[Bbradley62]

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[BillPatch]

Double.

Since a normalish 2/1 implies a strong NT it is unlikely we are in the range where we can bid 3NT on power. If we fit spades, our shortness in clubs and partner's red suit shortage may provide several fit points towards game, plus if partner is unbalanced he is more likely to have the high cards for the jump in spades which would mean a playable, profitable game. As normal at IMPs, game prospects are more important than part-scores.

[Trinidad]

Double.

If partner bids 1♠ (weak NT with 3 spades or a dead minimum with 4 spades), I will bid 1NT.

Rik

[1eyedjack]

Haha

I share(/take?) responsibility for this poll, having expressed a strong preference for 1NT on this hand in another thread. I don't mind nailing my colours to the mast so have voted with my convictions, and I thought to take a moment to share my reasons.

If we are in the game zone it probably doesn't matter what you do, although it goes without saying that you would have an agreement that 1NT, if that is your choice, could conceal 4 Spades.

I still feel that 1N is the right move as being the best overall description of the hand in total if game is in sight. A Spade fit can still be investigated, and partner will be well placed to decide whether to investigate and will be well placed to choose the final contract having done so. But I don't think that there is much to be gained arguing the point. The issue is pretty marginal in that case.

Where the choice is going to matter (more) is where game is not on the horizon. In those circumstances, double gains if partner has 4 Spades, as 1NT would likely lose the Spade fit. By contrast, 1N gains where partner does not have 4 Spades, as double would likely lose 1N.
Which is more likely? And which is more costly to get wrong?

I don't know the stats, but I feel that opener is more than 50% likely not to hold a 4 card Spade suit. Might you yet scramble to 1N when that happens? Well yes, of course that could happen. Partner might bid 1S on a 3 card suit, and the opponents might then allow you to bid 1N. Partner might (is that a Gloucester Old Spot I see in the sky?) be able to rustle up a 1N on his own. It's a numbers game, but broadly speaking I think it is rather more likely that partner will rebid 2m when you would dearly prefer to be in 1N.

And then, how horrific is it going to be that you land in 1N (having chosen it in preference for double) when partner has 4 Spades and lacks the strength to check? Well you are a level lower than you would be in Spades (after say, ...X - 1S - 1N - 2S uncontested), and your QJxx in Hearts over the Heart bidder seems more useful in NT than in Spades despite partner's shortage. Basically I don't particularly fear 1N.

1N narrowly defines the basic strength, shape and heart concentration of the hand in one go (acknowledging that the Spade length is not so narrowly defined). It can only be good to get the bulk of your hand across in one bid, particularly where there is a fairly high likelihood of it being the right final spot.

I worry slightly that the popularity of double in the votes might be predicated by an assumption that you are being asked to consider 1N as a justifiable departure from a systemic agreement that 1N denies 4S. That might explain BillPatch's fear of missing a Spade game by bidding 1N. That is not I think what is being asked, which is whether you might choose 1N by agreement on a hand such as this.

[Stephen Tu]

I don't see why double has to lose 1nt. You can bid 1nt over 1♠ as Trinidad pointed out, and opener with a balanced min can bid 1nt on other hands, not promising a heart stopper. If he rebids clubs with six of them, perhaps 1nt might have scored better, but perhaps not.

[rmnka447]

Double first. As a general rule of bidding, it's usually not good to suppress a major holding.

In this example, say your LHO bids 2 ♦ non forcing over your 1 NT response. Partner with 4 ♠ and a minimum certainly isn't likely to bid ♠ -- especially if he/she takes the inference that you didn't negative double to show 4 ♠s. If it is now passed back to you, are you going to bid 2 ♠? No, you're not strong enough. Also, partner might be passing with something like 2=3=3=5 and bidding gets you into big trouble. The problem is that sometimes when you pass, you'll find that partner DID hold 4 ♠s and you're missing a perfectly good ♠ part score.

If you double, partner can now bid 2 ♠ over 2 ♦ if he/she has 4 ♠. If partner passes, you don't have to gamble on a 2 ♠ bid because partner is very unlikely to have 4 ♠s.

Also, if partner makes a strong bid, you still may be able to show your ♥ stopper later in the auction.