[Cascade]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 1NT   Dbl   RDbl  2♣
 Pass  Pass  Dbl   2♦
 Pass  Pass  2NT   Pass
 Pass  Pass  

DK DA D3 D4
S4 S6 SK S3
H3 HA HT H4
DQ DT D6 D5
D9 C4 DJ C8
D7 S2 D2 C6
D8 C9 C3 CT
C2 CA C5 CJ
H2 HJ HQ H5
HK H6 H7 C7
S7 S9 SA ST
S5 SQ S8 H9
CK SJ CQ H8


Our teammates had a disaster here. They had a misunderstanding and didn't run from 1NT. Maybe at these colours North shouldn't overcall 1NT.

We had our own problems. We avoided our own disaster by not doubling 2♦ which could be made.

Having decided not to double 2♦ I wanted to bid 2♠ but as a partnership we were on unfamiliar ground. I was worried that Chris might play me for five spades if I bid 2♠ and this suit was not good enough to pretend to be a five-bagger. On the other hand it seemed likely that partner had decent majors since he was unable to double either clubs or diamonds.

Do you bid 4-card majors freely here?

As an aside in the commentary Gerben claimed that 2♣ was a convention:

Gerben42: no this is the convention
Gerben42: 2@C = Natural, or @D+M
Gerben42: direct 2@D denies 4-card M

At the table it Zmudzinski was just mucking around - although this seems dangerous vulnerable. 2♣ was not alerted and at the end of the hand I specifically asked if it should have been as was told "of course" it was natural.

[skjaeran]

I take it you play X of 2♦ as penalty.

I'd bid 4cM freely here.

[cherdano]

I would think of partner's non-double of 2D as a takeout double, so you can bid 2S.

[skjaeran]

cherdano, on Feb 3 2008, 03:56 PM, said:

I would think of partner's non-double of 2D as a takeout double, so you can bid 2S.

Yeah, that's the same from another perspective.

[han]

I also think that 2S here should only show 4. For one thing, what would you have bid with this shape if you did not have a diamond stopper?

[Dean]

2 of a major should just be 4.

I would take 2NT as a lebensohl here. Well done in Oz.

[MFA]

Assuming penalty doubles, I would try 2♠ in east instead of 2NT. When partner didn't double neither 2♣ nor 2♦, the chances are good that he has 4 spades. We might wind up in a 4-3, but he should rescue us with only 2 spades.