out well.

3♦ needed a Spade lead to beat it and 4♥ normally made. I thought double was a bit much, but I had some sympathy with it - I agree it would be a lot better if the ♦A was ♥A.