[Trinidad]

For ages, I have been playing Lebensohl after my opponents overcall our 1NT opening and I have always combined it with penalty doubles. In that case, the cuebid functions as "Stayman".

I am seriously considering switching to Lebensohl + negative doubles, since I like to be able to compete at the two level. At the same time, bidding Stayman without a stopper on balanced hands is always a nervous business when we need to find a fit at the four level.

The way I see things is that the negative double will also have a bit of a Stayman flavor: If RHO overcalls 2♥, our double strongly implies (but admittedly does not promise) four spades. If we think that the negative double smells like Stayman, we can use the cuebids at the three level for something more useful (and less nervous).

How do those of you who combine Lebensohl with negative doubles play the cuebids?

Rik

[Stephen Tu]

I think most people still utilize the cue bid as stayman. The idea is that opener with a good holding in their trump suit is allowed to pass the negative double. With some hands with a stiff or void in their suit, or at certain vulnerabilities, depending on what is held outside, you don't want to risk them playing 2Mx, you'd rather declare 3nt/5m/6m etc. yourself. Negative double is reserved for weaker hands that just want to play a partial (but can stand a pass), or hands with 2+ trumps that rate to score well if partner passes.

Also worth considering are various transfer Lebensohl variants (in some transfer into their suit functions as stayman, others cue is still stayman).

[Trinidad]

Thanks, Stephen, for the clear answer.

Rik

[mikeh]

I agree with Stephen.

The only thing I’d add is that my agreements with my partners describe the negative double as announcing ownership of the hand. Playing a 15-17 1N that would typically mean a useful 6 count or better. Ownership, in this context, doesn’t mean we’re in a fp scenario if 4th seat raises: it simply means that responder will deliver some defence, should opener have a chunky 4 card trump holding. Meckwell nailed Robison-Forrester in the B.B. last week, when Rodwell held K9xx Ax AJ9x Axx. And LHO overcalled his 1N with 2D, diamonds and a major. Meckstroth held something like 10x KQxx Kx KJxxx and doubled. He led the diamond K and they scored 800 against 430 in the other room. Note that had Meckstroh had a weaker hand, they’d be collecting 200 or 500 against a partscore.

So it is crucial for doubler not to start thinking that he should double, say, 2H with something like Qxxx x Qxxx Qxxx, since the penalty pass, though not common, is always in play.

[Tramticket]

We play that our Negative Double shows an invitational strength hand. In the context of our weak NT, this would be 11-12. A cue-bid (direct, or through Lebensohl, is forcing to game).

We would play a similar approach after artificial invention, so after (say) 1NT, (2♦) [Multi-Landy], our double would still be an invitational strength hand and showing a balanced shape.

[Flem72]

Playing NegXs and Transfer Leb, we use the 3-level direct cue as shortness, usually 5-4+ in minors, SI.