KQJ87  86  964  K43
64  KQJ10743  Q  962		932  A  J1052  Q10875
	A105  952  AK873  AJ

Bidding:	West	North	East	South
	3	Pass	Pass	Pass

Maura: Two questions, please, Kieran.
What would you have opened as West?

Kieran: I confess I would have opened 4 . 3 is plenty, vulnerable. Non-vul, 4 for me, 3 for old-school folks.

Maura: What would you do as South in 4th seat after 3, P, P?

Kieran: Double and pass are both OK. At the vulnerability, I prefer pass. 3 will almost always go down thanks to these fast winners, game is very uncertain (and the game that we bid might not be the game that we can make), and (importantly) their contract is going down at 100/trick while our game only scores about 400. If it makes.

At equal vulnerability, I'm more attracted to double.

Vul v not, double is mandatory. Collecting in 50s against a vulnerable game is inadequate. The only possible alternative bid is 3NT, but sometimes when that's the right spot partner will be able to bid it. It would be more appealing with Axx,xxx,AKQJx,Ax since at least the tricks are there. Most 3NT bids are a gamble here - balanced 16 counts routinely bid 3NT here without the faintest idea of where the tricks are coming from...lacking a stopper is just a different gamble.

Maura:Partner passed, saying she didn't double as she didn't have 4.

Kieran: The doubleton club and lack of short hearts bother me more than than the lack of a fourth spade. Lots of commendable takeout doubles have only three cards in the other major. But this hand has abnormally long hearts, generally flawed shape and excellent prospects on defense.

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