[kgr]

1♣-(1♥)-1♠-(2♥ or 2♣)-
DBL
 
You play support DBL's.
Is DBL a 3c♠ or a good 2c♠?

[gwnn]

3.

[mike777]

gwnn, on Jun 13 2010, 04:54 AM, said:

3.

ditto

[kgr]

..And if DBL is 3c♠ then 2♠ is showing a 4c♠?

[mike777]

kgr, on Jun 13 2010, 05:17 AM, said:

..And if DBL is 3c♠ then 2♠ is showing a 4c♠?

yep./ but not a 3s bid.

[gwnn]

kgr, on Jun 13 2010, 10:17 AM, said:

..And if DBL is 3c♠ then 2♠ is showing a 4c♠?

yes.

[mich-b]

kgr, on Jun 13 2010, 04:42 AM, said:

1♣-(1♥)-1♠-(2♥ or 2♣)-
DBL
 
You play support DBL's.
Is DBL a 3c♠ or a good 2c♠?

Did 1♠ show 4+ , or 5+ cards?
If you play 4+ , support double shows 3 cards.
If you play 5+, you can still play that double shows 3 card raise (and 2♠ shows 4 card raise), or you can play (my preference) that double is "takeout without ♠ support" , normally 2245 or similar.

[mike777]

mich-b, on Jun 13 2010, 05:50 AM, said:

kgr, on Jun 13 2010, 04:42 AM, said:

1♣-(1♥)-1♠-(2♥ or 2♣)-
DBL
 
You play support DBL's.
Is DBL a 3c♠ or a good 2c♠?

Did 1♠ show 4+ , or 5+ cards?
If you play 4+ , support double shows 3 cards.
If you play 5+, you can still play that double shows 3 card raise (and 2♠ shows 4 card raise), or you can play (my preference) that double is "takeout without ♠ support" , normally 2245 or similar.

1s shows 5


x shows 3...


easy...


geez you guys make all bidding so confusing no one knows nothing...

[gnasher]

mich-b, on Jun 13 2010, 11:50 AM, said:

If you play 5+, you can still play that double shows 3 card raise (and 2♠ shows 4 card raise), or you can play (my preference) that double is "takeout without ♠ support" , normally 2245 or similar.

Another option is Doorknob Five Two, described by Danny Kleinmann in the Bridge World some years ago, where double shows exactly 2 spades and 5+ clubs.

[kgr]

I saw this on a famous bridge web site that support DBL shows 3c.
I always thought that standard support DBL shows almost a fit: 3c if partner promised only 4+ and 2c if partner promised 5+.
Seems I was completely wrong about that 2c.
....I'll have to verify what my partners standard is.

Edit: I was going to send a mail to my partner, but it seems that we cannot have this situation. e.g: 1C-(1D)-1H = 4+Spade; and 1D-(1H)-DBL = 4+Spade and 1D-(1H)-1S = less then 4c Spade.
 
..Maybe one??:
1C-(1S)-2D!-(DBL)
2D=Transfer.
=> RDBL=3cH and 2H=4cH? I'm not even sure that support DBL is best here.

[andy_h]

I like double as extra values (denying three spades).

[peachy]

If you have Support Double on the card, then Dbl shows 3, bidding 2S shows 4, Pass shows no more than 2. Some people have agreed that Pass could possibly include xxx spades and bad hand, but I don't like that agreement.

[jjbrr]

I believe Mike Lawrence wrote about playing support doubles whenever possible, including this auction. I like dbl =3♠ and 2♠=4-card support.

[fromageGB]

I don't agree that the support double shows 3 - whatever the level, whatever the length of partner's suit. If partner shows 5 spades, and I have 3 spades, I bid 2♠. Why not?

If partner shows 4 spades, with 3 I support double with a bit better than minimum hand, say a 14 count.

(Actually in most partnerships if I open 1♣ and don't repeat the suit I guarantee 2 spades, but the above comments apply always.)

It seems to me that when you are in a competitive situation you should describe the length of the fit. It helps partner decide what to do.
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ 3♥ then opposite 5 cards support double with 3 unless minimum and bid 3♠ with 4.
1♣ 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ then support double with a non-minimum 2 and bid 3♥ with 3. The principle being that with an 8 card fit I bid 2 of our suit over their 2, or 3 over 2 if we rank lower than theirs, while a support double shows one less than that required to bid the suit. A support double also "guarantees" half the points in the pack so that a double is invited if they go too high.

[peachy]

fromageGB, on Jun 16 2010, 01:46 PM, said:

I don't agree that the support double shows 3 - whatever the level, whatever the length of partner's suit.

I don't know of anybody who would agree with that.

You are free to make whatever agreements you want to, but if you play with a good pickup partner, expect support doubles to apply through "two of our major" and in situations where support double applies, Dbl = 3-card, Pass = 2 or less cards, and raise = 4 cards. If you have differing agreements as to level, they are not necessarily worse or better, just different.

IMO the combined length of our side trump suit is a crucial factor in deciding how high we might want to go, and in slam decisions it is often the deciding factor whether slam makes or not, depending if we have 9-card or 8-card fit. Which is why - in my experiencce - it is useful to have support double on even when partner has promised 5. And also in my experience - is the way most play support doubles.

[movingon]

I agree that if partner's 1 spade bid promises 5 that I do not need to give a support double or redouble with only 3 but rather can just bid 3spades.. My decision will partly depend on whether I want to give my left hand opponent an opportunity to take another bid.

[movingon]

I do like the idea though of a double or redouble over an opp's bid after partner has shown 5 spades as denying 3 or 4 card support with extra values... might have to adopt that view with my partners.