Antraxxx

Was this implemented? Become the problem was greatly alleviated, and I'm wondering whether it's a coincidence :)

Don't you want to keep double as penalty when people interfere with your NT?

If you're interested in the opinions of Israeli experts, you could try the Israeli forum: http://www.israbridge.com/home/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=8 (It's okay to post in English in there)

Either that, or allow a tag to turn the smileys off in a block of text.

Yeah, we'll definitely discuss it at length - I told him about the stopperless 1NT bid, we agreed it sounds reasonable, and then during last evening's session he made the same negative double (auction was 1♣-(p)-1♦-(1♥)-x) this time showing a three card spade suit! So yeah, we clearly should work out what double means over opponents' interference :) [edit] As far as when to double and when to overcall 1NT, we're playing in MP tournaments so if 1NT looks feasible, that's probably where we want to be. Of course, now that we allow a stopperless NT, it's probably better to always show four hearts if you have a non-positional stopper, I think.

I'm by no means an expert (quite the opposite) so the simple system we have is this: 1) If they double the 1NT opening, we ignore it and proceed as usual (so 2♣ is stayman etc) 2) If they overcall 2♣ then double is stayman, everything else is as usual (2♦ transfer to hearts etc) 3) If they overcall anything else, then 2♥/♠ is invitational with that five-card suit, double is penalty, cue bid is stayman (must have game-forcing values) and 2NT is lebensohl. I'm sure there are better treatments, but this one's pretty easy to remember and seems to work okay in a beginner/intermediate field.

Partner's exact hand: [hv=pc=n&w=saq93hq984dj4cq65]133|100[/hv] I didn't want to show his hand because he probably misbid worse than I have, and I was more interested in what I could've done better. Checking the hand again, I see that people didn't really end up in 3NT, I was confused with another hand from the same session where we missed an easy 3NT.

This has been enlightening. Thanks everyone for your answers. For the curious, at the table I invented a 3♣ bid which I hoped would make sense - it meant to show I'm too strong for 2♣, have no stopper for NT, don't have four heart support and don't have a five card or longer diamond suit. In my head it made sense, however when it was passed out partner found it difficult to make with Qxx clubs opposite my JT9. Everyone else were on the good 3NT (partner had AQxx♠) :)

"my system" is the subset of SAYC I've managed to learn so far. As opener after three passes and then 1♣-(p)-1♦-(1♠) I would bid 1NT here.

I was taught to never ever bid NT without a stopper in the opponents' suit(s). It made a lot of sense at the time (clearly you don't want to end up in an NT game without a stopper in the suit they're very likely to lead, right?). I really and honestly don't understand how opener can tell whether or not my NT includes a stopper or not (and thus know when to avoid 3NT). I have no doubt there are ways, but I never learned them.

I'm not sure I follow all of that. How can I bid NT without a stopper in their suit?

1NT with no spade stopper? Well, as mentioned it's unlikely he has 5 hearts unless he has a 6-5 shape. A negative double to the best of my knowledge shows you lack either the length or strength to show your major at the 2-level. It's unlikely opener has length and lacks strength, and the "strength and no length" case can be moved to be the 2♥ call in this situation, no? We're playing up-the-line (though 1NT over 1♦ was considered). So is 2♥ a bad way to show hearts?

Thanks, good point. Never occurred to me that negative double makes no sense as opener's second bid (though I talked with p afterward and that's indeed what he meant). I'll tell him and we'll drop the agreement, though I'm not sure what double would be instead (responsive?)

Yeah, negative double showing a four card heart suit (with five he'd bid 2H), no HCP limit.

[hv=pc=n&e=s765ha75dkq92cjt9&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=ppp1cp1d1sdp]133|200[/hv] Was 1♦ the right call? (I was hoping partner would be the one to declare NT) What now?