[iamdavej]

Need some appropriate novice/beginner tools to deal with interference over strong 2♣ opening. Partner opened 2♣ (22+) and RHO piped in with 3♥!

I had:

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Partner says that I should have bid 3NT to "show the heart stopper". I countered that my obligation to respond to the forcing bid was relieved by the overcall (not totally sold on that conclusion, but was not sure how to indicate weakness (and that a bid of either 3NT or 4♦ would have shown more strength than my 3 HCP)). Discussion afterwards with other pairs indicated that some had agreements that a 2♣ opening obligates the partnership to game regardless of interference, but that obligation is shared by both partners. Not sure I am sold on that approach either - perhaps it is OK if amended to get to game *or* double opponents in a contract where the penalty is at least as big as bidding the game would have netted?

Questions:

• What should I have bid over 3♥? If 3NT was correct, how does partner continue if that contract is wrong for her hand shape (i.e. did not have balanced 22-24 or 25-27)?
  
• If Pass was my correct bid, what should my partner have done with her balanced 22 count (3-3-3-4) with a heart stopper - X (not clear if that is penalties or takeout) or 3NT?
  
• Is there a good recommended novice/beginner set of tools for handling this general type of interference?

Thanks.
Dave in San Diego

[Antrax]

My system over interference over 2♣ opening:
X - weak (0-3 HCP)
pass - anything else

If responder passes, opener bids his suit (if he's unbalanced), bids NT (if he's balanced and has a stopper) or doubles (if he's balanced and has no stopper or just wants to penalize). Responder does his best over the double.

I'm sure better players have far better systems, but this one is very easy to remember.

[Quantumcat]

If pard has a strong balanced hand and you don't have a very unbalanced hand, you should probably be defending them doubled. If pard is unbalanced, or if pard is balanced but you are very unbalanced, you will get a better score playing in a trump fit. With this is mind, here is my suggestion:

X = takeout, with any strength hand, or balanced positive (strength going up with the level of the bid)
Suit = good quality suit that doesn't need any help from pard to be a non-terrible trump suit (e.g. AQTxx, QJTxxx)
Cuebid = good positive (i.e. slam interest if pard has a fit) with two suits that aren't the interferer's
Pass = negative

Pard will bid over your takeout double with a one-suiter or two suiter, or pass with a strong balanced hand.
If you bid a suit, if pard has a tiny amount of support (e.g. Qx) it will be trumps
If you pass, pard will double with a strong balanced hand, allowing you to bid a bad five card suit that you have, or pass if you also are balanced.

[keylime]

Most good players around here in DC play X - bust hand, pass - values but no clear direction, and free bid - offensive hand, natural, forcing.

[Zelandakh]

The simplest approach, entirely suitable for beginners, is to play that a pass shows a weak hand and that double shows values but nothing special to show. A new suit shows values and a good suit; bidding the opponents' suit shows a good takeout hand. Most better players choose to invert the meanings of pass and double here and some other refinements are also possible. However, you can get quite a long way with just the most basic method. In practise a 2♣ opening is only very rarely overcalled in novice games.

[pigpenz]

Zelandakh, on 2012-July-24, 05:10, said:

The simplest approach, entirely suitable for beginners, is to play that a pass shows a weak hand and that double shows values but nothing special to show. A new suit shows values and a good suit; bidding the opponents' suit shows a good takeout hand. Most better players choose to invert the meanings of pass and double here and some other refinements are also possible. However, you can get quite a long way with just the most basic method. In practise a 2♣ opening is only very rarely overcalled in novice games.

interesting I just ran a simulation yesterday of Playing CRASH against 2♣ openings
people def. don't bid enough against 2♣ or play inefficient systems, aginst 2NT that's
another whole ball of wax

[neilkaz]

I'm curious as to the benefits of the rather standard treatment where responder doubles the overcall with a bust and a pass shows some values, vs the opposite where pass would show a bust and double would show some values.

Thx .. neilkaz ..

[semeai]

neilkaz, on 2012-July-25, 08:59, said:

I'm curious as to the benefits of the rather standard treatment where responder doubles the overcall with a bust and a pass shows some values, vs the opposite where pass would show a bust and double would show some values.

Thx .. neilkaz ..

Over a double, opener has the ability to:
Penalty pass
Bid

Over a pass, opener has the ability to:
Pass (not relevant if partner has values)
Takeout double
Bid

I suppose the logic for double-with-a-bust and pass-with-values is that constructive bids like a takeout double are more valuable when partner has values, and the penalty pass is just as useful (if not more since you might not make a game) opposite a bust as opposite values. (And the added ability to pass out the deal if partner's pass shows a bust is not of much value.)

[pigpenz]

if some one gives me some constraints to use I can run a simulation

[pigpenz]

I ran a quick simulation where

double 0-3 hcp

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just on this hand, if double shows 0-3 hcp your first chance to bid may be over 4♠ by east. It looks like
the hands generated it would almost be better to play some sort of forcing pass situation, where double shows 2 small
and pass is forcing, singleton or A or K.

even on this hand 4♥ will make 58% time
3♠ will make only 20% time. You are going to go plus
but odds seem to favor bidding 4♥