Don't let them have 2♥: Double, Bid 2♠, or Bid 3♣? You choose! - with Curt Soloff

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Our hand: ♠QJ32 ♥43 ♦7 ♣AQ6542
East opens 1♥ and we aren't strong enough to overcall while vulnerable at the 2-level, and then West responds 2♥. Pass, pass, and it's up to us to decide if they get to play with an uncontested 2♥. What are our options? Which is riskier: to double, to bid our 4-card spade suit, or to bid our 6-card club suit?
Option 1: Double
Option 2: Bid 2♠
Option 3: Bid 3♣
Your choice! Leave a comment to explain your thinking.
We're told not to go quietly when the opponents find a fit at a lower level. How can we be sure we're not misleading partner if we jump in with a bid? Balancing bids are something we should understand and utilize especially when we are playing Matchpoints and we're lucky to have Curt here with an interesting hand for us all.
Curt has a proposal for you to discuss with your partner for how to manage important balancing bids like this.
♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣
#bridge #contractbridge #learnbridgeonline
Learn how to play bridge online at learnbridgeonl...

[@kennyfa2874]

To get to game, after 2s partner can play 2nt to ask for minor. After 3c, partner bids to 4s game due to the perfect fit. If not, they can stop in 3s.

[@timcapes5916]

I think you have a great hand for partner having both Clubs or Diamonds. With clubs you have the two honors supporting the suit, with diamonds you have a huge double fit. I think the main reservation is partner can easily bid this way with four spades and a five card minor and the sixth card is crucial for the game. You are missing all the honors in both diamonds and hearts so you really need partner to only have three cards across those two suits. You don't have a way to discover if partner is 5-4 or 6-4 and you really don't want to bid game if he's 5-4.

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

This is the best new tool I have learned in years.

[@user-gz4nk7mh8g]

Love it😊

[@dorothybougen4254]

Very well explained Kurt

[@in-oz]

2S with 4 cards is not normal in this situation with this hand. It means you didn't have enough strength to overcall 1S, just like your failure to overcall 2C.

[@armantookmanian1938]

Your partnership can also use OBAR BIDS (Opponents Bid And Raise, Bid In Direct Seat) to avoid these situations. If partner passes in the 4th seat in this auction, you can pass expecting your side doesn't have enough to compete and you risk helping the opponents find a makeable game if you reopen the bidding. Partner would have 'stretched' to make an overcall, even with a lighter than normal point count.

[@kellywilliams6257]

Double showing your spades!

[@SmileyEmoji42]

But if N does not have 4 spades, 3D bypasses 3C and you are screwed

[@LorraineTynan]

Would East not have doubled 2H with 12 HCP and 4 Spades?

[@4CardsMan]

Why didn't this hand overcall 2 Clubs?. If the long suit were diamonds, double would work, since you could convert 3 Clubs to 3 Diamonds. Re 2 Spades. Why does it show a longer minor? Why couldn't you have J 9864 864 72 642? This is not a 1 Spade overcall, but you can't not balance 2 Spades. But the idea is correct - never let em play 2 Hearts.