[Deevan]

You are playing a Team Match, 15-17 NT Opening, and Regular Stayman.
Sitting East, your hand is:
♠KJT8
♥K86
♦AQT3
♣82
Dealer=W(your partner); VUL=None
The bidding proceeds:
1NT-(P)-2♣-(2♥)-P-(P)-?
What is your bid, and why?

[wank]

my bid is double, because it's going for a telephone number.

[dake50]

Partner is restrained (as his 1Nt opener is limited).
He didn't double to suggest defense, nor 2S to suggest offense.
He did pass. I expect he has a typical 1Nt opener.
Double. I expect 500+. AND we have at most 420 to compare.

[Codo]

I play take out doubles, so I double.

If partner is taking this out to a minor, we will head to 3 NT.

[Cyberyeti]

Is there a danger in double ?

Yes overcaller can have AQJxxxx and an ace and has 7 tricks so you get 100 against a game.

A lot of the time though you're getting a big number.

[FrancesHinden]

Codo, on 2013-April-25, 12:26, said:

I play take out doubles, so I double.

If partner is taking this out to a minor, we will head to 3 NT.

What would double from partner have meant?

[GreenMan]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-April-25, 12:35, said:

Is there a danger in double ?

Yes overcaller can have AQJxxxx and an ace and has 7 tricks so you get 100 against a game.

It seems to me that if that's the case, then our ♥K is unprotected, so either we need RHO to have no hearts, or we need running tricks for game in the two suits we control, or we have to find the 5m that's making. Against that parley, +100 doesn't look too bad; we can win the match on another board. Or am I missing something obvious (as I often do)?

(edited to fix analysis goof)

[Cyberyeti]

GreenMan, on 2013-April-25, 19:46, said:

It seems to me that if that's the case, then our ♥K is unprotected, so either we need RHO to have no hearts, or we need running tricks for game in the two suits we control, or we have to find the 5m that's making. Against that parley, +100 doesn't look too bad; we can win the match on another board. Or am I missing something obvious (as I often do)?

(edited to fix analysis goof)

If overcaller has 7, leader only has one heart as partner has two, just duck, you will be able to make 3N. Even if leader has a doubleton, he will need one big enough to hold the lead.

[phil_20686]

Whatever double means its surely right to double. If you play t/o partners pass shows length usually. If you play penalties you just have enough stuff that you are usually getting two off at least.

[gszes]

This bid depends on yur viewpoint as to what constitutes a good 2h bid.
In my case (im a big chicken) when I enter this auction with the strong NT
to my left and stayman (and unlimited) bidder to my right i am no sticking my
neck out on the chopping block just to make a lead director (not vulnerable
does not mean invulnerable). I would have a hand where I expected to take
six tricks at a minimum and 7 would not be unreasonable. Using my
thinking I would not wish to x here for penalty precisely because I rarely
ever expect to set it a number. I would try

3d

This has several ways of winning w/o the huge risk associated with
allowing the opps to make 2h x.

1. If p cannot bid 3n we might still be able to play 5d and the heart K
is then protected.

2. We might find a 5d contract even 4d or 3d might score better than 2h x -1.

3. this leaves room for p to bid 3h to show a partial heart stopper at which
point we can bid 3n not worried about going set off the top.

4. We might still be able to play 3s or 4s (moysian) and our spade suit
quality is good enough to keep us from worrying about uppercuts.

If I knew my lho was taken to frequent flights of fancy and loved to stretch to make
a lead directing bid I would x and expect to set it a number. Surely noone that
reads these forums would make a mere lead directing bid at even at IMPS where
the expected gain would usually be small at best and the potential loss tragic:))))))

[GreenMan]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-April-26, 02:53, said:

If overcaller has 7, leader only has one heart as partner has two, just duck, you will be able to make 3N. Even if leader has a doubleton, he will need one big enough to hold the lead.

If overcaller overtakes the first heart and clears the suit, then our side will have to run 8 tricks without playing to overcaller's side ace. Not a sure thing, is all I'm saying (opening leader could still have Jxxx somewhere).

[Codo]

FrancesHinden, on 2013-April-25, 13:57, said:

What would double from partner have meant?

We always play take out doubles, so it had meant to hold 4 spades and fewer hearts.

[PhilKing]

gszes, on 2013-April-26, 08:22, said:

This bid depends on yur viewpoint as to what constitutes a good 2h bid.
In my case (im a big chicken) when I enter this auction with the strong NT
to my left and stayman (and unlimited) bidder to my right i am no sticking my
neck out on the chopping block just to make a lead director (not vulnerable
does not mean invulnerable).

From my database:

---

N/S were Bocchi/Madala
E/W were Hoftaniska/Charlesen

Madala thought Bocchi was showing a good heart raise, so they were going to play in 3♥x, although it might play pretty well (double dummy, EW and NS can BOTH make 6 tricks in hearts).

[Deevan]

Thanks everyone for comments.
The INT Opener's hand was:
♠Axx
♥AQx
♦K987
♣Qxx
If you decided to PASS 2♥-Doubled; now, what is the correct lead to maximize tricks for the defense (without causing any confusion for partner)? How should the defense proceed?

[Zelandakh]

Late to the party but after 1NT - 2♣ - (2♥), is it not normal to play Pass = no major; X = 4 hearts; 2♠ = 4 spades? It is not like they took any space away with their overcall after all. I realise this is the Expert forum but practically every I/A player I have ever seen in this sequence has bid according to this schedule.