How do you play this double?

[cnszsun]

(1♠)-2♣-(3♣)-dbl

Your partner overcalled 2♣, and RHO cue-bid to show limit raise.

What do you play double by you now?

[P_Marlowe]

lead directing, either showing or denying a honor.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[skjaeran]

(1♠)-2♣-(3♣)-dbl

Your partner overcalled 2♣, and RHO cue-bid to show limit raise.

What do you play double by you now?

Lead directing for me.

 

Normally showing a top honour, but I play it as denying with some.

[Free]

X = "Don't lead ♣"

[gnasher]

A hand that would have raised to 3♣. Being able to judge whether to compete to 4♣ or save in 5♣ is more important than lead-direction. Often a player who overcalls at the two level has an obvious lead anyway.

[Guest Jlall]

A hand that would have raised to 3♣.

agree

[andy_h]

Raise in clubs. Analogous to (1H)-1S-(2S)-X etc.

[neilkaz]

A hand that would have raised to 3♣. Being able to judge whether to compete to 4♣ or save in 5♣ is more important than lead-direction. Often a player who overcalls at the two level has an obvious lead anyway.

100% agreement here !

[CSGibson]

A, K, or void in clubs. Saving is valuable, but having partner be able to underlead an ace with suit preference back to boot is valuable, too.

[Trinidad]

A hand that would have raised to 3♣.

agree

I agree too.

 

Last week, we had the following auction that was slightly different:

 

(1♦)-2♠-(3♠)-Dbl

 

2♠ was weak. What does this double mean (given that it doesn't make sense for partner to show that he had a preemptive raise to 3♠)?

 

Rik

[Guest Jlall]

A hand that would have raised to 3♣.

agree

I agree too.

 

Last week, we had the following auction that was slightly different:

 

(1♦)-2♠-(3♠)-Dbl

 

2♠ was weak. What does this double mean (given that it doesn't make sense for partner to show that he had a preemptive raise to 3♠)?

 

Rik

Lead directional.

[655321]

There was another recent thread (which I am too lazy to find :rolleyes: ) which also involved doubling the cue bid to show a raise.

 

I have always played these doubles as lead directing, if only on the general principal that if you have a choice between doubling a bid to show a suit, and bidding to show a suit, you are always better off bidding. (For example, they bid Stayman and your hand is such that you could overcall 3♣, I would much prefer to overcall than to double to show clubs). But, I can see that if partner has overcalled, you could easily have a hand worth raising to the 2 level but not the three level, and having the 'raise' meaning for the double could be useful.

 

It seems that people who play the double as a raise (I guess, a raise to exactly the level the opponents bid your suit?) do believe it is a lot more useful than the lead direct. What is a good set of rules for when a double shows the raise, and when it shows something else?

[ASkolnick]

We play it two ways:

 

NV: Suggests a save in that suit.

Vul: Lead Directing.