[Gerben42]

Question mostly for weak NT players I guess, but possibly also strong NT in areas where they like penalty Dbls. What do different bids mean in this situation?

1NT (Dbl) Rdbl (2♦)
Pass (Pass) ?

Lots of questions:

Can opener do something other than Pass and Double here?
Do you play Dbl by opener as TO or penalty?

What do different calls from responder mean now?
Does a major show 5 cards?
What's 2NT?

Here's responder's hand in an actual case.

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Agree with Rdbl? If not what else?

EDIT: It seems Cascade posted something similar... I don't have any answers, only that in this case there was no doubt about 2♦-bidder having ♦.

[helene_t]

I like to play an artificial rdbl, but given that it's business, my preferences would be:
If we are in a forcing pass situation: dbl is optional, stating intermediate o/d.
If we are not in an FP situation: dbl is penalty.

I realize this is non-standard, in general penalty doubles are standard after a business redbl.

[kfay]

When playing weak NT I like to play DONT over penalty doubles. That is:

Rdbl: hand with a long suit
2X: 2-suited hand with X and a higher-ranking suit.

I think it's more important to be able to runout successfully against a penalty double than to make a redouble that likely won't be left in.

What do you do when you think you might have enought to make 1NT Dbled but aren't confident enough to Rdbl?

[JanM]

I also play DONT over DBL of a weak NT. We used to play the RDBL as business, but that comes up so much less often than the different hands where you want to run, that we gave it up. When we did play it as business, my recollection is that we played subsequent DBLS as PEN. That makes the example hand awkward, but I think I tend to agree with the other thread posters that 2!s shouldn't promise more than 4, although that might depend on my original options with a good hand with 5 spades.

[gnasher]

Gerben42, on Feb 3 2008, 04:12 PM, said:

Can opener do something other than Pass and Double here?

He can bid a six-card minor or a five-card major.

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Do you play Dbl by opener as TO or penalty?

Penalty, though sometimes people make me play it as takeout.

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What do different calls from responder mean now?
Does a major show 5 cards?
What's 2NT?

Double is for penalty; 2NT is two places to play, a new suit is non-forcing, and might be a four-card suit at the two level; jumps are game-forcing and show at last five; a cue bid is game-forcing Stayman.
I wouldn't normally worry about whether we have a stop in their suit, as it usually takes care of itself. One could, however, use the extra sequences via 2NT to distinguish hands with a stop from hands without, in the same way as when using Lebensohl.

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Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ Txxx ♥ Qx ♦ AQ ♣ A9xxx

Agree with Rdbl?

Yes.

[Cascade]

Gerben42, on Feb 4 2008, 04:12 AM, said:

Can opener do something other than Pass and Double here?

Yes. We play the redouble as an encouraging noise inviting opener to take action. I would expect partner to bid a five-card major but not in an otherwise defensive hand.

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Do you play Dbl by opener as TO or penalty?

I usually play the next double is takeout by either partner. Subsequent doubles are then penalties except if the opponents bid and raise a suit.

(In the other thread we were playing the first double as penalty.)

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What do different calls from responder mean now?

Double takeout, bids natural. I suppose you could use 2NT as some artificial meaning.

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Does a major show 5 cards?

Yes if you play the first double as takeout. I think that is not pracitical if that first double would be penalties.

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What's 2NT?

Natural for us although that wouldn't get a lot of use since we can double for takeout with most hands and then correct opener's major to 2NT without a fit.

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Here's responder's hand in an actual case.

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ Txxx ♥ Qx ♦ AQ ♣ A9xxx

Agree with Rdbl? If not what else?

Yes. Playing takeout doubles responder can double now and then raise spades to game and correct hearts to 2NT/3NT or 3♣.

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EDIT: It seems Cascade posted something similar... I don't have any answers, only that in this case there was no doubt about 2♦-bidder having ♦.