[foobar]

Pass. If pard reopens, probably 3♦, but we'll cross that bridge later.

[chasetb]

mikeh, on 2014-July-29, 10:06, said:

Funny you should say that

My notes from Kokish are about 3 years old, but he sent my team a lot of suggested defences to a range of openings to help us prepare for a BB (our subsequent dreadful play wasn't because we didn't have defences!), and his notes for this 2♥ opening suggest double to show 13-15 balanced or 19+, with 2N being natural 16-18+.


Since imo Kokish is one of the two or three best bridge theorists in the world, and imo the best in terms of analyzing how to deal with arcane methods (I appreciate that many of the methods we as NA's see as arcane are ordinary to the rest of the world), I tend to accept this as the optimal strategy and would double with this hand.

We may have a problem if partner bids 3♣, value showing and natural but non-forcing....I'd pass and hope....and if he bids 2N, lebensohl.

In essence, the double is intended to help us get to 3N without being as aggressive and misleading as an immediate 2N would be.

I actually think pass is a better 2nd choice than 2N.

I don't know if you checked the link out (it's 6 years old), but it sounds like you are using the 5+ both Majors defense, and that is the one I would be using here as well. Double is my first choice, Pass would be second, and 2NT comes behind 3♦.

I don't know what Kokish would say, but I would use the 5+ defense on 5-4 either way, or 5+ Spades 4+ Hearts. I'm unsure on 5+ Hearts and 4+ Spades, but for simplicity throw that under the 5+ as well.

[fbuijsen]

whereagles, on 2014-July-29, 07:19, said:

what if you're playing 15-17 2NT overcall? would that be a stretch to you?

I still woudn't do it then, though I guess it's not that big of a stretch. However, there is a reason for choosing the 16-18 range -- 8 tricks is quite a lot and I therefore consider 15-17 already a very aggressive range in such a bidding sequence. I would be very hesitant to stretch my range at the bottom.

[whereagles]

I mention 15-17 because in practice I see people opening 2x for the majors with such pathetic hands that afterwards their partners are afraid of doubling 2NT overcalls just because they have 15 HCP

[hrothgar]

Out of curiosity, what happened on this hand?

[mikeh]

chasetb, on 2014-July-29, 15:46, said:

I don't know if you checked the link out (it's 6 years old), but it sounds like you are using the 5+ both Majors defense, and that is the one I would be using here as well. Double is my first choice, Pass would be second, and 2NT comes behind 3♦.

I don't know what Kokish would say, but I would use the 5+ defense on 5-4 either way, or 5+ Spades 4+ Hearts. I'm unsure on 5+ Hearts and 4+ Spades, but for simplicity throw that under the 5+ as well.

my notes say that double shows the same hand whether they are 4=4 (or better) or 5-5...iow, no difference. I got these direct from Kokish, not via any link...he was providing some coaching help to my team.