[goobers]

1H - (1S) - 1N - (2S)
p - (p) - x

[rogerclee]

BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

[goobers]

What if I told you your hand was AJx A9xxx Kx xxx

[jtfanclub]

goobers, on Apr 1 2008, 06:22 PM, said:

What if I told you your hand was AJx A9xxx Kx xxx

Then I'd tell you that they're likely in a seven, or even a six card fit (overcalled with 4, raised with Qx).

I don't require my partner to have four trump for a penalty X here. If I had a singleton spade, I'd either do something over the 2♠ call or I'd find something to do here.

[rogerclee]

goobers, on Apr 1 2008, 04:22 PM, said:

What if I told you your hand was AJx A9xxx Kx xxx

Unless I had serious trust issues with my partner, I would assume LHO overcalled on a crappy 4-card suit.

[P_Marlowe]

goobers, on Apr 1 2008, 06:22 PM, said:

What if I told you your hand was AJx A9xxx Kx xxx

The meaning of a bid does not depend on a specific
hand you hold.

But to answer your question:

The meaning of 1S depends on the meaning of 1NT.
It is certainly standard, at least in North America and
here in Germany, that the 1 NT bid promises a stopper
in their suit, but it is also possible to play 1 NT as simply
point showng, espesially in a weal NT context.

So if the 1 NT bid promised a stopper, the X at least
suggest a penalty, i.e. the double is at least optional
with your hand, partners may look like Kx, and overcaller
looked at Qxxxx in spades and got raised too 2S with xxx
in spades.

If it did not, than one could still play the X as t/o, although
it should show maximum.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

Dbl = max 1NT, likely to have 1 spade trick, unwilling to sell out. i.e. what they call a "competitive" or "optional" dbl.

Pure penalty it is NOT because with that hand pard would have passed 1♠.

[FrancesHinden]

Penalties, usually exactly four trumps / two+ trump tricks.

If I had AJx Axxxx Kx xxx I would assume LHO has done something amusing.

I once got a 1700 penalty on the auction 1C 1S 1NT 2S x when LHO thought a 1S overcall on Axx would add a bit of spice to the auction, as that double was 'take-out' he was hoping it wouldn't end the auction.