Double, Pass, or Bid On?

A recent matchpoint session at the local club duplicate presented an extraordinarily high number of “double, pass, or bid on” competitive bidding decisions.  With no promise that what worked best at the table is best in general, try your choices on the following hands.

Board 4.

 

 

Your call?

 

Board 5. 

 

Your call?

 

Board 6. 

The auction requires a lot of explanation.  First of all, South’s double was alerted and described by North as showing four spades.  Second of all, North had first bid an insufficient 2♣.  When the director was called and explained the options, North changed his call to 3♣.  Your call?

There’s more.  After the auction is concluded,  South corrected the explanation of her double, saying that double was “Do Something Intelligent” … just about my least favorite agreement, because I believe that it is difficult for partner to do something intelligent when he has been given, basically, only “pass the blame” information, nothing about suit lengths and very little about hand strength.

Anyway, do you change your call should the director allow the bidding to rollback to you?

 

Board 11. 

 

Your call?

 

Board 14. 

 

Your call?

 

Board 20. 

 

Finally, an uncontested auction.  Your call?

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Board 4.

Double was the winner (+500 for better than 90% of the mps), even though partner’s 4♥ call was lighter than anticipated.

 

 

Board 5. 

Raising to 3♠ was the winner, as partner went on to 4♠ and can make up to eleven tricks (+450 is a shared top).

 

 

Board 6.

Doubling was the winner (+300 for an unshared top).

 

 

Board 11.

5♥ was the winner .  (Well-timed overcall, pard!)  The opponents chose to double 5♥ rather than bid on to 5♠ .  (Whether 5♥X goes for -100 or -300  — depending upon declarer’s ability to guess the clubs –, it scores more than 90% of the mps).

 

 

Board 14. 

Doubling was the winner (+500 for an unshared top), as partner shows up with a ton of defensive values.

 

 

Board 20. 

Raising to 4♥ was the winner on the 52-card layout.  (+170 is a 23% board; + 620 is a 64% board.)

 

How did you do?