[Tramticket]

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Pairs - local club.

Partner opens 2♥ showing a weak 2-suiter, 5-9HCP, five hearts and at least four in any other suit. Your agreement after the over-call is that double is for penalties.

What do you bid?

Are you happy playing penalty doubles in this auction? If not, how would you play the double? (take-out? game invite? Inquiry for second suit? values?)

[eagles123]

how good a player is south?

[The_Badger]

No. I don't like X for penalties. It might work on this hand - and it could equally be disastrous too - but opportunities for takeout doubles occur far more frequently than penalty.

South has overcalled 3♦ vulnerable with a passed partner so beware.

As to what to bid on this hand, I'll let Nige1 do his bid-by-bid analysis. Even I'm not sure.

[Tramticket]

eagles123, on 2017-July-25, 02:12, said:

how good a player is south?

Local club player, not a beginner.

[Jinksy]

Doubling for penalties seems normal, esp after a second-seat preempt. I wouldn't dream of doing it on this hand. We have no surprises for S (or perhaps a good surprise when the preemptor shows up with the missing honour in his suit), and we have 4 defensive tricks opposite a hand that offered none. South (if competent) is hardly going to have made a vulnerable bid at the three level without either shortage or virtually all the missing (non-heart) points - xx xx AQJxxx KQx looks like a bare minimum, in which he's probably one off, and we're probably making 4♥.

So I'll just bid 4♥. If P has a generic xx KQJxxx xx xxx, it's on the spade finesse through the strong hand, and has extra chances if they lead a major (or a top club).

[Tramticket]

Jinksy, on 2017-July-25, 06:50, said:

If P has a generic xx KQJxxx xx xxx ...

I think that you missed that 2♥ is a weak two-suiter?

[eagles123]

it seems almost unplayable to have this method without being able to ask for partners 2nd suit after inteference. I am concerned that we could have a game if not slam on with 3d untouchable or -1, but its difficult to know how to move forward without being able to find out vital information about partners hand.

[The_Badger]

eagles123, on 2017-July-25, 07:16, said:

it seems almost unplayable to have this method without being able to ask for partners 2nd suit after inteference. I am concerned that we could have a game if not slam on with 3d untouchable or -1, but its difficult to know how to move forward without being able to find out vital information about partners hand.

Exactly how I feel about the hand, too. I think maybe some of the problem lies with the opening mini Tartan-style bid having a 5♥ suit and possibly a 4♠ suit to accompany it, especially as shown here when the opponents overcall 3 of a minor. As far as I am aware, the original Tartan 5-5 2♥ opener was always 5♥/5m, never 5♥/5♠.