Post by a***@yahoo.co.ukHere lies the question of when partner makes a takeout double and I am holding a pile of rubbish, do I show the best suit or the four card major?
South
-
7652
T965
Q8754
Matchpoints
N E S W
P 1S
X 2S P P
X P ?
I elected to show the club suit. Fatal error, partner converted to 3NT going down two. 4H can make.
Partners hand was AJ94 AKQT AQ4 63
Bidding a minor (especially if longer) rather than 4-card major to slow partner down is a tactic that has its place under these two conditions:
1) pile of rubbish
2) no certain fit,
neither of which applies to the situation given. The void spade makes it not rubbish, and as several posters have pointed out the double doubler certainly guaranteed hearts.
Incidentally while 4H is admittedly a good contract as a practical matter, note that it is almost certainly down against a trump lead:
1. Win in hand.
2-6. Ruff the 3 small spades returning twice in diamonds & ending in dummy.
(Can't cash the spade ace before drawing trumps or LHO would ruff in front of the 3rd spade ruff.)
7-9. Lead a loser from dummy. Defense wins 3 minor suit tricks.
10. RHO leads a spade and LHO ruffs your ace.
(Or if LHO has a singleton trump various defenses work. Only if West has a hand like xxx,43,Jxxx,AJxx -- exactly those trumps -- is 4H unbeatable.)
11-13. Trump AKQ claim for down one.