[eagles123]

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as the title really, could someone comment on my bidding on this one? The E/W pair seemed to think I had commited a cardinal sin doubling 1♠ with 4 of them, and then passing 2 diamonds with ten points but I thought the bidding was ok lol as 2♦ showing a real minimum?

Thanks,

Eagles

[blackshoe]

eagles123, on 2013-July-04, 07:30, said:

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as the title really, could someone comment on my bidding on this one? The E/W pair seemed to think I had commited a cardinal sin doubling 1♠ with 4 of them, and then passing 2 diamonds with ten points but I thought the bidding was ok lol as 2♦ showing a real minimum?

Thanks,

Eagles

I gather you don't play Negative Doubles. If you did, this would be a classic book call, and anyone who thought you bid it wrong would himself be wrong. So the question is what does double mean in your partnership? Penalty? Takeout? "Do something intelligent, partner"? If I remember correctly (it's been a long time since I started playing Negative Doubles in this situation) X here was defined, before Negative Doubles, as penalty. You have a penalty double of 1♠, although not a good one. Your "ten points" aren't worth ten points. Partner has a minimum, you probably don't have a game. I suspect your opponent was just whining because you got a good result on the board.

BTW, I would also pass 2♦ playing Negative Doubles, since partner did not bid hearts, so we don't have a fit anywhere.

[helene_t]

Partner shows a 6-card diamonds with his 2♦ bid so you can raise it if you are concerned about a club stopper for 3NT. It depends a bit on partner's style. Is he more likely to have 11 points than 14-15 here? Your 10 points without tens or nines is a little weak for an invite but your spade honours are likely to give tricks as they are behind the spades bidder. So I think I would have tried 2NT. Not that I think that 2NT is a better contract than 3♦, but I think 3♦ won't help us finding 3NT as partner will look at his weak spade holding and just pass 3♦, even if he has an otherwise good hand.

But your pass is certainly not wrong. I think it's a close call.

Your double is normal at least in modern style. The idea that it shows shortness in opps' suit does not work with a 5-card major system in which you have to have a way to find the 4-4 fit in hearts.

[eagles123]

blackshoe, on 2013-July-04, 07:47, said:

I gather you don't play Negative Doubles. If you did, this would be a classic book call, and anyone who thought you bid it wrong would himself be wrong. So the question is what does double mean in your partnership? Penalty? Takeout? "Do something intelligent, partner"? If I remember correctly (it's been a long time since I started playing Negative Doubles in this situation) X here was defined, before Negative Doubles, as penalty. You have a penalty double of 1♠, although not a good one. Your "ten points" aren't worth ten points. Partner has a minimum, you probably don't have a game. I suspect your opponent was just whining because you got a good result on the board.

BTW, I would also pass 2♦ playing Negative Doubles, since partner did not bid hearts, so we don't have a fit anywhere.

I meant it as negative absolutely and thought it was fairly standard to play that way. I think sometimes these miserable old opps think because i'm young i'm obviously a total novice and any time i get a get board its total fluke. but I shouldn't complain most people at the club are really nice just a few that obviously look down on me which can get frustrating!!!!!!!!!

[blackshoe]

I suppose it is fairly standard, at least amongst players not stuck in the 1950s.

Any barrel is likely to have a few bad apples.

[Winstonm]

I think you bid the hand perfectly and, in fact, showed excellent bridge judgement by understanding that in the auction your 10 points were not really worth their full values. The hand evaluates to about a 7-8 count.

[Zelandakh]

Smile at West and then tell him that you would naturally have bid more but his 1NT advance told you where the outstanding points were. With a little luck the opps will play the remaining boards on tilt.

[wank]

your opps were talking out of their arses. it's entirely normal to double 1s there with any hand with 4 hearts that's worth forcing to the 2-level (the exception would be a GF hand with 5 clubs and 4 hearts in which case better to start with your 5 card suit to avoid perverting your shape).

[aguahombre]

The opponents might think they are superior to you, but they aren't good enough to have noticed that all four people at the table were bidding. That means (to me) that if you invite, partner will decline anyway.

Yes, partner has six diamonds because he didn't have to rebid at all over 1NT. I expect him to have a full 11-count, and although your spades are well-positioned, the hearts are probably not.

[Cyberyeti]

wank, on 2013-July-04, 17:34, said:

your opps were talking out of their arses. it's entirely normal to double 1s there with any hand with 4 hearts that's worth forcing to the 2-level (the exception would be a GF hand with 5 clubs and 4 hearts in which case better to start with your 5 card suit to avoid perverting your shape).

This is a matter of style, we'd probably bid 1N on this as 8-10 bal good spade stop, depends which aspect of the hand you want to emphasise and whether you think hearts or NT are most likely as your destination. 1N gets both strength and general shape over, X gets your 4 card heart suit over 8+ unlimited, I prefer the former.

The pass of 2♦ is fairly routine, partner will need a good hand to make game and most of those hands will bid more than 2♦. I suppose xx, Qx, AK10xxxx, KQ is just about possible, but it must be heavily against the odds.

[billw55]

Double looks good. 1NT would be a reasonable alternative. Last pass looks good.

What did these helpful ops suggest that you bid? And what prompted their advice - could it be a bad score for them?

Last, ops that give such advice are unlikely to be the sort that bid on air. They are likely to have full values for their bids, so going no further is wise.