[Wackojack]

Assuming SAYC or similar; The bidding goes:
S W N E
1♣ Pass 1♥ 1♠
?


What type of hand does South show by bidding?:

a pass
b double
c 1NT

Is there a standard or is this a matter of partnership agreement?
Would playing a 12-14 NT opening change this?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Free]

For me:
Dbl: 3♥.

1NT: balanced, no 3♥, stopper ♠.

pass: either penalty or nothing to bid (like NT hand without stop, no 3♥,...). Expects partner to Dbl when this gets passed around. Biddings like 1♣-p-1♥-1♠;p-p-Dbl-p;1NT shows no 3♥ and no stop ♠, still balanced range.

Playing 12-14 wouldn't change much for me. I also don't know if there's a standard, but support Dbl's are more and more common.

[Echognome]

Playing a strong NT, mine meanings are similar to Free's. Note however, that the vulnerability will influence the odds. E.g. if the opps are NV, then it's not very likely I have a penalty double. I would have to be 5-1-1-6 or the like. (Unless I open 1♣ with 55 in the blacks that is). So in all likelihood I have a minimum opener and I'm trying to slow the auction down.

Playing a weak NT, I would probably play double as a "strong NT double". Although there are many options on whether to play that as my 1NT rebid and to decide what hand doubles and what hand bids 1NT. E.g., if my strong NT hand doubles, then maybe 1NT is something like KQx x JTxx AQJxx? Or I can decide that a NT rebid shows a strong NT and a double is a support double. I think I would need an agreement there, in particular about whether I play support doubles.

[luis]

Dbl = 3♥ and a suitable hand to play in hearts. Support doubles must be optional, support doubles must be optional.
1NT = Depending on agreement this can be your 17-18 hand so you don't have to jump to 2NT leaving pass for the balanced hands and the flat hands where you don't want to make a support dbl.

Luis

[MickyB]

Dbl - either takeout or exactly 3 hearts, depending upon agreements. Takeout in SAYC
1NT - 18-19
Pass - minimum, 3-5♣ including all 12-14 balanced with a doubleton heart and some with three hearts - why would you bid again on these hands? Having said that, I'm not sure if this is SAYC or not.

Playing 12-14 NT, you need to act again on 15-17 bal, either with a double or 1NT. If 1NT, you have to decide what you will do with no stopper in the opps suit.

[inquiry]

The doublers above are playing "support double", where double shows three card support, raise shows 4 card support and pass and other bids show less than three card support. Support doubles is a convention, and to the best of my knowledge not a standard part of SAYC. You can add it of course.

So I will tell you what these bids mean if you are not playing support doubles....

1) Pass = most likely a balanced minimum (in SAYC 11-14).
2) Dbl = is for takeout,
3) 1NT here depends upon your agreement. I believe in SAYC this would be hand too strong to open 1NT to keep you from getting too high in 2NT with a possible good spade lead against you.

The meaning of these bids change of course as suggested by others if you play support doubles.

[Wackojack]

Jlall, on Jan 20 2006, 10:19 AM, said:

X=3H
1N=weak NT, double stopper in spades
pass=pass.

Playing weak NT

X=strong NT no spade stopper
1N=strong NT, spade stopper
pass=pass.

This looks good to me with the support double agreement. But playing weak no trump does the pass then suggests an unbalanced hand with a rebid problem? Something like Axx, x, KJxx, KJxxx or even worse Axx, x, AQxx, Qxxxx? Or on the other hand would a bid of 2c now definitely show 6?

Quote "1NT here depends upon your agreement. I believe in SAYC this would be hand too strong to open 1NT to keep you from getting too high in 2NT with a possible good spade lead against you."

Then what would a rebid of 2NT mean in SAYC?

[Winstonm]

Even with support doubles, pass should not deny 3 hearts but show a hand that has worsened due to the auction or was pretty lousy to start.

Double if playing support doubles should show 3 hearts and a reason to bid other than simply holding 3H.

1N should state a solid weak NT with good spade stoppage and does not deny 3 hearts.

Winston

[Winstonm]

Jlall, on Jan 20 2006, 12:18 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Jan 20 2006, 12:13 PM, said:

1N should state a solid weak NT with good spade stoppage and does not deny 3 hearts.

or 4...

Last pair game I played I had AQT Txxx QTxx KJ. 1D p 1H 1S ? I bid 1N lol. ahh...MP...

I think even at imps that is right. How much better can you describe your hand than with 1N???

Too many get caught up in showing 3-cards support and forget about just bidding the hand - and to be forced to show 3-card support is the height of foolishness IMHO.

Winston

[mr1303]

The point Justin was making was that he had FOUR card support.... and still bid 1NT in order to have the lead come up to him.