[manudude03]

My partner tonight threw this bid at me, and wasn't sure what it was at all. How would you interpret it?

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[helene_t]

GF, 5+ spades and 4+ clubs.

[nige1]

manudude03, on 2015-May-11, 16:14, said:

My partner tonight threw this bid at me, and wasn't sure what it was at all. How would you interpret it?

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Possibilities include

• Fit-jump (e.g. 5323) offering an alternative trump-suit, in case you are e.g. 3434.
• Limit bid or game force with 5+♠ and no ♥ fit.
• Cue bid agreeing ♥.
• ♠ stop for no-trump.

Although, in principle, take-out, partner's initial double covers a lot of hand-types in this context, especially as he'd be happy if you passed for penalty. Further interpretation depends on mutual experience and what other conventions you've agreed (e.g. Lebensohl, Rubensohl). In a new on-line partnership the most likely explanation for 3♠ is a belated attempt by partner to play the hand.

IMO, a reasonable approach is to treat strange new bids as forcing and to make the least space-consuming descriptive noise e.g. here 3N.

[alok c]

Imo by doubling & subsequent jump bid partner is indicating more than minimum opening value,5+ spades &shortness/stopper in diamonds.

[gordontd]

I think it has to be a forcing heart raise, exactly as it would have been if he had been able to start with 2C Stayman. It doesn't make sense for it to show spades as he could have bid them on the previous round.

[MrAce]

This is % 100 ♥ fit for me.

With natural spades he could have bid 2♠... 3♠... 2 NT and then 3♠ whichever is forcing or invite depends on agreement.

[helene_t]

Yeah guys you are right, forcing heart raise is more useful.

[WesleyC]

Obviously the initial t/o double promises at least heart tolerance, but I would rather be able to make an offshape take-out double on a shape like 5224 in the hope of catching the opponents speeding, than use 3S as specifically promising a fit.

However this is certainly a situation where different styles are possible.

[jdonn]

It is clear to me that this shows 5+ spades, probably exactly 3 hearts, forcing to game, and that partner doubled first because he had a hand where he would have been ecstatic if we had passed it for penalties. If he has a heart fit he can just bid 3♦ and then support hearts, rather than invent new conventions on the fly.

Besides, what is the value in using this to show a heart fit, is it in case we have slam after the overcall? Maybe we could bid 3NT to play on some perfect construction but it all seems far-fetched to me, not to mention accident prone.

[benlessard]

"Obviously the initial t/o double promises at least heart tolerance"

IMO the X can easily be 5S invitationnal or be 4S+5C.

However you have to decide what X followed by 2S mean. Its either 5S inv or its 4S+long clubs.

Playing a weak NT I like the 4S+5m better.

I also think playing 3S as a H raise is a poor method.

[gszes]

most "exotic" bids require the process of elimination and then selecting the most likely from the alternatives. Responder can show a variety of hands using the following scheme: after the 2d overcall--
3d = asking for dia stop for 3n
x 2h 2s = 5 spades invitational
3h/3s = 6M invitational
4d/4h = assuming texas (else 4h/4s) 6+M to play
x 2h 3d = a variety of game forcing hands
x 2h 3c = 4S 5+ clubs invitational (prefer using 3d to show game forcing with this set up since 3n is a huge priority over 5c).
x 2h 3s = IMHO 5s game forcing most likely with no dia stop.

Vastly more important to work out game forcing sequences than slam ones and this interpretation fills in the gap for spades nicely. It is absolutely possible to play 3s as a splinter with heart support (or some other variant of heart support) but that would be a much more detailed partnership agreement than the more natural interpretation shown above. I am less than happy with the idea that the original x showed heart tolerance though dia should not be so short as to make a penalty conversion dangerous (min should be xx or stiff A/K/Q)