[Shugart23]

I am hopeful for a little discussion on this.

Bidding goes 2H by the opponents and then Pass-Pass -and it's your turn to bid. You have a singleton or void in Hearts, so it smells like partner would like you to double on his behalf. With a shortness in Hearts, would you ever not double and instead do an overcall ? What does a cue=bid mean to your partner, either in the direct seat or the pass-out seat ?

[DavidKok]

I have some partial answers, with the hope they combine to form a full answer.

• The preempt into pass is not just indicative of a penalty double. Primarily it gives you a good read on the trump suit (here: hearts) around the table - opener likely has six, RHO likely has two or so, so with our shortness partner has four or maybe five. However, it is very possible that RHO passed with a strong misfitting hand rather than a weak one, giving partner the weak hand. All you can say (and even this is not a safe inference) is that there's likely no great heart fit for the opponents. But whether that means we should penalise aggressively or we should stay low is unclear.
  
• Personally I like an aggressive overcall and takeout style in second seat. This frees up fourth seat to be less aggressive - most of the hands where we game was on partner would have already done something. In fact, I think in general people are balancing too much, and you can make a living off of these opponents by underbidding a little and waiting for them to stretch to keep the auction open.
  
• In line with point 1, I wouldn't worry about partner having a penalty double too much. Missing out on the occasional lucurative penalty is the price you pay for having takeout doubles. In return you get to be flexible on many complicated competitive auctions where you'd otherwise be stuck. It is quite common for bridge players, especially older ones with experience with truckloads of penalty doubles on every start to the auction, to want to 'get them' when we have a penalty double by keeping it open. In fact, partner will very often not hold the penalty double, and it's downright silly to change your agreements to gain in a rare case but lose most of the time. So in fourth seat, make the call that works well when partner has any old misfitting hand, not the powerhouse penalty double.
  
• Similar to the previous points, I would make a normal call if I feel that is more descriptive than a double. With sufficient values to act and five spades, or a six card minor, or some other distribution that makes my hand insuitable for a takeout double, just make the normal bid. If partner did have the penalty double they can easily convert to 3NT - maybe not the best spot, then again maybe it is, and either way it's not a big IMP swing.

All things considered I recommend not going crazy in passout seat. In my experience a lot of people put a lot of pressure on their system by making a double 'near mandatory' in passout. Try to avoid that if you can.

[P_Marlowe]

Try to go for your own contract.
If you have a 5 card major suit try to show it direct.

[Cyberyeti]

P_Marlowe, on 2024-March-18, 07:20, said:

Try to go for your own contract.
If you have a 5 card major suit try to show it direct.

Depends on texture, I would bid 2♠ on KQ10xx, x, Kxx, 109xx but double with 109xxx, x, AQx, Qxxx, but I wouldn't pass either.

[apollo1201]

X implies you can handle all answers from partner (including pass).

So unless I am strong enough to bid again after partner when I do not have the expected more or less 4441 shape, then I make a natural call.

Also if I am very weak with no defensive tricks, I pass, as I do not want partner to transform. It is likely RHO will be strong but mis fitted and was just waiting for us to come in and start the blood bath. They might even make their 2-level contrat with over tricks, btw!

Cue bid is usually some 2-suited hand to define w/ partner: minors, other M + undisclosed m, or sometimes even 1-suited minor looking for stopper.