[apollo1201]

IMPs, all green, LHO deals and opens 3S, partner passes, RHO supports to the 4th level and you hold

xx
KQJx
A9xx
KQx

Want to try? Over X, what would you bid with (I hope all agree with the first pass):

-
Axxx
xxxx
ATxxx

As a last question, if bidding goes pass pass after 4S, what is X now? Penalty because you could have taken-out at the 3 level and you presumably don't balance now so high? Or is it like 1S 2S pass pass X?

Thanks for your answers! And sorry again to have a long post full of subquestions😀..:

[ggwhiz]

These auctions are fraught with danger and we only have 1 rule. You can't pull the double (of 4♠) unless it's to something you think you have a live chance to make. If they make 4♠ doubled, life's a beach.

The south hand qualifies for the 5 level and it would be handy to play 4nt as 2 places to play. It would then go 5♣ - 5♦ - 5♥ - float. Passing the double would surely get a plus but it could be -1 into your own (probably unbiddable) slam. I guess foul breaks could do you in at the 5 level but I like our chances.

The last one is penalty but our 1 rule still applies.

[mcphee]

For me double is for take and some days you end up taking a plus in 50's. I would take a swing with double over 4S and not be at all shocked if partner passed and they made it. as responder to the dble I bid 4N and pass.

[rmnka447]

With ♠ xx ♥ KQJx ♦ A9xx ♣ KQx, double seems right over the 4 ♠ bid. Typically, doubles through 4 ♥ would be takeout oriented, while doubles of 4 ♠ and above are more penalty oriented. But these doubles all show values what is exactly what this hand has.

I agree with an initial pass on ♠ - ♥ Axxx ♦ xxxx ♣ A10xxx as you don't have any idea where the remainder of the points are after the opening seat preempt of 3 ♠. Once partner shows values with the double of 4 ♠ and with your ♠ void, a 5 ♣ bid would seem normal as a follow up.

After 5 ♣, doubler should probably just sit as there's no way to know if a 5 level red suit contract is any better.

As others have said, you have to make these bids, but they are fraught with danger. It goes with the territory.

But at IMPs, 4 ♠x making may not be the disaster it rates to be at matchpoints. It potentially costs you only an extra 200 points or so versus 4 ♠ undoubled which is only a 5 IMP swing.

[apollo1201]

Thanks for your comments (I wanted to post in intermediate/adv but scr*** up from the phone).

I too felt we did the right thing with partner (I was the strong hand) as the preemptor's partner pushed to 5S over partner 4NT, which I doubled for -2. He had AKxx spades and the 5 remaining diamonds headed by KQJT and never suspected we might have ended up in 5D!

[gszes]

3s p 4s p p x is for takeout. All it means is that your hand was not good enough to x over 3s and once lho limited their hand with a 4s bid you feel much safer backing in to this bidding. Try to imagine a hand or two where pass over 3s was right and x over 4s should be considered penalty. If you manage a few hands like that now try to imagine how umpty ump more hands that come closer to the 0445 (south) type hand and prefer the x to be takeout. In conjunction with 4n showing 2 places to play you can cover almost every contingency of the tox situations and this is hugely important considering that there is no room to explore.