[Poky]

IMPs, all love.

1♣ - 1♦ - 1♠ - 2♦
pa - pa - Dbl* - pa
2♥ - pa - 2♠

* Negative double

Describe a typical hand you would expect partner is holding for his bidding...

Ty, Poky

[inquiry]

Before deciding what this bidding shows, you have to answer these question. Would a double of 2♦ by opener show 3♠s (support double)? I will assume that it in fact would have for my answer. Second question is what would a balancing 2NT (instead of a double) here show? Is this natural with a ♦ stopper (not a good use of this bid imho), or lebehnshol? These have important implications on removing hand types from the meanin of the dbl followed by 2♠. For instance, a strong game invite hand in ♠ would go like this for me.... 1♣-(1♦)-1♠-(2♦)-P-(P)-2NT-(p)-3♣-(p)-3♠ *NF invite. An immediate jump to 3♠ would have been GF.

The availability of the 2NT followed by 3♠ bid and the availability of 2NT to bail out in ♣ when weak with a ♣ fit, allows double here to be the flexible bid. That is, when you are not so sure what to do next. First, the double should be short in ♦ in case partner has a penalty double of 2♦ (since I play immediate dbl of 2♦ as either support dbl or takeout -- depending upon partner I am playing with). When your partner doesn't pass 2♦ dbl, the 2♠ bid should be non-forcing but invitational. It is invintational because you could have always simply bid 2♠ over 2♦ if that is what you wanted to do. The implication is that the 2♠ bidder has a lot of ♠ (good five or six+) and a tolerance for ♣ (doubled 2♦ and pulled ♥, so must be willing to have withstood a 3♣ bid). Opener can bid 3♣ when holding weak hand and singleton ♠.

Ben

[Poky]

Would a double of 2♦ by opener show 3♠s (support double)?

No. It would be simply a negative double, showing extra values and shape, but often holding 3♠.

Second question is what would a balancing 2NT (instead of a double) here show?

A natural ~11 balanced invitation.

[Free]

This is a very difficult problem, because I should see my own hand before I can say what partner has. It depends on my ♦ length to know if my partner's initial Dbl was optional or not. And since I can't know that at this moment, there's no way to continue.

His Dbl was either optional (short ♦s) or now GF... Can't give an accurate answer due to not enough information.

[mishovnbg]

Spoiler

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Hi Poky!

Spoiler

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My answer will be based on your agreements. Why your p dbl? Because he is short in ♦ and you can be trap pass ♦, despite their fit. What about his strength? He have about 8-11hcp, suitable for defense - this mean deny good ♠ suit or sure ♣ fit(5+cards). Because lack of 4 cards in ♥, he have (3)4 cards in ♣. Using same sequences as rf/gf is bad practice in competition, when you have free 3♦ cue bid for same hands, because complicate nature of such bidding and avoiding stupid mistakes.

Spoiler

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Hi Ben! Balancing position is one of most difficulte and usage of 2NT as convention will help a lot, as well as anywhere at 2 level of competition. If you like to bid 2NT you can simple dbl first and bid it later, if your p didn't pass of course .

Spoiler

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Misho

[WGF_Flame]

5 spades with (8)9-11(12) hcp no dimond stoper and no 4 card heart and probebly not a good club suit (not good for 3club bid). example hand would be KQxxx XXX XX KJ10

[Trpltrbl]

Pd has about 8-11 HCP, and is short in ♦. I think pd is showing 6♠ and 4♥, but it depends on some agreements. Do we play support X Good/Bad NT etc.

Mike