Flannery and the negative double

[rasmuskold]

When I read Steven Weinstein's praise of Flannery on Bridgewinners.com, I jumped on the bandwagon and began to play it in my regular partnership (5-card majors, 15-17 nt). We've been careful to incorporate the negative inferences into our system, such as 1♥ - 1♠ showing five etc. One thing still eludes me though: The consequences of playing Flannery on the negative double. When partner opens a heart, and RHO overcall 2 of a minor, having a negative double available to show 4 ♠ is less important if opener rates not to have 4 ♠. So, are there any better uses available of the negative double?

 

I think that there are three ways that one may choose to play the negative double when playing Flannery also:

 

1) Business as usual: The negative double still shows 4 ♠, or 5+ and a not too strong hand. Opener may then buy the hand in 2♠ on a 4-3 or a 5-3 fit, or push the opponents to the three level. But isn't it much more frequent that opener has short spades, in which case the double doesn't achieve much? And if 2♠ from opener should be merely a preference bid with 3 ♠, the a bid of 3♠ would show the Flannery shape with 16+. That might get the partnership overboard if responder was light for his negative double, and it consumes bidding space as well.

 

2) Extra length: Double shows 5 ♠, bidding 2 ♠ 6+ and some high cards. I don't like this approach, because it's probably too inflexible and infrequent. Perhaps it shouldn't even make this list, but I included it for completeness.

 

3) 'Card-showing' double: Double shows some high cards (like 8+ hp), with no good bid to make (usually 7+ cards in the minor suits). May or may not have 4 spades. Responder can get his hand of his chest immediately, and the partnership is well placed to up the ante with a (matchpoints) double should the opponents compete further. However, this approach makes it harder to find 2♠ when this is the best part score.

 

So, what is the expert approach to this? Please post if you have improvements on the any of the approaches sketched out here, of if you have a different approach which is better and more coherent than mine (likely).

[MrAce]

We dont speak the 'F word' arround here much, regardless of who praised for it :P (joke m8 :) )

[mgoetze]

I don't play Flannery but I think you overlooked the pretty obvious possibility of "takeout double" showing something like 2 hearts (stiff honor in a pinch), 4 spades and 4+ in the other minor. You could even leave out the spades and play snapdragon doubles here showing 5+ in the other minor and 2 hearts.