[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 Pass  1♦    2♣    2NT
 Pass  Pass  3♣    Pass
 Pass  Dbl   Pass  3NT
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

I had a bad session against someone from the forums, in fact I got my butt kicked in a painful style (well deserved I feel)

What can I expect from my pards 2NT bid here please and how bad is my x of 3 clubs?

[badderzboy]

Hi Wayne,

The 2NT bid should promise values and a stop in my opinion and assuming that was your agreement was awful in this auction.

A negative dbl was obvious with south hand and is textbook here and you get to play in ♥s probably at the 3 level you bid 2♥ minimum hand and partner should invite...

Double over 3♣ is reasonable as you trust partner to have values but why o why did South bid 3NT T9x is not a stop!!!

Steve

[paulg]

We'll leave partner's bidding to them (as you cannot control that) and focus on your double.

Firstly did you think the double was takeout?

Once you (and partner) have passed out the hand in 2NT I think that all doubles should be penalty oriented. This does not mean that you need a trump stack, as clearly East has clubs and partner has some too, but I think it does show a willingness to defend. In this case partner's silence is concerning and so I think going quietly on your minimum opener is best. When you have a singleton club it really does need partner to double for penalties.

I do not believe you should be doubling looking for a heart fit. Partner has already denied this by bidding 2NT (which is why doubles should be penalty).

Paul

[luke warm]

the north hand is one i hate, playing standard 2/1.. too weak to reverse, etc... anyway, i agree with everyone that south should x at the first turn

on the actual bidding, i think x of 3♣ should be penalty and i don't understand either 2 or 3 nt... 2nt should show 10-12 with a stopper, imo

[P_Marlowe]

2NT = bal., inv. val. with club stopper,
should deny a 4 card mayor (neg. dbl)
Does the South hand come anything
close to the above description?
X=penalty, usually based on a bal. hand,
why look for another fit, after partner
already denied mayors?
Dbl does not show add. values
3NT= the bid does not exists

With kind regards
Marlowe

[luis]

Both the 2NT and 3NT bids are horrible.

Luis

[EricK]

The 2NT bid is terrible. The only "justification" I can find for it (and please don't take this the wrong way) is that your partner wasn't happy with your declarer play and was trying to hog the declaration.

I don't think you are strong enough to double 3♣. You LHO heard you open and heard your partner's NT bid and still chose to freely bid 3♣ in preference to defending a part score. Unless he is mad you are probably at best getting this one off (changing +50 into +100). At worst, however, you are doubling them into game. But I probably don't double enough, and I wouldn't say that the double was a bad bid. [Actually it looks like good defense gets it two off - ♦AQ follwed by ♥ switch and then more top ♦ promotes a trump trick.]

3NT is another bad bid. I wonder whether your partner thought that your double showed the ♣ stop which he was supposed to have! Or perhaps he believed his own propaganda from the previous round.