wyman

So this was my thought as well. But is there a hand on which you'd show the void? Even if your hand was the nuts, partner still probably has the club ace. Take like 8 solid/x/xxxx/--. Just curious (and also curious when and how you show voids after 4C).

You are "sandwiched" between two bidding opponents. At least I think that's what I was told.

A case can be made for a game-forcing and natural 2C or for a 4D splinter. I'll bid 2C since after this (and after I support spades next, partner will be better suited to evaluate our prospects for slam, if he has such a hand. Admittedly, I'd like to show him the 4th trump right now (which a splinter would accomplish), but we can't have it all, I suppose.

What I've always agreed with partner is that X is a value-based dbl, allowed to have the least shape but still t/o; 1N is a more shape-driven takeout; and 2N is a 5+/5+ takeout. But I only play sandwich by a PH.

[hv=pc=n&s=skj92hdc&w=sq43hdc&n=sa65hdc&e=st87hdc]399|300[/hv] South on lead. Note (actually work this out) that he must play the J to keep declarer from taking a trick in the suit. Your J and 9 "surround" declarer's 10.

Also, I was CHO here and made a boneheaded return of a diamond. Admittedly, I was not thinking hard at this point, but my view of the hand was that partner had Jxxx/xxx/xx/AK108. This made sense since OP didn't get in the auction, since declarer (who actually held ♣KQxxxx) didn't continue trumps (???), and since partner led the ♠J. All of these said to me that partner didn't have the spade king. I had visions of partner trumping my diamond return and pinning declarer in hand to possibly have to lead away from ♠K9. If I had given this about 1/4 second more thought, I'd have seen that if this were the position (a) we're always beating it if P has the ♣K, so who cares, (b) declarer could just pitch a spade on the diamond thru and I'm never scoring a spade anyway, © there's a potential surrounding play that partner might be looking to exploit, so he might have led the J from KJ9x, and (d) partner can't possibly have an exit card with which to pin declarer in hand anyway. So yeah, I goofed big time. Well done seeing the surrounding play, and sorry for punishing you for it. edit: incidentally, my diamond spots were count (UD) then SP. Is this more-or-less normal?

You play the J instead of the K exactly because the declarer may have 10x(x). If partner has A2 of spades, probably he'll be endplayed. Not much we can do about it.

JB, I'm too lazy at the moment to find it, but there's a thread from the last couple months where some people compiled a list of doubles that are not takeout. I think there were appx 15 situations identified as non-TO X's, and it's worth discussing the agreement with partner that "X is takeout unless it's one of these situations: ..." Definitely worth finding. I posted in it, if you need help narrowing down threads. edit -- ok, ok: http://www.bridgebas...lts-for-doubles

Incidentally, if partner asks for keycards (1430) do you bid 5♣ or 6♣? You don't have 100% certainty of even 5-level safety; on the other hand, knowledge of the club void may be useful. Also, how does void-showing usually work over 4C mod-RKC? 5D = 1+void, 5H = 2+some void? Or do we bid the void? Or ... ?

An idea that is often floated around the poker community is to use the position of the seconds hand of your watch as an RNG.

No.

PHNJSF?

My point was just that Woolsey is mid-chart iirc, so B/I's in acbl-land looking to adopt a defense might wish to consider an alternate one. Sorry for the diversion. Carry on.

Sometimes opener has 6+ hearts. Sometimes opps have 5 cashing diamonds. And 2S doesn't preclude OP's side from playing 3N imo, so I'm wondering what he wants partner to do. Bid 3N? Because apparently supporting partner and giving a rough idea of hand strength was bad enough to be called horrible, along with a cute little "don't worry, you'll be as good as I am someday..." Just curious if there's unanimity among experts on this.

Poll? This is not a style where a cue promises 4 trumps.

This is interesting. Han, do you have firm agreements about what 2N promises and when? I agree that this is a hand on which we want to compete in the minors, but I have concerns about partner's understanding about my shape when he has to make a decision over: (1H) P (2H) 2N (4H) ? So (1X) - (2X) 2N shows 4+/4+ in the lowest unbids? What about (1S) - (1N) 2N? (1S) (2X) 2N? At all colors? At all forms of scoring? Just curious what your agreements and style are.

all of them, I believe, in acbl-land

Very sorry if I misunderstood. I thought OP was asking when to make a penalty double of 1N!

I'm surprised. I figured there would be a bunch of Landy advocates itt. It's about as natural as can be with a good structure to find a major fit.

I'll double 1N with any strong hand with an obvious lead against 1Nx or any very strong hand. I will double more at MP, after a 3rd seat 1N (I realize your question was about a 1st/2nd seat 1N opener), and when opps are known to upgrade many 14s. If partner has a shapely bust, we play that runouts are natural (i.e., we can get out in 2C).

I'm pretty confident there was a "stage 0" :-p But I'm also confident there will be a stage 4.

Agree -- all three are very good so far.

Makes sense. So in this case, what would you think is the difference between AK2 and AKJ? Is this a 'light preference for ♣, but no quick entry?'

So then, is it "a spade unless partner 100% knows I have > 3" or "a spade if 3, no entry if >3, up to partner to figure out which is most likely"?