Cuebid response to takeout double

[paulhar]

Again, you are playing in a strong rubber bridge club with strangers that don't play most duplicate conventions. Your RHO opens 1D, you double, LHO passes, partner bids 2D. What would you expect from him? (I have pretty definite ideas about this but have seen some conflicting advice printed in popluar bridge magazines and am doing a sanity check.)

 

I expect your vote to be based on the above conditions. If you would do something else with your favorite partner, please post that. Thank you.

[inquiry]

This use to be absolute game force. Now days, I think it is more common to play this as semi-game force, but that you can stop short of game if a major is bid and raised to the three level.. thus..

 

1D-X-P-2D

P -2H-P-3H

 

Can be passed.

[HeartA]

what's the difference between 1 and 2?

[mr1303]

One of these sequences came up the other night

 

Holding

 

Axxx

AQT

JTxxx

A

 

 

Bidding went (1C) X (P) 2C

 

2D 2H

2S

 

and partner passed it. I thought 2S was 100% forcing

[inquiry]

what's the difference between 1 and 2?

If I had to guess... GF don;t know the strain is advancer is going to seek cooperation finding best fit. The other option is gf, and advancer is going to next inform doubler what trumps will be.... but that is spliting hairs...

 

Ben

[fred]

I think the "standard expert meaning" (at least in North America) is that a cuebid response to a takeout double by an unpassed hand is "forcing to suit agreement". (but Ben is right that there was a time in which the cuebid was universally played as a game force).

 

That means that until either a suit is bid and raised (or until someone bids game) everthing is forcing.

 

I have no idea if this is the "best" way to play, but that is what I would assume we were playing if I sat down with a random expert partner.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[paulg]

The standard UK tournament answer would be forcing to suit agreement, so the auction can end short of game at the 3-level.

 

As I've never played decent rubber bridge, I've no idea what it means there ... but I wouldn't pass below game!

 

Paul

[mikestar]

I agree that forcing to suit agreement would be the usual expectation in a high level rubber game. The cuebid is used on two hand types:

 

1. Game forces where it is desired to conserve space to explore slam or alternate game copntracts.

 

2. Hands worth a jump to 2M but 4-4 in the majors where we don't want to guess which major to bid--which would risk playing in a 4-3 major fit when a 4-4 major fit was available.

 

With less than game-invitational values, we risk playing our 4-4 major hands in the wrong fit in exchange for a chance to get out at the one level. The usual practice is to bid 1H when weak and bid 1S (with 2H to follow) with reasonable constructive values.

[Chamaco]

What would be the "std" meaning of a JUMPCUE at 3 level in response to pard's dbl?

 

E.g.

 

(1♣)-Dbl-(Pass)-3♣

 

(1♦)-Dbl-(Pass)-3♦

 

(1♥)-Dbl-(Pass)-3♥

 

(1♠)-Dbl-(Pass)-3♠

[whereagles]

I have actually discussed these sequences with pard:

 

1m X pass 3m

1m X 2m 3m

 

it's 44 majors and invitational (1m X 2m X = 44 majors, but below inv strenght)

 

Now, as to

 

1M X pass 3M

1M X 2M 3M

 

it's more subtle. I'd say it's a 6 or 7 card running minor, asking for stopper in M.

[Chamaco]

I have actually discussed these sequences with pard:

 

1m X pass 3m

1m X 2m 3m

Under such agreement, what is the difference between

 

a. 1m X pass 3m

 

and

 

b. 1m X pass 2m

 

 

My point is: lots of expert play that auction b can be 44M inv+, but if auction a is used for 44M invitational, this is redundant.

 

Any recommendations ?

 

--------------------------------

 

Oh ok, I had not read the message carefully, I see that you recommend:

1m X 2m X = 44 majors, but below inv strenght

[Finch]

Like Fred & others have said, "standard", at least in the UK, is forcing to suit agreement - i.e. you can't pass until a suit has been bid and raised. So it can be a game force that knows which suit to play in, or various invitational hands.

 

By a passed hand I play the cue bid as both majors, does not promise another bid, so P 1C x P 2C P 2M can be passed.

 

Also, if 3rd hand bids I use the cue bid as a "responsive double" e.g. 1C x 1S 2C shows both red suits and does not promise another bid.

 

 

An expert pair I know play a double jump in a major as forcing (e.g. 1C x P 3H) because they say it's very rare to have the relevant invitational hand, and it frees up the cuebid if it denies an FG single-suiter.

[Gerben47]

I responded 'GF or invitational with both majors'. With one partner I agreed that the simple cuebid of a minor is an unconditional game force and the jump cuebid is invitational with at least 4-4 in majors.

 

The repeated cuebid asks for a stopper for 3NT.

[paulhar]

Hi - the reason behind the poll again. I had assumed it was fairly standard practice to cuebid with 4-4 in the majors and invitational strength. When we saw something in the ACBL Bulletin this month about it being forcing to game, we looked at some of our resources and the first one I found also claimed it was forcing to game (by a respected teacher.) Also, the last version of the Bridge Encyclopedia that I have (not the latest, I'm afraid, I think it's sometime in the nineties) claimed that forcing to game was standard although some hardy individuals might do it on less.

 

I'd like to take it one step further. What if you hold something like:

 

Kx

xxxx

AK9x

J10x

 

The auction is 1D Dbl P 2D to you. I don't think you want to force to game; furthermore, a jump to 2H risks playing in an unpalatable 4-3 fit. I would prefer to cuebid, raising 2H to 3, but bidding 2NT otherwise. It seems that a lot of the answerers to this poll would want to play this forcing. Why not just jump to 3NT on the 'forcing' hand and have partner correct to his other 4-card major, just as in a Stayman auction? After all, there must have been some reason I cuebid instead of just jumping to 3NT in the first place - and I would thing it must be another 4-card major. While I might get overboard opposite the most minimum of doubles, the cuebid gets me to the correct strain most of the time which might be important if my partner has the little extra he needs for game.

 

Ideas?