Re: What Do You Bid with AKx, x, AJ8x, AQJ7x?

On May 5, 10:57 am, Andrew <agump...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 5, 1:31 am, Andrew <agump...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > Vul on Vul
> > online IMP Pairs
>
> > You hold:
> > S: AKx
> > H: x
> > D: AJ8x
> > C: AQJ7x
>
> > Auction:
>
> > South     West     North     East
> > (1D)        P          (1S)       ?
>
> Thanks for the opinions. If you pass, the auction will continue:
>
> South     West     North     East
> (1D)        P          (1S)       P
> (1NT)      P           P          ?
>
> Andrew

On this auction, East has 5 or fewer spades and west has 3 or fewer
spades.  That means that in addition to partner's virtually certain
heart length, he also has a few spades (probably 3 is a fair guess).

So if he has around 8 major suit cards, he only has around 5 minor
suit cards, some of which are likely to be in diamonds because they
have not bothered with a diamond fit.

I'm now certain that he has at most a doubleton club, so I'll thank my
lucky stars that I decided to be chicken a round earlier and try to
collect a penalty in the hundreds.

If I KNEW, for certain, that if i doubled 1nt partner would (1) take
it as penalty and (2) lead a club instead of a spade, I might be
willing to gamble on taking 2 spades, a diamonds, 3 clubs, and maybe a
trick in the wash for down 2.  Unfortunately, that double really ask
for a spade lead, and if they have a double club stopper, the spade
lead is going to sacrifice at least the tempo I need to set the hand
and retain control of the play.

Henrysun909