[thepossum]

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I went for an offshape double and waited in trepidation for it to be passed

IMPs these days of course

[apollo1201]

 thepossum, on 2023-May-05, 19:27, said:

and waited in trepidation for it to be passed

You know partner can’t / won’t pass this.

Your chances are to pass and score a few under ticks, or balance with 2NT, more or less this strength at this position, but usually less S.

Partner’s initial pass is quite revealing. You know their hand is short in S, and with 10-11 HCP, which you’ll need for 3NT, they might have tried a TOX with a 3-suited hand, probably converted by you, or bid a long suit should they have one.

Actually, if you bid (2NT or worse, X), it is likely you (or partner) will end up in a bad contract. It looks like the declaring side on this deal will be in a lousy spot. And currently, opps are sitting right there. Don’t fancy taking their place.

So I’d pass (ready to apologize if I turned down 7 IMPs or so). Sometimes, not bidding is more dangerous than bidding, but I don’t think it is the case here.

Of course, if opps routinely open a 5-cd suit weak 2 and partner can have an average balanced hand, you’ll be favorite for 3NT and won’t get rich scoring NV under tricks when in the other room it went pass pass pass 1NT 3NT or some other sequence starting with 1S.

[AL78]

I'd pass and take the plus score. If LHO's bidding is to be believed the hand looks like a hideous misfit. Let the opponents play the misfit hands. You also have to ask yourself how strong partner must be to have a spade shortage but be unable to double or overcall.

[shyams]

I'm bidding 2NT. The odds are low that I will get doubled and go for a huge minus.

On occasion, I would have converted a small plus into a small minus. On the flip side, there is a reasonable chance that we have game (or a partial) in a suit.

[thepossum]

We ended in a Lebensohl 3H-1 for a small plus Remarkable luck
Only one table managed to trick the declarer into giving up a trick in Spades
I felt rather unsure and that anything could have happened after a double
Note 2NT also goes -1

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[pescetom]

I suspect you were lucky to make a positive score... this is a pass for me at MPs, let alone IMPs.

2NT makes little sense (IMHO) with all spades but the Ace covered by LHO.

Double is more than offshape, raising the eternal issue of how Laws should handle the presence of a robot incapable of noting repeated deviations or formulating implicit understandings (a first thought would be to prohibit deviation by companion).

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would have bid 2NT without giving it much though, but pass is certainly
a strong ( most likely even better ) alternative.
X is not an alternative, partner will never pass it, hence where do you want
to end up?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[the hog]

"On occasion, I would have converted a small plus into a small minus. On the flip side, there is a reasonable chance that we have game (or a partial) in a suit"
Really Shyams? A pass is 100% clear cut. Your best suit is the opponent's suit. You cannot possibly hope to build tricks in this suit. As usual in these problems, the vulnerability is not given, but regardless a pass is clear.
I suggest you post the hand as a bidding problem on Bridge Winners, where the standard of responses is far more learned than here and see what the result is.

[sfi]

 the hog, on 2023-May-07, 21:31, said:

As usual in these problems, the vulnerability is not given ...

It's nil vulnerable, although it's not obvious in isolation. The compass direction in the auction is red if vulnerable, white otherwise. In the full hand diagram, you get the same colours around the number at the top left.