[straube]

2D showing 10-15 short diamonds (Precision)

What should dbl mean?

[aguahombre]

Dunno what it "should" mean, but it has been a strong (or stronger) NT hand to us for longer than I can remember, and the 2D bid comes up so rarely against us, I don't think we will be reconsidering.

[helene_t]

Something like 13-16 balanced or any very strong hand (except for strong hands with diamonds which bid 3♣, or maybe 4♣ as a sort of leaping michaels).

[gwnn]

Takeout of clubs (or a very strong hand) is a clever agreement that I learned from the forums. This is a common hand, especially if they include (43)15.

[straube]

If double is balanced, then what is a 2N overcall?

[aguahombre]

straube, on 2012-October-24, 19:37, said:

If double is balanced, then what is a 2N overcall?

For us, the double is a run of the mill bal. NT; 2NT or 3NT are also natural, but offensive trick-takers--the kind of hands we don't particularly envision doubling the opps for much profit.

The only hands, other than one with long diamonds, with which we want to interject seem to be the big balanced ones. "Pass and lead trumps" works well on the rest. Wherever we declare --if we do--suits are guaranteed to split badly for us. (4-2, 5-1, 4-1) There are no 3-2 or 3-3 or 2-2, by definition of the convention.