[rogerclee]

jdonn, on Dec 11 2008, 01:10 AM, said:

1 - There is one way and only one to be sure to find a 5-3 spade fit.
2 - It's harder to double you there than a minor if you are wrong since your suit is good and you are at a lower level.
3 - If partner passes the double that is very likely to be bad for us since our defense is so bad.

Simple, but there it is.

[Fluffy]

Kevin, AKQxx is awful for defending, concentrated values in your long suits normally correlate with high total tricks

[Edmunte1]

What Josh and Gonzalo said, adding that 3♠ can be sometimes last landing spot.

[helene_t]

Yes what everyone says, 3♠ wtp.

I don't see how dbl can work except if partner has a weak hand with a 7-card minor and zero spades or something. Our hand is by no means better for defending or for 3NT than 3♠ suggests.

[Rossoneri]

3♠, for the reasons outlined by jdonn.

[Fluffy]

Double has more merits than some of you think, it gets you to better 3NT contracts, sometimes when partner has 2 spades, and sometimes when he has 3.

I prefer a 5-3 fit in a minor than a 5-1 in a major at a lower level (partner cannot bid his minor over 3♠ even with 6 cards because it is forcing).

The problem of course is that partner will have exactly 3 spades a lot of the time, between 30 and 40% I think.

I would double with a bad spade suit such as KJxxx.

[mtvesuvius]

I want to double so badly!! However, partner may bid 4m with 3♠, which is a unfortunate, but very possible situation. I like double because it gets you to the right contract most of the time. Partner can also convert to penalty (although I have no defense, this may be the optimum contract for us.)

AJK

[dake50]

North went 3NT? Really? 3S likely last plus. How rosy-eyed does North get?
Wouldn't a South 19 double 1st?

[benlessard]

i think X is terrible and pass is significantly better than 3S.

[CSGibson]

I would bid 3♠, it's where I live, and if LHO bids 4 hearts, I surely want to tell partner that I have spades, either for the lead or for a place to play at the 4 level.