Double me at your peril
I wasn’t really very clever on this deal but then neither was my opponent.
| Dealer:
Vul: |
North
♠ KJ72 ♥ Q84 ♦ Q1096 ♣ A10 |
|
| Linda
♠ Q1063
♥ 5 ♦ AK8 ♣ KQ864 |
 |
Sylvia
♠ A984 ♥ AJ62 ♦ 532 ♣ 72 |
| South
♠ 5 ♥ K10973 ♦ J74 ♣ J953 |
I opened 1♣ with the West hand and North made a perfectly reasonable if minimum takeout double. Sylvia bid 1♥ and South was definitely out of the auction. I continued with 1♠ and Sylvia raised to 3♠ . Even not vulnerable and even though Sylvia had initially bid hearts and even though North had made a takeout doubled showing majors – I am woman, here me roar. I bid the spade game.
Now North who had already suggested he held spades with his bids so far doubled to make it absolutely clear that he had what was likely to be four good spades. He started with the ace and one club which I won in hand with the ♣Q. This hand looked like a cross-ruff to me. I played the top club which he ruffed and dummy overruffed, cashed my three red suit winners ending in dummy and well cross-ruffed. North manuvered this way and that but the cross-ruff was golden.
The star of the hand was Sylvia though. Her 3♠ bid made it easy to bid game. At the other table her opponent bid only 2♠ on a similar auction and they did not get to game.
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Bridge-related
Good job! It makes perfect sense that Sylvia would jump, because she knows between the two of you, you have at least eight spades; usually “command” of trump. She also knows your point count with the take out double and in effect, gave you a one raise limit bid, I think. And of course, since North opened, you have the added advantage of knowing where most of the power lies.
Would you have made another call, had your partner raised to only 2S?
Opposite something like J9xx, Axxxx, xx, Jx, game seems pretty good. I think that, unlike the opponent who held your hand at the other table, I would have made a game try over a 2S raise, perhaps by bidding 3C.