[Mbodell]

So my partner and I have pretty reasonable systems if the 2nd seat interfers (1♣-2X) but have been having difficulties if the interference comes from the 4th seat. What would you play in an auction like:

1♣ - P - 1♠* (8+ HCP, 5+ clubs) - 2♥ (natural)
???

What sort of hands should dbl the 2♥ versus making some forward going bid? It seems like weaker hands should be passing or dbling and stronger hands should be more forward going, but we haven't worked it all out.

[P_Marlowe]

Not playing a strong club, I would just ask,
what argues against switching back to standard
methods?

Your main aim is still to find a fit in a mayor.
Partners 1S showed club, but did it deny 4
cards in spades?
If not X by opener should be neg., 3H should show
a fit in clubs.

You also have 2NT as Good-Bad available to
differentiate a min. / max. opener.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

Well, this seems simple: take-out dbl and otherwise natural, with pass showing an uneventful hand, asking pard to dbl unless he has something special to say.

[awm]

Here's what Sam and I do; it's a bit more complicated than just takeout doubles and tries to take advantage of being in a forcing auction:

Double = something like Hxx in opponents' suit, not a great fit for partner
2NT = raise of partner with a stopper in the opposing suit
New suit bid = natural, extras
Bid partner's suit = setting that suit, denies high card control of opps suit

Pass = either a "real" penalty double of their suit, or no clear direction
..... responder normally doubles, however can also:
..... bid notrump to show a stopper (right-side the contract)
..... bid a suit (natural) to show a very distributional hand that wouldn't sit for a penalty X
..... if responder doubles, opener passes with penalty hand, or bids 2NT as a "takeout" double
or bids a new suit as natural with a minimum hand

Note that responder having a "stopper" when opener has a penalty pass is presumably rare.

[Gerben42]

I only play Precision with one partner and we play relay precision, but after the positive response and a suit overcall we revert to normal bidding and play.

Pass: Takeout
Dbl: Penalty
Cuebid: Fit + extras

[Mbodell]

awm, on Nov 16 2007, 12:34 PM, said:

Here's what Sam and I do; it's a bit more complicated than just takeout doubles and tries to take advantage of being in a forcing auction:

Double = something like Hxx in opponents' suit, not a great fit for partner
2NT = raise of partner with a stopper in the opposing suit
New suit bid = natural, extras
Bid partner's suit = setting that suit, denies high card control of opps suit

Pass = either a "real" penalty double of their suit, or no clear direction
..... responder normally doubles, however can also:
..... bid notrump to show a stopper (right-side the contract)
..... bid a suit (natural) to show a very distributional hand that wouldn't sit for a penalty X
..... if responder doubles, opener passes with penalty hand, or bids 2NT as a "takeout" double
or bids a new suit as natural with a minimum hand

Note that responder having a "stopper" when opener has a penalty pass is presumably rare.

I also agree we should be able to come up with a better agreement given we are in a forcing auction. It seems like much of the time, depending on vulnerability, that if there is a game but also a decent penalty set that it could go either way to bid on or not but what you clearly don't want to do is miss a slam or miss a good penalty when game is not guaranteed.

With your structure when you double (Hxx in opponents' suit, not a great fit) when does partner bid and what does it mean.

How good of a hand do you need to have for the penalty pass? Is there a worry of having too good of a hand? Or do you only penalize them if they jump in with your suit, not penalizing them if they jump in with no real HCP but just a 5 or 6 card suit and a desire to disturb the auction?

Also, do you have a separate system for if they make an artificial bid (like NT for minors or suction) or do you use the same rough idea?

[awm]

The double is like Garrozzo's "2/3 doubles." Basically if responder has some length in the opposing suit he leaves it in. With shortage he pulls. The idea is to have both a "serious penalty double" (via the forcing pass) and a "cooperative penalty double" (the direct double) with the intent that the first is virtually always left in while the second is only left in with length and/or defense.

Usually if opponents bid my five-card suit (or very strong four-card suit) I am happy to penalize. It's rare that we are better off playing our own contract, and when we are usually responder is looking at extras and/or a void in their trump suit and can figure this out. Keep in mind that opener is also behind the interference.

Over artificial bids that don't show the suit named (or artificial notrump bids) we usually play double as "I am interested in defending" and other calls as natural.