To (Neg.) Double Or Not

[oirg]

From BBO last night. You hold:

S: xxx
H: AK9
D: Jxx
C: xxxx

The bidding is 1D by partner, 1S overcall, and now it up to you. ???

[E. Blackadder]

1NT.

[Steve White]

2D (assuming inverted minors are off in competition). Second choice pass. If 2D would be a strong raise, then pass.

Harder is what to do if you pass and partner doubles. Now I think 1NT is best.

[Been There Done That]

Agree with Steve.

[4sigma]

I prefer pass to 2D, though I agree the choice is close. I hate 4333 hands, and my spade holding is grim.

If partner reopens with a double, I might try 2H. He has the inference available that I failed to make a neg double at my previous call, so he should know that I cannot have any sort of decent hand with 4 hearts in it.

Tougher problem is if the bidding goes 1 - (1) - P - (2) - X - (P) - ??

Hmmm -- maybe this is an argument for bidding 2 the first time after all....

[oirg]

Here is what happened. I made a negative double with that hand, partner bid 2H, all pass.

Partners hand was:

S: Kxx
H: 108xx
D: AQxx
C: A10

[MNBridge]

I'm torn between pass and double. But leaning towards double, because if you don't speak up now it will be VERY difficult to say anything later.

[Klaymen]

But if you do speak up, you could regret that also. Chock full of losers, 4-3-3-3 are not good on offense. Either partner gets the opportunity to balance or bid on, or you really didn't want to step in.

If you double partner assumes you have 4 hearts and then competes to the 3-level down 2 for a lousy score. (I wrote that before seeing oirg's hand) Switch one diamond honor to a spade honor and it's an easy 1NT bid.