K6542 --- Q104 98765

At this point, any suit bid by me would suggest it as a place to play. If RHO had passed, 2 would have asked partner to pass or correct if his minor were diamonds, but pass does that job now. LHO passes, too, and partner bids 2. That is a nice surprise, but something is fishy when RHO again vehemently doubles. Well, I can live with this, so I pass again. LHO does, too, and partner redoubles! RHO smirks and passes and I have my first real problem of the auction.

LHO	Partner	RHO	Me
1NT	Dbl	Rdbl	Pass
Pass	2	Dbl	Pass
Pass	Rdbl	Pass	?

2

2

If partner is 4-4-5-0, what can we make and what can they make? It seems obvious that they can make 4; they have nine hearts and lots of high cards. No, if they reach 4, I shall be on lead and I'll lead the 9, giving partner a ruff. Hopefully, he'll have the A, underlead it to my King (the nine was suit preference) and I can give him a second ruff. He must have another trick somewhere (he's crazy, but not that crazy,) so we shall beat 4. That will be a good score.

What can we make? We have nine spades and eight diamonds. The Law of Total Tricks suggests that, since they can probably only make nine tricks in hearts (we are finding the best defense,) then we can make nine tricks in spades. Due to the double fits, more tricks should be available, but I think the two defensive ruffs we have will counteract the double fit; we can probably make around nine tricks in spades and probably the same in diamonds. It is also clear that we shall not be able to play this hand undoubled. Good! So my first priority is to be allowed to play the hand at or below 3; otherwise, I want to double and beat 4.

Usually, the best action is to bid as much as one thinks one can make immediately. On this hand, that is 3. I think that is a poor tactic now, though. I want to play the hand doubled. Jumping the bidding might discourage them from doubling or even letting us play it at all. That means I should probably bid 2. If I bid 2, what will happen next? Can I reconstruct their hands? Hearts are probably 4-5, with the five on my right. Clubs are probably 3-5 or 4-4. Spades are either 2-2 or 3-1 and diamonds are probably 3-2, though they might be 4-1. My guess is that RHO is 2-5-2-4, giving the notrump opener 2-4-3-4 shape. No one can double 2! LHO will pass, RHO will bid 3, and we shall defend 4 doubled. Unless, horrors, LHO passes 3 out of confusion. She's clearly never been in this position before. Bidding 2 seems as if it will work out poorly. I have a better answer, though. If I bid 2, LHO will double and RHO will sit it out because he has a doubleton. 2 has to be easy to make, so +180 should be a cold top unless we can beat 4 two tricks. In that case, I shall probably make an overtrick and +380 is better than +300.

I bid 2, after a long pause. I am still hoping that partner is worried about my passing, but he seems fairly nonchalant rather than relieved. All else goes as planned, and I make 2 doubled with an overtrick for all the matchpoints. The whole hand was:

	A873 A542 98732 ---
QJ10 Q873 AK5 KQ2		9 KJ1096 J6 AJ1043
	K6542 --- Q104 98765

4