_fonzie__

I'm looking for the most common way to treat bidding sequences such as (1♦) dbl (1♥) what does double mean (exactly)? and what are the available forcing bids? I'm saying exactly because I think most use it as anti-psyche-ish, but can this be 3 cards, any number of cards, or specifically 4 cards? In combination with that, what does 2♥ mean? Does it show a 5th heart or is it a cuebid, in which case what should be the difference with 2♦? Does it make a difference if 4th hand initially passed? I've had the following bidding sequence with an expert: my hand: ♠KT98 ♥T87 ♦A4 ♣KJT7 non vul vs vul, partner passes, rho 1♦, me DBL, lho 1♥, partner 2♥, righty passes. What should I have expected? Side question: do you agree with dbl?