[brown267]

I've heard that you re-open with a double when LHO overcalls your opener (and everyone else passes) with a hand like this:

---

The rationale is that partner might have a good hand with good cards in the overcaller's suit (spades in this case), and can pass your double for penalties; else he/she has a poor hand, in which case you want to prevent the opponents from stealing the contract at such a low level anyway.
That makes sense, but then what should you do with these types of hands? Is making the natural bid or doubling better?
( a )

---

( b )

---

( c )

---

( d )

This might result in an awkward situation if partner rebids 2 spades with only 4 spades.

---

Take note that NS are vulnerable and this is duplicate MPs, so failing to double might see EW gain 80-90% even when 4 or 5 down as most NS pairs would be making game.

[ggwhiz]

Natural bid on all for me which is 2nt on d) and pass on c)

One of the biggest learning curves starting out is to be able to pass smoothly with a trap to avoid giving partner a problem when they hold the other hands.

Your thinking is along the right lines and bidding naturally with those will miss the occasional penalty but much more often lets you bump them up to something you can beat or find your own plus on offence.

[mycroft]

You double when, if partner had made a penalty double of the overcall, you would have passed. You don't double when you wouldn't have passed a penalty double, or when it is unreasonable for partner to have a penalty double. You will strain to double, because partner with a trap pass will be salivating, but...

a. You have 8 tricks (probably) in spades, and 2 tricks (at most, wouldn't count on it) in hearts. Granted, every spade you play taps declarer, and probably leads to another heart trick from partner, but partner's "trumps and a card" need to find 5 tricks to beat a partscore, and 6 to beat game (and 4 to not let through -470!) I bid 2♠.

b. Same thing; it's too easy for us to make game, even with a "misfit" and a diamond stack, and not that easy to take 2♦ enough. I'd bid 3♣, but I wouldn't fault a pass double, especially if the opponents are known to push people around.

c. Partner has non-fitting dreck. You definitely can't double (although you would have passed a negative double). 2NT looks like the only call, but I would pass. This looks like a trap hand, declarer goes minus in anything. Yeah, partner could have 3216 8-count or so and you might force 3NT on power, but call me chicken.

d. Partner does not have a penalty double (if he does, who are you playing against?) Partner also doesn't have 4 spades and 7,8 points. I would bid 2NT and hope here. I agree, if 2♣ gets passed out and they did psych, -7 is going to be a bad score. I will note that game is not certain - give overcaller AKJTxx and a card, partner something (but not much) and RHO an entry, and you're maybe making 3♥ or 2NT.

Preempts sometimes work - even at the 2 level.

[msjennifer]

1) Dbl.Cant let them play at one level.I expect a D or C fit.
2)3Club.Natural and Strong
3) Pass.If LHO has psyched then can't help.
4)2Heart.Preferred to 2NT.
All these bids have been preferred as there is no negative double by North.(We play that with 6 good and more).

[Kaitlyn S]

I'm going to do these out of order for a reason.

( b )

---

Here if I bid 3C partner will know I have a great playing hand since I've potentially forced him to 3S with two black small doubletons. This will allow partner to bid game with a couple of fitting black honors.

On the other hand, bidding 2S on:
( a )

---

doesn't guarantee much of anything when playing negative doubles, since if opener is short in hearts he has to cater to partner having a decent hand with hearts. South would bid 2S on QJxxxxx, x, AJ, QJx and partner will pass most of the time with a non-descript 8 count.

Now put yourself in North's position with something like: x, Axxxx, Kxx, Jxxx. North isn't going to make a negative double and isn't going to bid after 2S. Why is North going to think you have eight tricks? If you don't play negative doubles, so that 2S implies values, 2S is fine. However, when 2S can mean "I had to act because I'm short in hearts and my hand is unsuitable for partner leaving the double in", I think you need to bid 3S. After all, you want to be in 3NT opposite as little as the HK and club length and you want to be in 4S when partner can provide 2 tricks and 3NT isn't an option.

( d )

---

I would bid 2NT, (a) to cater to the fact that partner might have enough high cards for game, and failing that, (b) partner might have a long suit (diamonds maybe) and a weak hand and can bail out in his suit, knowing I have some support.

By the way, I would have opened this hand 2NT (20-21) giving myself a point for the excellent heart suit. If I open 1H and partner responds 1S, a non-forcing 2NT doesn't do this hand justice. I suppose 3NT does but that means something else in my partnership (and unless that shows specifically a doubleton spade, partner will never know when to pull it to 4S.)

It is that support issue that prevents me from bidding 2NT on:
( c )

---

because if I bid 2NT and partner bids 3C or 3S to play, I'm going to be unhappy.

Note: 3S by partner would be to play after 2NT. If partner had 7 points and 5 spades and didn't make a negative double, partner might cuebid their suit to suggest game and doubt about the final strain. You could now bid 3S on a 3-card suit in case that was partner's strain problem.

[rmnka447]

a) I'm with Kaitlyn S on this hand. I'd bid 3 ♠. As she suggests, 2 ♠ can be bid on just about any hand with 6 ♠ that can't sit for 2 ♦. So 3 ♠ shows a strong hand with good ♠. Here the "strength" is more in the length and quality of the ♠ suit then on high card points.

b) Losing trick count on this hand is 4. So this is a big 2 suited player. I'm bidding 3 ♣ to show this hand.

c) In reopening position, you're asking partner to bid unless they have a trump stack and want to penalize the overcaller. In this hand, that's impossible, so partner is going to bid and that may cause a problem. Here, you can see that the opponent's are in a terrible contract, so it's best to just pass and take your positive.

d) I'm also with the 2 NT gang.

[akwoo]

I'm having a lot more trouble than some of you with (a) and (b) because I prefer to have lots of semi-pre-emptive actions available in this situation, so a lot of the bids people are suggesting could be made with much weaker hands.

On (a), I would be bidding 3♠ with

---

so I think I have to go with 4♠ with the given hand.

On (b), I am bidding 3♣ with

---

and 4♣ with

---

so with the given hand I have to bid 3♦ followed by 4♣ over whatever partner does.

I reluctantly agree with pass on ©, though I'd be a lot happier if they were red at MPs.

I definitely agree with 2N on (d).

[Kaitlyn S]

akwoo, on 2016-December-22, 23:40, said:

I'm having a lot more trouble than some of you with (a) and (b) because I prefer to have lots of semi-pre-emptive actions available in this situation, so a lot of the bids people are suggesting could be made with much weaker hands.

On (a), I would be bidding 3♠ with

---

I don't understand. You want to preempt a pair who has chosen to play in 2H?