[gnasher]

benlessard, on Mar 2 2008, 07:17 AM, said:

IMHO by default once opener bid 2 natural suit the doubles become strongly penalty oriented (ill only pull with extreme shapes)

If I were playing these methods, I'd want the double to show extra values and a balanced hand.

But much more important, if I were playing these methods I'd have discussed it with my partner. It's most unwise to play relay methods without discussing how to deal with intervention.

[dake50]

DA +CAK is way more than 'where to go' 6+hcp. What is the big controls and D-fit follow after initial double, use that.

[FrancesHinden]

I don't have a problem with the methods.
I do have a problem with North's second double, which (unless you have agreed otherwise) should be penalties. North doesn't have a penalty double, he has a nice hand with a diamond fit. Why not raise partner's suit?

[sathyab]

I tend to agree with posts that blame the methods less than the judgement involved in making the second double. As for agreement, I guess when you are playing systems which are somewhat less informative compared to standard methods it's more imperative to have some. Had the auction gone 1d-(1h)-X-(p)-2c-(3h)-X with North holding 9xxx 9xxx Axx AK, and South showing Diamonds and Clubs, nobody could complain much about the methods and yet the double is probably almost as disastrous. With partner showing at least 5 Diamonds and possibly six, isn't there a chance of our defensive tricks collasping as a result of Diamond fit that partner doesn't know about ?

Here's a similar one from a recent IMP pairs event:

Scoring: IMP

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And the bidding goes p-1h-2d-3d-3s-p-4s-p-p

The 3d is limit raise in hearts. As a passed hand, South bid 3s as he was prepared to play in Diamonds had he found no spade fit.

When it came around to West, I don't think there's any reason to double at all. So much of your strength is in hearts and except for the Queen of clubs, you have precious little by way of defense. It shouldn't be surprising if your side scored only 1 heart trick if you could imagine even a nine-card fit with a 4-1 break in the suit. And yet of course it was doubled and as happens often misdefended too. After an opening heart lead and the Ten of hearts by partner, playing UDCA, a club shift seems mandatory. But he thought he'd switch after cashing the second heart ! Horrified to see it being ruffed, now he's preparing his arguments to win the post-mortem. May be this is a bad example: if West does switch to a club and the fourth round of clubs ruffed with the Jack, the contract could even go down 2 ! Good double pd, wish you could defend a li'l better