How can opponents escape in this auction?

[clayniac]

Playing with an occasional partner on ACBL on bbo (my regular partner online, jmk114, Mike from Phoenix, AZ, is not on at that hour), we had this auction:

2 hearts (weak)-2 nt-double by me with a good hand-all pass.

We were the beneficiaries of +800.

My left hand tabled dummy, coming down with a weak hand and 6 clubs to the king. (I held up my ace once-only had ace and one, but declarer only had two clubs.)

The question is would xx by my left hand be the start of a Moscow type escape sequence? That is would xx require the 2 nt bidder to bid 3 clubs? Now on the actual hand, my left hand passes. With diamonds the auction would then go after 2 hearts-2 nt-double-redouble-pass-3 clubs-pass-3 diamonds playing this treatment.

Would an experienced player read redouble as a relay to 3 clubs?

 

I think this is worth discussion, as I had never encountered this auction before. Thanks, Patsy

[EricK]

The double of 2NT said "I don't think he can make 2NT". Undiscussed, the way I would read the next bid is as follows:

 

Pass = Whether we make this or not I don't see anything better than 2NTX.

 

XX = I think we can make 2NT and I don't think they can profitably rescue themselves either. Might as well increase the score we get.

 

3♣/3♦/3♠ = I don't think we can make 2NT either and this might be better.

 

Other bids would be rare, I think, and would show unbalanced hands looking for game or slam, probablyl worred that the doubler has a running suit of his own.

[Apollo81]

After our NT overcall is doubled for penalties, Mike and I play that XX is a transfer to clubs and N♣ is a transfer to diamonds.

 

We don't play this after 1NTopen-(penaltyX) because we like to keep the natural penalty XX in that auction. Penalty XX is useless after NT overcalls get doubled -- they always have you.

[Finch]

After our NT overcall is doubled for penalties, Mike and I play that XX is a transfer to clubs and N♣ is a transfer to diamonds.

 

We don't play this after 1NTopen-(penaltyX) because we like to keep the natural penalty XX in that auction. Penalty XX is useless after NT overcalls get doubled -- they always have you.

I have made 2NTxx more than once (OK, twice) on this auction.

xx = good hand

Suits = natural (including the cue bid, by the way, I've played in 3H on the auction 2H 2NT x 3H x and it was, just, the right spot)

[Fluffy]

What Erick said.

 

I play 2♥-2NT-pass-3♣ as to play, even 1♥-1NT-pass-2♣ as to play.

 

3♥ as nat makes sense, but it needs agreements.