[cnszsun]

Partner opens 1M, your RHO overcalls 2m, you have 5+ cards in another major, but not enough strength to make a free bid (forcing one round, NFB is not played).
Sure, you have no fit for partner's suit.
My first question is will you pass first round and try to introduce your suit at next chance or just make a negative double. Or the decision will be dependent on your hand shape.
My second question is what is your strength requirements for 2 level free bid.
Thanks in advance.

[mike777]

Lawrence has example after example of 2/1 in his contested auction book.

In general around 9-10 hcp and decent 5 card suit. Less hcp ok with more shape. A bit less hcp ok with a fit for first bid suit.

[pbleighton]

1. It depends on a lot of things. Most importantly, a negative double at the 2 level should promise 2 places to play.
2. Playing normal (~12+) openings, a 2/1 bid in competition should be about 10 hcp with on OK 5 card suit. With a better suit, you can be a little more aggressive. Remember, though, you are inviting your partner to game, and if she has 14/15 hcp, she will go there.

Peter

[Walddk]

pbleighton, on Oct 5 2006, 03:20 AM, said:

1. Most importantly, a negative double at the 2 level should promise 2 places to play.

I disagree.

1♠ (2♣) X

promises hearts, nothing else. Sure, you may have diamonds but there is no guarentee as I play it. And you don't guarantee a fit for spades either.

xx
AQxxx
QJx
xxx

xx
AQxx
QJx
xxxx

I want to negative double with both hands over 2♣.

Roland

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

make a neg. dbl.
If we are talking about a 5-3-3-2 shape,
you can always correct to openers mayor
or pass if he rebids his mayor, playing a
forced 5-2 fit is ok, as long as you play it
on the 2 or 3 level, preferably on the 2 level.

And if you dont have 5-3-3-2 and not a doubleton
in openers suit, you either have a 6 card suit or
a 3 card suit in the suit opener bids, i.e. you can either
introduce your 6 card suit or pass and let opener play
the 4-3 fit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[inquiry]

Make a negative double. See "partnership bidding at bridge"

After 1M - (2m) - DBL

Should always promise 4+ cards in unbid major. amd lack of support for partners origiinal major. You may or maynot have legnth in the unbid minor. So with six or xeven in unbid major, you can double then, if necessary, bid the major on the next round. This is not a stronger hand than double then pass, it is just a longer major. Of course, I play fit jumps, so I can not jump in the other major to preempt over the overcall.

[mikeh]

I agree with Roland that the negative double does not have to promise 2 places to play.

My own preferences for the meaning of the free 2 level bid in competition are a little out of the mainstream: if responder is bidding below opener's suit (1♥ (2♣) 2♦ is an example) I am, except in one partnership, mainstream.... I'd have 10 hcp or more. But if I am bidding above partner's suit, I play it as stronger... thus 1♥ (2♦) 2♠... I'd negative double with many hands on which most would bid 2♠, since 2♠ promised a rebid, and that may well be awkward if I could have a 10 count... picture partner rebidding 3♥ and I hold AQJxx x xxx Kxxx.... my bid over 3♥?

[Codo]

Walddk, on Oct 5 2006, 07:11 PM, said:

xx
AQxxx
QJx
xxx

xx
AQxx
QJx
xxxx

I want to negative double with both hands over 2♣.

Roland

you have two places to play with 5-3 or 4-3 in your examples, haven´t you?

In this special case- you do not play nfb-, you need to double with x,AkJxxx,xx,xxxx.
And in this case, you really have just one place to play.

Whether a neg. double in other areas should show the missing major or both suits was an on and ongoing discussion before and nobody was really convinced from the "opponent" views, so this discussion will be here again.

[Walddk]

Codo, on Oct 6 2006, 09:00 AM, said:

Walddk, on Oct 5 2006, 07:11 PM, said:

xx
AQxxx
QJx
xxx

xx
AQxx
QJx
xxxx

I want to negative double with both hands over 2♣.

Roland

you have two places to play with 5-3 or 4-3 in your examples, haven´t you?

No, I have one: hearts. I have two places to play with

xx
AQxx
QJxx
xxx

but since I only have 3 diamonds in my examples above, I do not offer that suit as a place to play unless opener has 5. The idea is that you have a fit if opener has 4 cards as well. Then you have a fit. 4-3 is not a fit although it doesn't violate Burn's Law of Total Trumps.

Fits start with 8 cards between the two.

Roland