LHO Partner RHO You
1H DBL 2H ?
What’s your call holding ♠J8743 ♥4 ♦9732 ♣Q75 ?
There are several issues to consider here. Although a 2S freebid doesn’t promise much strength, most partners will expect more than three points and a topless suit. Still, the stiff heart and fifth spade -- plus our natural aversion to letting the opponents play hearts when we have spades -- make it tempting to bid. Even if 2S misleads partner about your high-card strength, the Law of Total Tricks advises that the two-level is safe when you have an 8-card fit.
If you’re concentrating only on your own hand and a potential spade contract, you won’t see the real danger. Your shortage of hearts and high-card points suggests that partner might have more of both than you assume. When you’re short in the suit partner has doubled, there’s a good chance he has a balanced “big double” – a hand too strong to overcall 1NT, possibly with fewer than three spades.
That prospect adds an extra risk. If you bid 2S and partner has the big balanced hand, he won’t let you escape below game level.
A circumspect pass caters to more of partner’s possible hands. With extra values and standard takeout distribution, he’ll double again and you’ll find your spade fit. With the strong balanced hand, he can pass out 2H or come back in with 2NT.
If partner has the standard, minimum takeout double, then the opponents have around 24 high-card points and a big trump fit. With all of that, they probably won’t stop in 2H and they certainly won’t let you play 2S. The most likely result of your bid will be getting partner off to the wrong opening lead.
In some situations, what seems like an obvious call may warrant more consideration. Suppose partner opens 1H and your right-hand opponent overcalls 2NT (minors). What’s your call holding ♠A104 ♥4 ♦KJ105 ♣QJ975 ?
A double shows 9-10+ points and suggests good defense against at least one of their suits. That seems an easy, perfect description for now, but you’ll find a better solution if you focus your thinking on the entire auction, not just what to bid at this turn.
A double of 2NT involves partner in later decisions about whether to declare or defend. He’ll be very short in the minor the opponents bid, so he may pull your second double or bid again before you get the chance.
Your goal is to double the opponents’ run-out, and the only way to make that a command is to pass now and double later. No matter how fond you are of non-penalty competitive doubles, this delayed double isn’t one of them. It’s pure penalty -- not a one-suit takeout, not cooperative, not a suggestion to “do something intelligent”.
Many bids are automatic, especially early in the
auction. You can exhaust yourself and partner by over-thinking truly obvious
choices, but if you expect to bid again, it never hurts to plan ahead. To make
the best use of your time and brainpower in these situations, try to focus on
predicting the rest of the auction, planning your rebid and analyzing the
auction from partner’s point of view.
© 2017 Karen Walker