[straube]

We relay and have to decide how to cope with 1-level interference. Several reasons not to relay include...1) likely interruption of relays after advancer raises 2) less slam potential after one defender has some stuff and 3) wanting to retain the ability to catch the opponents in a penalty double when they step into our suit. If the opponents bid 1H, we all know that we have the same number of steps available and can stay in system. One spade or higher interference increasingly hurts relays and dbl or 1D gives us more room. Here's a rough draft of how we might cope with each action...

For us, we break down all patterns into five families and we usually assign lower bids from top to bottom
.....1) balanced
.....2) minors (C/D, C, C/D/M, D)
.....3) spades (S/C, S, S/D)
.....4) majors (S/H/m, S/H)
.....5) hearts (H/C, H, H/D)

1C dbl gives us room to separate all five families immediately
.....P-DN (double negative)
.....rdbl-bal
.....1D-SP (semipositive)
.....1H-spades
.....1S-minors
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts

1C (1D)
.....P-DN
.....dbl-SP
.....1H-S
..........opener may relay with his choice of 1S or 1N
...............2C-S/C
...............2D-S
.....1S-bal, minors (loss of 1 step)
..........2C-bal
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts

1C (1H)
.....P-SP (occasionally a GF hand wanting to hammer hearts)
..........dbl-hearts or GF
...............1S-bal, minors
....................1N-hearts
....................2C-majors
....................2D-spades
.....dbl-DN
.....1S-GF, bal, minors
.....1N-GF, hearts (the idea is hopefully responder has a stopper)
.....2C-GF, majors
.....etc-spades

1C (1S)
.....P-SP (occasionally a GF hand wanting to hammer spades)
..........dbl-GF relay
.....dbl-DN
.....1N-GF, majors or spades
.....2C-GF, minors
.....2D-GF, bal
.....etc-GF, hearts

[straube]

1C dbl gives us room to separate all five families immediately
.....P-bal
.....rdbl-minors
.....1D-SP (semipositive)
.....1H-DN
.....1S-spades
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts

1C (1D)
.....P-SP (occasionally a GF hand wanting to hammer diamonds)
..........dbl-GF, 2+ diamonds
...............P-to play
...............1H-vacant
...............1S+ semipositive relays
..........1H-natural OR GF
...............1S+ semipositive relays
.....dbl-bal
..........P-to play
..........1H-spades or balanced
..........1S-minors
..........1N-majors
..........etc-hearts
.....1H-DN
.....1S-minors
.....1N-spades
.....2C-majors
.....etc-hearts

1C (1H)
.....P-SP (occasionally a GF hand wanting to hammer hearts)
..........dbl-hearts or GF
...............1S-bal, minors
....................1N-hearts
....................2C-majors
....................2D-spades
.....dbl-DN
.....1S-GF, bal, minors
.....1N-GF, hearts (the idea is hopefully responder has a stopper)
.....2C-GF, majors
.....etc-spades

1C (1S)
.....P-SP (occasionally a GF hand wanting to hammer spades)
..........dbl-GF relay
.....dbl-DN
.....1N-GF, majors or spades
.....2C-GF, minors
.....2D-GF, bal
.....etc-GF, hearts

[straube]

ok, so some guidelines here. By "balanced hand" I'm referring to only the 4432 and 4333 shapes. All of the 5332s have try to show the suit. A second guideline is that pass of the opponent's bid always shows a semipositive unless one has a hand that has the opponent's suit and is hopeful in playing the contract doubled. These sorts of hands will rarely get into trouble by passing. In theory, opener could pass if he has length in opponent's suit and gambles that an undoubled contract goes set enough...which would mean that overcaller has psyched us out of a big fit. But usually, opener will either start a GF (in which case you relay your pattern just the same as you would if it were semipositive strength) or if opener tries to sign off somewhere, you are warned of this first and insist on game somewhere...likely 3N. Anyway, allowing for a pass with these GF hands as well as semipositives ought to be an easy rule to remember and let us catch the opponents more often.

So I'll review these in reverse order....

