LHO opened 1NT

[Dave Flower]

How do posters handle this hand ?

IMPs, T8, nobody vul, opponents strongest pair on opponents team:

A x x
A K Q
K Q x x
A x x

1NT (12-14) pass 2H(transfer) ?

Dave Flower

PS At the table, I doubled, ostensibly lead directing, and the full
bidding was:

1NT pass 2H dble
2S 3H pass 4H
all pass

Partner held:

x
J x x x x x
10 x x x
x x

The diamond J dropped doubleton, so +450

The other scores were +450, +400, -50, the latter two were preasumably
in 3NT

[David Goldfarb]

In article <757352a3-ee22-4f6b...@hs8g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,

Dave Flower <DavJF...@BTINTERNET.COM> wrote:
>How do posters handle this hand ?
>
>IMPs, T8, nobody vul, opponents strongest pair on opponents team:
>
>A x x
>A K Q
>K Q x x
>A x x
>
>1NT (12-14) pass 2H(transfer) ?

I start with a double. With all my partners, I have the agreement
that the double of Stayman or a transfer shows values and a desire
to compete, like a double of 1NT in direct seat, and has no specific
relation to the suit responder has bid. (In the case of a transfer,
bid of the suit shown [e.g., here spades] is like a takeout double
of that suit.)

--
David Goldfarb |"Come on, characters with super-strength don't
goldf...@gmail.com | *do* inertia! Or leverage."
gold...@ocf.berkeley.edu | -- Dani Zweig

[Eric Leong]

In many expert US partnerships, double of a transfer or Stayman after a weak notrump opening just shows a strong hand.

Eric Leong

[judyorcarl]

What is the downside to 2S? Surely that is the default takeout call.

Carl

[Frances]

A very common agreement is that double of a transfer or Stayman shows
a hand that would have doubled an opening 1NT. It's such an important
hand type to show that it 'beats' the need to make a lead-directing
double of their artificial suit.

If I wasn't playing that, I would pass over 2H then double 2S for take-
out, because I don't want partner to think I've got long hearts when I
haven't.

[Frances]

> Carl- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

There are two downsides to bidding 2S:
(i) you don't have a take-out of spades, you have a strong balanced
hand. What you want is a way of showing a strong balanced hand, which
is ideally doubling.

(ii) if you haven't discussed the meaning of 2S, there are two ways it
is played
- as take-out of spades
- as Michaels, ie. 5-5 in hearts and a minor.

Why make partner guess which it is? The second is a very common
agreement here, on the basis that a take-out of spades can pass then
double spades next round but a two-suiter has no easy way to act now.