Taking Out Insurance

29th September – Board 11: Love All. Dealer South.
Bidding decisions at the five-level are notoriously hard to get right on a consistent basis and the hand shown below was no exception. I have to say that I would have made the wrong decision, taking out insurance on the East hand to safeguard against a potential catastrophe.

West
North
East
South
1H
1S
2C
4S
5C
Dbl
No
????

I think it is right to double 5C on the West hand because there are likely to be two quick winners in diamonds but I’m not at all sure that I would have left the double in with the East hand. There is unlikely to be a trick in spades and while there may well be a trump trick in the offing the risks of them making a doubled contract are too high. Certainly in teams I would have no hesitation in bidding 5S, in pairs it is less clear-cut. But without partner’s double bidding 5S would be automatic.
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