Discipline, discipline

You pick up the following hand in second position, not vulnerable vs. vulnerable: ♠QJ86542 ♥6 ♦K6 ♣QJ5.  What's your call?

You do have a seven-card suit so naturally you think about opening 3♠.  But let's look a little more carefully.  The suit quality is pretty ragged and you have quite a bit of defensive strength outside your suit.  Also, in second position, you should be the most disciplined when preempting.  After all, one of your opponents has already denied an opening hand and partner could be sitting there with a moose.  In fact you almost have an opening bid of your own, but again you recall that you are in the most disciplined seat.  Maybe 2♠ would be the right opening?  But again, in this seat you should have a perfect weak two, not some maybe 1, maybe 3 bid.

So, you decide to pass and await developments.  LHO passes too and it is indeed your partner who has an opening hand: 1♣.  RHO now comes in belatedly with 1♦ and you clearly have enough for a (somewhat) forcing 1♠.  This is met with double on your left and everyone passes.  Apparently, this is a penalty double (our opponents are the GIBs) and when LHO leads ♥3, you're not terribly surprised to find partner devoid of spades.  He has ♥AQ952 ♦A82 ♣87432, not the most robust fourth seat opening (it doesn't even come close to the famous Cansino (Pearson) 15 count.  You could be in a spot of bother here, but there's one huge consolation: you didn't open 3♠ and get doubled there!

You don't play it perfectly (i.e. guessing that RHO holds T9 doubleton of spades) and you only make your contract, but it's still good for 6.3 imps.  Discipline really does pay!