[cnszsun]

Scoring: IMP

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RHO opened 1♠, would you take action now?
If you passed, partner doubled at balancing seat, what to bid then?

[markleon]

1. Pass - no temptation.

2. 2NT - raise the limits for the invitational bid opposite a balancing double.

[skjaeran]

No, this is a clear pass IMO.
2NT - this is a maximum though.

[ralph23]

1. No. I'll think for a couple of secs about a 2♦ overcall, but my suit is too crummy for this action vulnerable. Pass is good.

2. Partner is balancing so I re-evaluate my hand and subtract 3 points, giving me 10 HCP. But that's really an under-valuation of this hand ... my minor honors are well positioned behind the opener, and my ♠s sure look like a double-stop, and any five-card suit is great when partner doubles here, so 2NT is just right.

[neilkaz]

1) I'd like to O/C 2♦ but my suit is so weak vulnerable. I'll pass and hope the opps crawl into 4♠

2) I think I'm close to max for 2NT here, but not good enough to blast to 3NT and potentially hang PD for balancing. It is also possible for NT to be hurt on a ♥ lead here. 2NT is enough for me.

.. neilkaz ..

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

#1 sure, t/o
#2 2NT for the minors

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pclayton]

I'll disagree with the initial posters - as usual

First - I won't take any initial action. The diamond suit is too weak. I can see many good players overcalling to express their values - I've seen it too often to summarily dismiss 2D as a 'bad bid'. Its just not my style.

After pards double - 2N in this position tends to show 12-14, so 2N looks like the book bid, however:

1. Pard usually has one or two spades for the balancing double without 5 hearts. This is great news for us, since both of our minors could be trick sources. Pard's most likely patterns are 1444, (24)34 and (14)35.

2. We have two nice tenaces over the opener. KJT plays as strong as AQx and AQxx is like AKxx - although pard could have the K - mitigating the importance of the club tenace.

3. The 5 diamonds are great. One high diamond in pards gives us 2 spades, 4 diamonds and 2 clubs as a starter.

4. Oddly if pard has no diamond cards - xx AKxx xxxx Kxx for instance , we might not make 2N either. Shift the KC to diamonds - xx AKxx Kxxx xxx and 3N is cold.

The only fear I have is a surprise heart lead through pard's holding, but this seems negligible from a weak LHO that probably has at least xx in spades.

So - 3N for me. Since many vanilla 10 counts give us an easy 9 tricks, I can't do anything less.

My 2nd choice? 3D. This is a good description, since I didn't overcall initially, but it still hangs pard who can never properly evaluate.

[Fluffy]

obvious pas, Then I am also in the 2NT camp, wich is natural in my system.

[jdonn]

Pass over 1♠ and 2NT next, but I consider this closer to a minimum than a maximum. Most of partner's strength is likely to be in hearts which does nothing for me.

[Impact]

I hate standard balancing methods!

Over the old Blue-style balancing where double is assumed (until further notice) to be 7/8-11 with classical shape, this is an easy 1NT rebid as he will only move with 17+bal or a hand too good to overcall or the equivalent of 16+classical takeout....(the "gap" of about 12-15 classical takeout is dealt with by chaeper unbid minor)...teh theory of Blue balancing is impeccable with its adjustment for ranges depending on the suit opened but it never found popularity as it lacks simplicity.

If forced to languish with standard methods, I shall succumb to 2NT in response to the balancing double but hating the whole affair...

regards

[helene_t]

Obvious pass. Then 2N or 3♦. Maybe 2♠ would work but I'm not quite sure about the follow-ups so let's keep it simple.

[keylime]

Ditto Phil in every area.