Raise after a Double

Had this hand on BBO last week that just perplexed me. Guess I have a different attitude on certain types of auctions.

Playing IMPS, No one vul, I held this hand in 4th seat, K975 KQ53 A9 KJ7. It went P P 1D to me and I thought this was a pretty automatic double. This went P 1S by pard P back to me. Now the 1 place I am fairly conservative is after I make a TO double, I really feel that you need a real hand to make free raises here. But even with the balanced hand, this is a clear raise. The principle that knowing where all the values are makes the hand easier to play sort of comes into play here, assuming partner is not completely bust. I assume partner is limited to 5-6 HCP or support points, but there are certain hands in that range that still have play for game, and this is IMPS. So I bid 2S here, which ended the auction.

Now for the strange part, my RHO went to lead and I saw partners hand, and have to admit I was rather perplexed. My parner (a pick up partner), held AJ654 652 KT7 T2, a full 9 count with a 5th Spade? I would have jumped over the original double with that hand and accepted any game try from partner at all. I thought the pass of 2S was one of the strangest things I have ever seen.

As soon as the lead was made, my partner asked if I had misbid? I asked the same question, then asked if he thought the 2S bid was weaker than I held. His immediate response was yes, he felt the free 2S bid here was limited to 12-13 HCP, with anything more, I was expected to jump. I dont know about the rest of the bridge community, maybe I am old fashioned here, but I really feel that this is a strange way of looking at the world. After a TO double by partner, I jump with any 8+ support points and consider game with any 11+. A 1 level bid should be limited to 7 support points or so. This lets both sides place the contract in a reasonable manner, and does not place to much strain on the doubler to raise with minimal hands. Definately cuts down on the -1100 scores when the opps loose patience and pard has 0.

But to make a long story shorter, my partner really felt it was my fault for missing this easy game. Whereas I feel it was almost completely his. As I said, when partner doubles and makes a free raise of my simple 1S bid, I go to game with that hand.

Let me know what you think.

David