[cherdanno]

aguahombre, on Dec 3 2009, 11:17 AM, said:

gnasher, on Dec 3 2009, 05:11 AM, said:

I'd make a responsive double at all forms of scoring and all vulnerabilities.  The thought of driving game when we might not even have a fit makes me ill.

I thought a resp double denied 4 of the focus major. Honestly asking if I am wrong about that.

That's how many people would play it here. I think a responsive double of 2H absolutely denies 4 spades for everyone, one of 2S would deny four hearts for most, and one of 3H denies 4 spades only for some. So you are right and wrong, I think

Btw, I was surprised Justin plays this double as penalty, I would have thought responsive is normal.

[gnasher]

aguahombre, on Dec 3 2009, 05:17 PM, said:

I thought a resp double denied 4 of the focus major. Honestly asking if I am wrong about that.

That's a popular way to play it, and, I believe, more-or-less normal in North America. Lawrence, for example, says that, when their suit is a major, the responsive double denies the other major.

Another style, probably the most common in the UK, is to play that it shows two places to play, and one of these might be the unbid major. That enables you to avoid a bad 4-3 fit when partner doesn't have four of them. This style works best if you're allowed to develop the auction in peace, but less well if they bid again (which they probably won't in this sequence).

In this sequence, I'd expect partner to bid 3♠ if he had four of them; if I didn't have four spades myself I'd remove to 3NT or four of a minor.

On this hand, a responsive double will work well if partner bids 3♠ or passes. If instead we end up in four of a minor, that will be a good thing if he has five of them, but less good if he has only four.