[karlson]

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It's pairs and no one is vulnerable.

You open 1♣. Unfortunately as you do so, you notice that your RHO is the dealer. LHO doesn't accept, and RHO opens 2♦ (natural weak).

If you bid 3♣ partner will be barred for one round, if you do anything else, partner will be barred for the remainder of the auction. What would you bid?

(It occurs to me now that this ruling might not be correct but I didn't argue the matter at the table).

[billw55]

hahah, good one.

I guess I will take shots at random game contracts starting with 4♥. If that is doubled, I will try 4♠ - partner is barred but I am not! And if that is doubled too, 5♣ is my last chance.

[quiddity]

Double seems ridiculous but maybe it's better than trying to guess both the strain and the level.

[Phil]

Hmmm...

I like 3♣. This gives LHO the uncomfortable option of selling out to 3♣ or giving me a delayed takeout double of 3♦, when partner has served his jail term.

I think the ruling is correct.

[Zelandakh]

Phil, on 2012-December-05, 13:58, said:

I think the ruling is correct.

Not quite. Bids of 4♣, 5♣, 6♣ and 7♣ should only ban partner for 1 round since these are also repeating the denomination of the bid out of rotation (Law 31;2a).

[rmnka447]

3 ♣ seems obvious. Any other action including Double or Pass bars partner for the rest of the auction. OTOH, you want to encourage LHO to bid so you can get to Double the second time around. If pard has enough for game and we end up in 3 ♣s, that's just the breaks.