Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - April 15, 2024 - Takeout Double

 Vic:

Yes, East should overcall with either a TO DBL or a bid of 1H. 

 Which one you ask? Both calls have a significant major problem.

 Problem (1H): A common partnership agreement is that a suit overcall at the one level can be made with as few as 8 HCPs.  East, however, has an opening hand, information that a bid of 1H does not communicate to partner. If West has at least 7 HCPs, EW have at least half of the HCPs & ideally should compete at least to the two level. Given that EW are vulnerable & that 1H does not promise an opening hand, West may be reluctant on their first chance to call to do anything other than Pass. That might allow NS to steal the auction at a bargain basement level. 

Problem (Takeout Double): A TO DBL by East does show their opening hand. But it also promises "tolerance" in the unbid suits. It would be hard to argue that East's spade suit meets a reasonable definition of tolerance. Especially given that they are vulnerable, East should be very nervous about making a TO DBL & hearing a spade response from West. 

Given that North showed an opening hand, East knows that Responder (South) & Advancer (West) have roughly 13 HCPs between the two of them. More likely than not, those 13 HCPs are split fairly evenly. I think my choice holding the East hand would have been to Double & hope the suit West bids is a long one (especially if that suit happens to be spades). My plan would be to Pass whatever West bids. 

All bridge players know it is not always possible to tell partner the absolute truth. Some lies, however, are better or worse than others. The two lies that tend to cause the most regrets are undervaluing or overvaluing your hand.

 Turns out NS deserve to make 2S & EW deserve to make 4C. 

Ain't bridge a great game?