jdiana, on 2025-February-22, 10:55, said:
I think it makes sense to define it as a support double in this situation, if you play them, even though it's not the classic situation. Even though we know responder can't have five spades, it's still helpful to distinguish between 3- and 4-card support. I don't know if I would have been smart enough to apply cyberyeti's bridge logic at the table if playing with a pickup partner, but it makes perfect sense.
It is NOT a support double, more akin to a responsive double if anything...
Doubles are fun to use. Stop thinking of them as penalty doubles and a whole world of bridge bidding opens up..smile.
Start thinking of doubles as
1. Showing unbid suits
2. Partial support for pards suit
3, asking pard to bid 3NT with a stopper
4, competitive only, pard bid something..
5, pard I have values, but no perfect bid
6, etc
The higher the level, a bit more they lean towards penalty, each level,, but only a bit more..
How do you penalize?
That is a whole other chapter or book..
Doubles are fun, use them more often, especially on tough bidding hands
Enjoyable!