Phil, on 2012-August-23, 07:54, said:
Isn't 4♥ a possible contract from South's perspective?
North is one of my regular partners, but I thought South bid it correctly.
North is one of my regular partners, but I thought South bid it correctly.
Sure, 4♥ is a possible contract. But unless South's double is for takeout, there is no way of finding 4♥. And, if South's double is for takeout, there is no logical way to arrive at 4♦x which could easily be the last plus score available (unless partner converts the double by passing it out).
The preempt certainly makes life difficult. But if the pass of 4♦ shows a strong balanced hand (which it would for me) then it makes sense to bid the 6 card suit. Here, that works great, as partner will bid 5♦, and you will get to the top spot - 6♣.
South should double on any hand without a long suit. 4♦x rates to be a reasonable spot if both North and South have balanced hands.