[jvdk]

what should you bid ?
I was north -- Dealer: east / all vuln.

my hand:
♠ JTxxxx ♥ Axxx ♦ xx ♣ x

The bidding:
(1♣) - P - (1♦) - P
(2 ♦) - P - (P) - ??

I bid now 2♠
I think I offer the core of my hand to partner -
An opponent told me I had to bid DBL showing my two majors.

What do you think ?

[ArtK78]

I would pass. But if I were to bid, I would bid my 6 card suit.

The argument in favor of double rather than 2♠ would be that partner, who is marked with a good hand (unless the opps have really messed up) is not acting over 1♣ or 2♦ because he is short in spades. Of course, he doesn't have to have hearts, either.

I still think I would rather pass out 2♦.

[BunnyGo]

I would probably pass too. But if I were to bid it's an obvious 2♠. I double if I'm worried about a fit, but the opponents can have at most 7 combined spades on this auction...in which case partner should have something like 8 hearts. I expect to find a spade fit.

[mcphee]

I like 2S. I also believe it is mandatory to balance here as you could easily be making 2 spades, or more.

[aguahombre]

You made a choice, and are obviously open to people's suggestions about that choice. There is one excellent way of sorting out the merits of Bridge advice. When the guy at the table said you "had to" bid one thing or the other, that was a clue.

[S2000magic]

My bid would depend on how much I trust my partner. If I trust him to know that I'm essentially bidding both our hands, then 2♠ it is. If I suspect that he'll try to compete further, then a discrete pass would be it.

[MrAce]

Wow, i am a little dissapointed in even considering pass, let alone actually passing this hand.

LHO likely has 9+ minors, RHO didnt bid a major with a weak hand, and they are telling me my pd has 11-15 hcp and i have 6-4 majors. So just sell it out to 2♦ incase pd was busy and didnt see us passing 1♦ ?

And it is not a matter of trust to pd. He saw we passed 1♦. It is a matter of if he should trust you or not in the future. And had you passed now, i think he will try to bid a lot of hands that actually should pass with a pd who can balance.

I'd definetely bid 2♠.(Eventhough the way OP said his opponents adviced to DBL. I predict they missed ♥ fit by bidding 2♠)

[kenrexford]

A thought.

After 1♣-P-1♦, if you have a hand good enough to bid later after diamonds are raised, at the two-level, you usually would have cause to bid directly over 1♦.

Folks want to bid here, despite low HCP strength, because a 6-4 hand offers great play. Well, there are two 6-4 hands, 4♠/6♥ and 4♥/6♠. If you bid your long suit with each, only 2♥ allows partner to correct to 2♠. So, if you decide that balancing into a major in this auction seems to show 6-4, then perhaps 2♥ should show 4♠/6♥ and double should show 4♥/6♠.

Just a thought...

[phil_20686]

I probably would have bid 2S the first time, but I realise that is not to everyones taste

Passing now is totally absurd IMO. I would bid 2S. Have some sympathy for dble though. Only against LOL's would I consider a pass, and thats because I have seen my partners dbles.

Most likely partner is some balanced shape with 2 spades. Would like to get my hearts in but dble now is much too dangerous. Bid 2S. be happy when you are defening diamonds one level higher.

[Yu18772]

Passing 2♦ seems out of question to me.
2S or double depends very much on what I know about the ops. Mainly, do opponents reliably bypass diamonds if holding a major? If yes, partner has at least 3 hearts (and if he has only 3, hearts are 3-3), and at least 2 spades, and then i can gladly bid 2S. If they dont RHO may have a 4 card major, and then I prefer to let partner choose (especially since my spades are so pretty).
I am not sure I pass the first round though.

[han]

I would have bid the first time. Now I would still bid. I think that passing twice is really bad.