How many mistakes in this auction?
South is dealer, holds
x 9xx AKQ9x KQJx.
North holds
Kx KQJxx xx 9xxx
North and South are BBOers, complete strangers to each other, each claiming to play SAYC.
The hand is less interesting than most, but raises several bidding questions.
IMP scoring, nobody vulnerable. A competitive auction ensues:
One Diamond / One Spade / Two Hearts / Two Spades
Three Clubs / Pass / Pass / Three Spades
Pass / Pass / Double / Pass
Pass / Pass
Here are my comments on the bids by N-S. I'm more interested in expert commentary on my comments than on the bids themselves.
One Diamond -- The only N-S call that is clear-cut.
Two Hearts -- OK. I suppose the high-card requirement -- but not the suit quality requirement -- is reduced with the intervening overcall. Change the Hearts and Clubs to KJxxx / Qxxx and would negative double be better? (Planning to bid Hearts next if convenient?)
Three Clubs -- Alternatives would be Three Hearts (best?), Four Hearts(!) or Negative Double. Do experts treat such a Double as Take-out? Remember , these are random BBO'ers; North can't even be trusted to have a good (or even 5-card!)Heart suit.
Pass -- Clearly wrong, I think. North would raise to Four Clubs if that suit were a major and should raise now in a competitive auction. Partner might bid Four Hearts. Opponents are likely to bid Four Spades.
Pass -- Also wrong? If so, what should the call be?
Double -- Wrong, maybe the worst of the several bad bids in this auction. Even hoping for 2 tricks with Kings, and THREE(!) tricks from partner, that is not the TWO-trick set needed for a smart double. This is NOT a "cooperative" double ("Partner: Keep bidding or Pass for penalties; your call") since the Pass on the previous round denied interest in continued bidding.
Pass -- also wrong? Were there SIX doubtful N-S bids in this auction?
Hoping for useful discussion. Cheers, Swammi