[TIE53]

Bidding sequence was:
p-p-2♣-3♥-?

What is the meaning of double here? Is it penalty or negative (showing spades)? Would it imply strength either way?

[apollo1201]

I think lots of ppl play that it shows values (let's say 7+) w/o stopper or long suit so kindof balanced-ish. 4H should then be 3-suited.

Others show X = negative and pass positive.

In all cases, it is better to play the same thing as partner

[wank]

obviously you're in a force so playing double as 4 spades or take-out is very inefficient.

it's more common to use pass and double to differentiate between having some modest values and having crap. it doesn't hugely matter which way round you play it.

[Stephen Tu]

 wank, on 2016-February-17, 11:56, said:

obviously you're in a force so playing double as 4 spades or take-out is very inefficient.

Is it? I'm not so sure these days. For the longest time I played double = crap hand, but recently having thought it over I decided to switch it to just values, takeout in my most regular partnership.

The problem I see with double = bad hand is that there's a tremendous difference between bad hand 3334 and bad hand with no high cards but 5-5 or 6-4 shape or something like that. How can opener ever figure out when to pass for penalties if responder can have any number of trumps, any number of spades? Now maybe you could restrict double to certain trump lengths, then how do you describe the hands that don't have that trump length?

And after pass, is opener's double penalty or takeout?

Basically since most people think 2nt-(3H)-dbl takeout is a reasonable approach, and 2♣ is most often a 22+ balanced hand, I don't see why having an extra queen means you should change your approach to the auction completely.

[mgoetze]

 Stephen Tu, on 2016-February-17, 15:33, said:

Basically since most people think 2nt-(3H)-dbl takeout is a reasonable approach, and 2♣ is most often a 22+ balanced hand, I don't see why having an extra queen means you should change your approach to the auction completely.

The question is whether you want to play pass as forcing. I do see the extra queen making an impact on that decision. It would be interesting to see a sim - given LHO has a 3!h overcall and partner has, say, 0-2 points, how often do the opps have a making spot if I have (a) 20 balanced or (b) 22 balanced?