[Cyberyeti]

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we have the agreement that all doubles are takeout except...

one of the exceptions is auctions like (1♦)-X-(1♥)-X which is for penalties

but not discussed this specific sort of auction

before I give the hand, what do you think the following bids mean:

X
2♥
2♠
2N

[mikeh]

A logical meaning for 2H might be ‘I have hearts well stopped, game interest in notrump but nothing in diamonds’, hoping to protect west’s diamond holding.

X is takeout but this is a situation depends on specific agreements (which you may not have) or a meta agreement, useful for when specific agreements haven’t been discussed. In my main partnership, the double of 2D is takeout oriented pursuant to our meta agreements.

Plus, on a frequency basis, penalty will be rare. If east has decent diamonds (he need not have a stack, since he can logically hope that west has some diamonds…or was prepared to handle a diamond advance (possibly as high as 3D) over his balancing double but he also needs a heart stack (since west will usually be short in hearts) otherwise NS will surely run to 2H. Thus while using east’s double as takeout means that once in a long while NS escape a penalty, that would require a rare hand type for east. And even then, sometimes west can reopen with a second double.

2S is competitive. Doesn’t promise 5.

2N is modest opening values with hearts well stopped (for a broad definition of well stopped), fewer than 4 spades and a little something (or more)in diamonds. Say something resembling Kxx KQx Qxx Kxxx

[Cyberyeti]

OK, I thought X would be penalties with our meta agreements, how would you adjust the other bids ?