This Story Has No Moral

N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: Q

	tovak K 7 5 J 5 A 8 7 5 4 3 7 3
esther1 9 6 4 A 10 8 3 2 Q Q J 10 6		Maestro Q 10 8 2 K Q 7 6 — K 9 5 4 2
	icaros A J 3 9 4 K J 10 9 6 2 A 8

West Pass 1 Pass Pass

North Pass 3 Pass Pass

East 1 3 Dbl

South 1 4 Pass

 

Today Gee, sitting East, opens 1C. South has a very nice 1D overcall and makes it. West has a choice of raising clubs but with her five hearts to the A10 it’s hard to argue with 1H. North raises to 3D, and it’s back to Gee. Some players would consider 4H here with the fine hearts and diamond void. On the layout it goes down 1 with a spade lead (highly improbable), or a spade shift after the CA is knocked out (highly probable). But an immediate 4H might bring 5D from the opponents — it would be difficult for North not to bid 5D and equally difficult for South to double to forestall it — and defending 5D is the only way for E/W to go plus as the cards lie.

Gee, however, bids 3H, and South has a virtually automatic raise to 4D, which is passed back to our hero. West has 1 1/2 defensive tricks, having promised zero, there are two heart losers, and 4D is still ice cold. Perhaps Gee expects West to show up with the HA, the CQ, and a couple of trump tricks (in which case West might have entertained a double of her own). Perhaps it’s takeout. Perhaps…I’m reaching here, anybody have any ideas? In any case he doubles.

So what’s today’s moral? Don’t double with a trump void? Don’t double with no defense? Don’t double? I don’t know. Maybe today’s hand has no pedagogical qualities. Maybe I’m just printing it because I think it’s funny.