[32519]

This hand came up at our local club tonight:

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What now? How do you find the ♠ fit? Or do you give up on the auction as South? The South's who chose to pass felt done in when the contract made.

[dustinst22]

32519, on 2013-January-08, 15:42, said:

This hand came up at our local club tonight:

---

What now? How do you find the ♠ fit? Or do you give up on the auction as South? The South's who chose to pass felt done in when the contract made.

Just unlucky, I dont think South can act here as it could be very dangerous. Happens. Next board.

[hrothgar]

You don't
(Note that you also don't find spades without interference)

Some people play negative doubles after interference over NT opening (I do)
However, I would double a DON'T type 2♦ overcall because I have zero tolerance for clubs

[wank]

hrothgar, on 2013-January-08, 15:52, said:

(Note that you also don't find spades without interference)

let me introduce you to my friend, Mr. Stayman.

i would bid X or bid 2H btw over 2D (unhelpfully, more likely the latter, though west would raise to 3D which we might defeat). most people don't have a natural 2D available so we need to take a little risk to recover at love all MPs.

[32519]

On this hand, without any opposition interference South would start off with Stayman followed by Crawling Stayman if opener responds 2♦. But here there is opposition interference; 2♦ was either natural or DONT.

So how about this for a solution:
After the 2♦ overcall, X by South would be “stolen bid” asking North to transfer to ♥ (this is what actually happened at our table). When the bidding got back to West the second time round, he bid 3♦ which made (5X♦ tricks, 3X♥ tricks and 1X♣ trick).
I am suggesting that over 3♦, South should X a second time as a Smolen type of bid, 5X♥ and 4X♠. Now North can bid the 4/4 ♠ fit.

Can this work? Yes? No? Maybe?

With East on lead, the ♦A or ♦K will be tabled to have a look at dummy. Seeing a doubleton in dummy, East may well take the second ♦ winner as well. If he does it will allow North to discard the ♣ loser in dummy on the ♦Q. The rest of the hand can be cross-ruffed after losing the second ♥ to the opponents and should make.

[Fluffy]

32519, on 2013-January-09, 08:23, said:

So how about this for a solution:

Systems based on solutions for specific hands are full of useless conventions that never show up, adn when they do, only 1 player remembers them

[hrothgar]

32519, on 2013-January-09, 08:23, said:

After the 2♦ overcall, X by South would be “stolen bid” asking North to transfer to ♥ (this is what actually happened at our table).

Given that the Newton Individual was last weekend, it seems appropriate to bring up the following:

I have long maintained that the scariest eight words in bridge are "You play stolen bid doubles, don't you dearie?"

[cherdano]

As South, I would double 2♦ any day of the week. We have 19-21 hcp. I am not letting them play at the 2-level in their 8-card fit when we can play at the 2-level in our 8-card fit instead.

And that's before I checked it's all white at matchpoints.

[JLOGIC]

I would probably just bid 2H. X seems likely to be bad if partner passes, bids 2N, or bids 3C. I gain when he bids 2S but I don't like those odds.

[ggwhiz]

I'm doubling in a partnership that will respond in a 3 card major in a pinch. We generate a lot of swings playing in a 4-3 major fit and a few of them are good.

My biggest concern is if it goes float and I wouldn't risk it if I had a stiff petunia in diamonds instead of Tx.

ps. I'm in the fear and loathing camp when I see stolen bids in a bbo profile.... unless they are opps.