[albatroc]

http://tinyurl.com/k3dqswa - Matchpoints, all play SAYC, you are vuln.

What would you do as W in balancing seat?

[wyman]

I would dbl, and as east I would certainly bid 2D.

[Cyberyeti]

wyman, on 2013-November-11, 13:26, said:

I would dbl, and as east I would certainly bid 2D.

Quite happy with where it was, but small heart instead of the diamond and I bet you collect a penalty.

[ahydra]

Some of those bids look pretty bad... 1S, vulnerable, on a ten-high suit?! And then only 2C by North, when he has an amazing hand? Can South not have ten points? 3C is surely correct.

Passing the takeout X with only three clubs is silly. Admittedly you're a bit stuck for a bid, but I'd sooner bid 2D or 2S then pass.

If partner had passed, the double is a little thin for a reopening vul vs not, but I guess with 5-5 you don't want to sell out to 2C so would probably stretch to an X. Here though partner has bid 1S and about the only advantage of partner's rather flimsy overcall is that you now know the deal is a misfit, so can pass and avoid getting into trouble. With the auction as shown I think I would have passed.

ahydra

[RSClyde]

Why not just make a responsive double over 1nt? Now when they bid 2♣ partner is off the hook.

[Zelandakh]

ahydra, on 2013-November-11, 16:48, said:

If partner had passed, the double is a little thin for a reopening vul vs not, but I guess with 5-5 you don't want to sell out to 2C so would probably stretch to an X.

If East had passed, West is likely to be able to overcall 1♥ and then they do not need to think about acting should 2♣ come back. Agree that the 1♠ overcall is not a thing of beauty; similarly for the 1NT and 2♣ calls. My guess is that 3NT made at a fair few tables so I cannot believe that -180 was a bottom. Most Souths would have passed 1♠, so there ought to be a couple of -200s around too if that is considered a normal overcall these days amongst the class of players involved.

[the hog]

This is a normal 1S overcall over a 1C opening. It takes away quite a bit of room.
Yes I would X and I would respond in Ds.

[FM75]

The 2♣ bid seems to be an underbid, but West (and we) must take it at face value.

So what options does West have after 1NT? He did not preempt on the first round third seat at adverse vulnerability. 2♣ must show spade support under the above assumptions. What about 2N? Is that lebensohl in competition? Does it show unbid suits (including partner's)? Clearly the second was unavailable. Lebensohl would unilaterally commit the partnership to play 3 red. He did not use any of those options, but passed.

After a rebid of clubs by opener, no support by responder, and no spade rebid, West could picture partner with something like 5=x=y=3.

So West has 3 choices (if the X is takeout, which appears not to be part of the partnership agreement). Unilaterally bid 2 of a red suit, unilaterally head toward 3 of a red suit, or pass.

Double is eliminated, since absent a PA, it should be penalty oriented. West has to consider that partner thinks that the 1 club rebid shows no biddable 4 card major, so likely a 5-6 card club suit. That leaves pass, 2H, 2D. At this point, lebensohl makes no sense and a bid of 3 is just silly.

If not pass, then which red suit? East could have shown 5=5=x=y immediately. With a decent 5=4=x=y, he might have rebid hearts to let partner pass or correct. If West bids, then 2♦ seems best.

I guess I favor pass here. The best opponents are likely to do is +130. Their probable range is 90-130. Our best looks to be -100 which ought to be about average (partner did not rebid, so is not 2 suited). Sure we could make 90 our way, if everything works out.

[RSClyde]

FM75, on 2013-November-12, 21:27, said:

Double is eliminated, since absent a PA, it should be penalty oriented.

If my partner doesn't think that double is takeout I'm getting a new partner: "Partner, you have a 1♠ overcall? He can't make his freely bid 1nt! We got him!"

If it wasn't clear enough, In this case we're both passed hands.

[FM75]

RSClyde, on 2013-November-13, 06:52, said:

If my partner doesn't think that double is takeout I'm getting a new partner: "Partner, you have a 1♠ overcall? He can't make his freely bid 1nt! We got him!"

If it wasn't clear enough, In this case we're both passed hands.

Did you look at the bidding? Partner did pass the [takeout ?] double. In my mind, that means that there was no PA that the double was takeout. I am not saying it shouldn't be takeout, simply that from the evidence, it was not part of their agreement. The logic was based on that.

[RSClyde]

FM75, on 2013-November-13, 16:05, said:

Did you look at the bidding? Partner did pass the [takeout ?] double. In my mind, that means that there was no PA that the double was takeout. I am not saying it shouldn't be takeout, simply that from the evidence, it was not part of their agreement. The logic was based on that.

I would have doubled over 1nt the first time not over 2♣ but yes I looked at the bidding. Passing is idiocy. I guess this is philosophical:
When someone asks about what you should do with a hand, I'm interpreting it as "When playing with someone who has some understanding of the game," rather than, "When playing with someone who's likely to make a completely boneheaded call."