[apollo1201]

All green, IMPs, dealer deals and opens 4H, you have the following nice collection:

AQT
x
AQx
AQ98xx

Is X or 5C better? I chose to X (not sure of what I would do next if I were to have another chance to bid), and partner had

8xxxx
AJTx
x
KJx

Do you stand the X or aim for a S slam (or a plain 4S)? It might depend on your partner's double styles, I think we had a thread somewhere on how minimal those X could be... GIB seems to suggest cuebidding 5H which seems a bit exxagerated I think.

Anyway H were 0-8, S 5-0 so 5C were the limit if you escaped deadly crossruffs on the opening lead.

[billw55]

Double and sit.

[iandayre]

Double and sit seems quite clear to me.

[mikeh]

I think double is the better call, if only because there will be hands on which your side makes nothing yet they go down, and partner will usually be passing, with nowhere to go. On this hand, double strikes gold for a different reason....partner has a clear pass. Yes, he expects to have missed a nine card spade fit, but he has 2-3 or even 3.5 tricks in his own hand and you have some defence, so 500 seems well within reach. Meanwhile he has little by way of working offence. Make it Kxxxx Axxxx x Kxx and we have a different argument altogether.

[jodepp]

Advancer has a clear Pass of the double, whatever the double means. Aggressor's decision is a bit closer but I think double is fine (again, whether it's penalty or takeout). Bidding a broken six-bagger at the five-level just doesn't look right even though the hand is nice.

[fluff]

Question is : if p passes the double, what do we lead ????

[mikeh]

fluff, on 2015-August-18, 05:19, said:

Question is : if p passes the double, what do we lead ????

Club ace seems obvious to me. It is the least likely to cost.

[apollo1201]

Yep, CA is the less likely to cost.

[echo25]

Do you really want to pass 4Hx in NV vs NV with this hand?

[mikeh]

echo25, on 2015-August-18, 13:15, said:

Do you really want to pass 4Hx in NV vs NV with this hand?

Yes we do.

We can expect anywhere from 300 to 1100 on defence, with 500-800 being the most probable, by a wide margin.

For every 300 we collect, we might be failing in game: wouldn't we all double 4♥ with KJxx x KQJx AQxx? Would we be astounded to go down in 4♠ on that layout?

Don't misunderstand me: I am not passing because I am afraid we will fail in game. I mention the risk only because it would be silly to analyze this decision on the clearly erroneous assumption that we have a cold game.

So, given that we expect 500-800 more times than not, in order to justify pulling not only do we need to be reasonably confident of a game (which I think we can be, just not 100% sure) but we need to be able to feel that we can reach at least some of our making slams and avoid reaching too many failing ones.

Just how do we propose to do that?

What action can we take over 4♥ that invites slam in spades?

Bear in mind that in answering that question, it isn't good enough to assert that in your opinion a bid of 'y' means exactly what you'd like it to mean on this hand. You need to think in terms of just giving your partner an auction, without any suggestion as to what he or you hold, and ask: if the auction went 4♥ x P what would 5♥ mean?

Bear in mind that if you agree with the double on AQx x AQx AQxxxx, then you presumably double on AQx x AQxxxx AQx. Now how do you like your chances at the 5 or 6 level? Bearing in mind that over 5♥, partner is bidding 6♦

What would 5♠ mean? Again, ask the question without reference to any particular hand.

Firstly, while the risk in 4♠ is low, the risk in 5 is far higher, so just by inviting we risk turning our 300-800 into -50 or -100, and secondly, it seems to me that it is improbable that whatever invite you use will get you only to making slams and not failing slams.

To me, this is an auto pass.

[zillahandp]

X, and on p's hand 4s. What crossruffs given distribution? ht lead third hand if ruffs its a winner on a loser openng leader has no trumps. But still thats the way it goes sometimes. Still have chances of making. The benefit of preempting high.at mps might pass the x