[AL78]

Swiss pairs playing Acol weak NT:

♠KQ92
♥T
♦KQ96
♣A643

LHO passes, partner opens 1♣, RHO overcalls 2♣ (5-5 majors). You haven't discussed a defence to two suited overcalls. Your call?

[jillybean]

Without agreements, I will have to start with a double

[Cyberyeti]

Length of the club ? Vul ?

Your options (if you play what we play) are:
X - ability to penalise at least one of opps suits
2♥ good hand with clubs (2♠ would be a good hand with diamonds)

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-01, 09:21, said:

Length of the club ? Vul ?

Your options (if you play what we play) are:
X - ability to penalise at least one of opps suits
2♥ good hand with clubs (2♠ would be a good hand with diamonds)

Game all. 1♣ shows at least four. That defence is one that came to mind as I know an analogous one to the unusual 2NT but didn't fancy cue bidding one of their suits in absence of discussion. I decided to double as I have defence to one of their suits. The auction continues:

---

Your call?

[jillybean]

2♠, must be 4, must be forcing. If partner bids 3♣ I will bid 3♦, looking for a ♥ stopper.

[Cyberyeti]

jillybean, on 2023-May-01, 11:25, said:

2♠, must be 4, must be forcing. If partner bids 3♣ I will bid 3♦, looking for a ♥ stopper.

Why would you bid spades naturally when opp has shown 5 of them ? It is normal for this to be artificial, just a question of what it means.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2023-May-01, 10:40, said:

Game all. 1♣ shows at least four. That defence is one that came to mind as I know an analogous one to the unusual 2NT but didn't fancy cue bidding one of their suits in absence of discussion. I decided to double as I have defence to one of their suits. The auction continues:

---

Your call?

If 1♣ is 4+ and particularly if you open most 4M4m hands with the major, 3♥ splinter was also in the frame.

Partner could easily be 2425 and if they are, this could be a bloodbath on 2 rounds of clubs ruffed in the long hand, less so if partner has doubled on a good 3 card heart holding, you're on a guess.

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-01, 12:13, said:

If 1♣ is 4+ and particularly if you open most 4M4m hands with the major, 3♥ splinter was also in the frame.

Partner could easily be 2425 and if they are, this could be a bloodbath on 2 rounds of clubs ruffed in the long hand, less so if partner has doubled on a good 3 card heart holding, you're on a guess.

You are very good at reading the situation. Partner was indeed 2425. I took her double as penalty so I passed, although I wondered if we could extract enough to compensate for the 3NT or 5♣ game we almost certainly had on.

The full deal:

---

We took +500 out of this although I think on perfect defence +800 is there (double dummy says eight tricks are available in hearts EW). This was worth less than the cold 3NT or 5♣ which a few pairs found and one lucky EW pair had the pleasure of +1100 for defending 4♥X. Everyone else was playing in a club partscore so that was 55% for us which after the start we had I was grateful for.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2023-May-01, 14:52, said:

You are very good at reading the situation. Partner was indeed 2425. I took her double as penalty so I passed, although I wondered if we could extract enough to compensate for the 3NT or 5♣ game we almost certainly had on.

The full deal:

---

We took +500 out of this although I think on perfect defence +800 is there (double dummy says eight tricks are available in hearts EW). This was worth less than the cold 3NT or 5♣ which a few pairs found and one lucky EW pair had the pleasure of +1100 for defending 4♥X. Everyone else was playing in a club partscore so that was 55% for us which after the start we had I was grateful for.

Almost all roads lead to 800 as long as you get the club force going early, declarer makes only 4 trumps and the diamond ace.

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-01, 15:20, said:

Almost all roads lead to 800 as long as you get the club force going early, declarer makes only 4 trumps and the diamond ace.

We didn't get it going immediately. Partner led the spade ace and continued with another one. I can't remember what happened after that.

[jillybean]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-01, 12:10, said:

Why would you bid spades naturally when opp has shown 5 of them ? It is normal for this to be artificial, just a question of what it means.

Why would I bid spades naturally? I've seen enough "michaels" on 45 to know that we could have a spade fit, I would not have expected (2♥)X to be penalty, 2♠ is describing my hand, finding our place to play. ♠'s, ♣'s, nt?

[Cyberyeti]

jillybean, on 2023-May-01, 19:06, said:

Why would I bid spades naturally? I've seen enough "michaels" on 45 to know that we could have a spade fit, I would not have expected (2♥)X to be penalty, 2♠ is describing my hand, finding our place to play. ♠'s, ♣'s, nt?

It's pretty normal for the first double to be "I can penalise one or both suits" I've played this for so long that x of 2♥ is just routinely penalties for me.

[jillybean]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-02, 06:32, said:

It's pretty normal for the first double to be "I can penalise one or both suits" I've played this for so long that x of 2♥ is just routinely penalties for me.

Wait, OP said no agreements over interference.

[barmar]

jillybean, on 2023-May-02, 07:51, said:

Wait, OP said no agreements over interference.

Double as suggesting penalty is "just bridge", not a special partnership agreement.

Unusual vs Unusual (I think called Invisible Cuebids on the other side of the pond) is a special agreement requiring discussion.