1C (1S) continuations are the same as for a standard symmetric that is +2
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....P-semipositive or GF trapping.
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............other-semipositives
.....1N-GF, majors or spades
.....2C-minors
.....2D-balanced
.....etc-hearts

1C (1H) we use the third/fourth structure except we reverse the way majors are shown...this is UNLESS their 1H is a transfer and then we would keep it the same.
.....P-semipositive or trapping
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............1S-semipositive, bal OR minors
...............1N-semipositive, hearts
...............2C-semipositive, majors
...............etc-spades
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....1S-GF, bal OR minors
.....1N-GF. hearts
.....2C-GF, majors
.....etc-GF, spades

1C (1D) is the most confusing I think of all. We use the extra space here to catch the opponents when responder has a balanced hand. Also, we can preserve reverse relays (responder will relay opener's hand unless opener shows a balanced hand)
.....dbl-GF, balanced
..........P-penalty
..........1H-spades or balanced
...............1S-relays
....................1N-balanced, relays
.........................2C-has a major
..............................responder simply doesn't use steps that would show a 5332
.........................2D-no major
..........1S-minors
..........1N-majors
..........etc-hearts
......P-semipositive or trapping
..........dbl-GF cooperative for a penalty pass
...............1S-balanced or minors
...............1N-spades
...............2C-majors
...............etc-hearts
..........1H-hearts or GF uncooperative for a penalty pass
...............1S-balanced or minors
...............1N-spades
...............2C-majors
...............etci-hearts
.....1H-DN (this bid keeps us in system and we don't really need the space that much)
.....1S-GF, minors
..........1N-relays
...............2C-C/D
...............2D-C
...............2H-C/D/M
...............etc-D
.....1N-S
.....2C-majors
.....etc-H

1C dbl
.....P-bal
..........rdbl-business
..........1D-vacant
..........1H+ opener may reverse relay
.....rdbl-minors
..........opener may relay naturally with any 1-level bid (they are informative relays)
...............2C-C/D
...............2D-C
...............2H-C/D/M
...............etc-D
.....1D-semipositive
.....1H-DN
.....1S-spades
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts

[straube]

1C (1S) continuations are the same as for a standard symmetric that is +2
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....P-semipositive or GF trapping.
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............other-semipositives
.....1N-GF, majors or spades
.....2C-minors
.....2D-balanced
.....etc-hearts

1C (1H) we use the third/fourth structure except we reverse the way majors are shown...this is UNLESS their 1H is a transfer and then we would keep it the same.
.....P-semipositive or trapping
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............1S-semipositive, bal OR minors
...............1N-semipositive, hearts
...............2C-semipositive, majors
...............etc-spades
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....1S-GF, bal OR minors
.....1N-GF. hearts
.....2C-GF, majors
.....etc-GF, spades

1C (1D)

.....P-GF, balanced or spades
..........dbl-offer to penalize
...............1H-I have spades and don't want to sit
..........reverse relays
......dbl-semipositive
.....1H-DN
.....1S-hearts
.....1N-majors
.....etc-minors

1C dbl
.....P-spades
..........1D-asks for transfer
...............1H-spades
.....rdbl-bal
..........P-business
..........reverse relays
.....1D-semipositive
.....1H-DN
.....1S-hearts
..........1N-relays
.....1N-majors
.....etc-minors

[straube]

1C (1S) continuations are the same as for a standard symmetric that is +2
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....P-semipositive or GF trapping.
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............other-semipositives
.....1N-GF, majors or spades
.....2C-minors
.....2D-balanced
.....etc-hearts

1C (1H) we use the third/fourth structure except we reverse the way majors are shown...this is UNLESS their 1H is a transfer and then we would keep it the same.
.....P-semipositive or trapping
..........dbl-GF, asks relay of shape
...............P-trapping
...............1S-semipositive, bal OR minors
...............1N-semipositive, hearts
...............2C-semipositive, majors
...............etc-spades
.....dbl-DN
..........partner bids naturally or passes, a cue bid starts a GF
.....1S-GF, bal OR minors
.....1N-GF. hearts
.....2C-GF, majors
.....etc-GF, spades

1C (1D)

.....P-GF, balanced or spades
..........dbl-offer to penalize
...............1H-I have spades and don't want to sit
..........reverse relays
......dbl-semipositive
.....1H-DN
.....1S-minors
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts

1C dbl
.....P-spades
..........1D-asks for transfer
...............1H-spades
.....rdbl-bal
..........P-business
..........reverse relays
.....1D-semipositive
.....1H-DN
.....1S-minor
.....1N-majors
.....etc-hearts