[dickiegera]

The bidding goes 1♥ by LHO 1♠ by partner Pass RHO

You cue bid 2♥ with a 12 count and 4 card spade support
and LHO doubles. Partner now has choice of many bids. What would these mean?

#1 Redouble
#2 Pass
#3 2♠
#4 3♠
#5 4♠

I am more interested the the first 3.
4th and 5th are more obvious

Thank you

[mgoetze]

We have forced the bidding to 2♠, thus 2♠ is minimum and pass and redouble are stronger. I'm not sure what the difference is, but if double implied the minors then redouble probably shows some penalty interest. 3♠ is also minimum point-wise but with more shape, and 4♠ is planning to make but a hand not very suitable for slam.

[whereagles]

dickiegera, on 2011-June-26, 19:33, said:

1♥ 1♠ pass 2♥
dbl ??

#1 Redouble = big balanced-ish hand, hoping for a penalty instead of bidding game
#2 Pass = mildly invitational, expecting pard to clarify the nature of his cue
#3 2♠ = drop dead
#4 3♠ = invite, offensive hand
#5 4♠ = good hand, shot at game

[aguahombre]

dickiegera, on 2011-June-26, 19:33, said:

The bidding goes 1♥ by LHO 1♠ by partner Pass RHO

You cue bid 2♥ with a 12 count and 4 card spade support
and LHO doubles.

It is unclear whether OP meant 2H showed 4-card support, or just that this time he had 4-card support. I think a guarantee of 4-card support and a known 9+ fit would change the meanings of the calls ---especially the pass and redouble, also in light of Mgoetze's concern (quoted below) about what the double by opener means. My choices will assume 2H only guaranteed 3+ support.

mgoetze, on 2011-June-27, 05:05, said:

We have forced the bidding to 2♠, thus 2♠ is minimum and pass and redouble are stronger. I'm not sure what the difference is, but if double implied the minors then redouble probably shows some penalty interest. 3♠ is also minimum point-wise but with more shape, and 4♠ is planning to make but a hand not very suitable for slam.

Redouble: If the double by Opener indeed showed interest in minor suit competition making it possible for partner to be on lead if we are outbid, then we would like to use redouble as a suggestion that leading a spade might not be such a good idea (see 2NT below).

If the double was just the normal noise by opener, then redouble would be a very strong overcall which will cooperate for either game or slam.

Pass: We like pass to show the worst overcall in terms of shape and strength.

2S: a minimum 1S overcall, but offensive in nature

2NT: available as a very strong overcall but only used if double was oriented toward takeout for the minors.

3m: strength concentration to help partner decide whether to accept his own invite.

3S: extra length, but not a strong 1S overcall.

4S: Game is fine, otherwise non-descript.

Anyway, this is what we do at present. If someone thinks a particular part of this scheme creates a problem, please point it out.

[wickedbid1]

whereagles, on 2011-June-27, 06:14, said:

#1 Redouble = big balanced-ish hand, hoping for a penalty instead of bidding game
#2 Pass = mildly invitational, expecting pard to clarify the nature of his cue
#3 2♠ = drop dead
#4 3♠ = invite, offensive hand
#5 4♠ = good hand, shot at game

I agree with whereagles, except I would take 3♠ as to play/obstructive with an extra spade, minimum values. Pretty well any bid other than 2 sp is showing extras, so we don't need 3 sp to as well. Pard may choose to go on with this in mind, of course. The spades will not be rubbish.

[peachy]

2S is the bad hand, that is clear. Pass is flexible as to strain and whether to play or defend, and also lets the cuebidder clarify his hand and become boss of the auction.
The rest subject to agreements.

[whereagles]

wickedbid1, on 2011-June-27, 21:43, said:

(...) I would take 3♠ as to play/obstructive with an extra spade, minimum values.

I have a rule here: jumps by responder/advancer = weak. Jumps by opener/overcaller = strong. But ok, this is only a pet mnemonics of my own.

[jcrosa]

If our overcalling style allows for that, I suggest the pass should be reserved to warn partner that we only have 4 (good) spades. (Advancer should assume a minimum but of course overcaller can bid further).

I use this principle in other situations. For instance, playing Drury:

P - (P) - 1♠ - (P)
2♣ - (X) - ?

Pass = (sub-)minimum, 4 spades
2♠ = (sub-)minimum, 5 spades

[han]

I play that pass is the most negative call and 2S shows a distributional minimum.

[helene_t]

Some posters suggest that rdbl invites a penalty dbl of whatever opps are going to bid, but: dream on. Opps are happy for us to play 2♥x (!) so they are not going to bid anything.