Dear Peter & Ed, 

A three-part question.
I held as south (IMP-scoring):

¹ weak
Question 1: My call?

I doubled (negative).
Question 2: Now what do I say?

Jerrold Miller

Reply from Ed Hoogenkamp ('South'):

Dear Jerrold,

Tough hand!

1. In your methods I guess your only option is to double negative. In Netherlands (and other places) it's quite popular to play 2♥/♠  in this situation as 8-11 points, non forcing, 5⁺♥/♠. Ideal for this hand. If you play 2♥/♠ as forcing, you double. I always try to stretch it a little and bid my suit whenever possible but this hand is too weak.

2. Difficult. Due to lack of bidding space this situation should be discussed in detail by a regular partnership. First: what does 3♥ mean?

With a minimum hand like this, north should bid 3♥ in my opinion. Basically you have no choice in a competitive situation. This means that north should bid differently with a strong hand. Due to the earlier lack of bidding space north has to double with any strong hand. Only with an extreme distribution or both majors he can bid 4♦. The problem here is that we don't know what north was thinking when he bid 3♥... Did he realise he showed a more or less weak hand? Did you realise that? Did he know you knew... etc etc.

3. 3NT is understandable, although a pass is an option. I mean, if north has the type of hand I used as an example 3♥ probably is the highest makable contract. (if makable at all...). But because you are not a regular partnership 3NT probably is the 'middle of the road' bid. But now partner deals the final blow....4♣!

An impossible situation. Does partner have a strong hand after all? Is he weak with 6-4 and running from 3NT? Both options are unlikely. What in your bidding can make him think slam could be on now? Hard to imagine, so Gerber is out. This leaves two options: a strong or weak natural bid.

I have to be honest: I don't know! On general principles I guess he should be strong, because normally you pass 3NT in a situation like this. But then again, my hand is almost useless in a club contract... what a nightmare!

I have an escape: pass the question on to Peter and that's what I do. Good luck Pete!

Best regards from Barcelona

Reply from Peter van der Linden ('North'):

Dear Jerrold,

I agree with Ed but will stress some points. First some theory.
- A take out double on an opponent's opening bid promises in principle the other three suits.
- A negative double on an opponent's overcall promises in principle (but read on!) the unbid major suit(s).
- If there are two unbid major suits a negative double on a six card in one major and no length in the other is also acceptable: after partner's response we then bid our six card suit, indicating we were too weak to bid that suit directly.

Consequently the partner of the doubler supports his partner when bidding (one of) the promised suit(s). So in:

...south 'raises' north's suit, exactly like in:

Now we get to your situation:

What can we say about a double in this situation?
a. You need at least about eight points.
b. But not 10⁺ points and a five card suit or longer in a major: with such a hand you simply bid your major.
c. If you are minimal you plan:
- c1. To pass any not forcing reply from partner. In this case you need both majors but that does not necessarily mean at least four cards in both: too seldom the double could be used if the demands were that stringent. So 4-3, 3-4, 5-3, 3-5 in the majors are all good enough; we accept the risk to end up in a 4-3 fit.
- c2. To bid a major suit on the lowest possible level (despite having a minimal hand!) over partner's response, unless the opponents have raised the level too much. In this case you show a six card suit in that major and promise 'nothing' in the other; you 'correct' partner's response by bidding your suit. He will understand you were too weak to bid that suit directly.
d. Stronger hands (but without a five card major, see b). To double you must hold at least one four card major. No requirements in the other major because if partner responds in that 'wrong' major, you bid on (a cue bid, no trumps, etcetera).

Question 1: I agree with your double, your hand is category c1. 

Question 2: I do not agree with 3NT (you incorrectly show a hand in category d). You should pass. You have bid your hand; it is a minimum for the double (see c1). North has 'raised' your heart suit without jumping, he therefore promises a minimum opening and a four card suit. Like in:

Showing support in partner's suit is essential; therefore in both cases north does not show extra values despite bidding on the three level.
Like any raise of partner's suit, 3♥ is not forcing!
Therefore I think you should have passed, even more so because your diamond stoppers constitute almost all your points. With a hand like:

...I would have had some sympathy for 3NT, although still it is too aggressive.

Question 3: Like Ed I have no idea.
Your partner, north, has bid 3♥ not forcing. You have decided (too aggressively, but he does not know that) to go for 3NT and now he comes up with 4♣!
Normally getting out of 3NT constitutes a slam try. (Only if 3NT would have been doubled there is a case for treating 4♣ as an escape). But how can he make a slam try after bidding not forcing (3♥) first?
So 4♣ cannot be a strong bid.
I therefore pass, expecting partner to hold a sub minimal opening hand with 6/7-4 in clubs and hearts. In a way partner turns out to be right, for 3NT probably would not have made. But still I do not like his 4♣-call since it is undisciplined! Had you held something like:

...which is the sort of hand you promised (category d), then 3NT would have been the right spot, while 5♣ would probably be defeated on top tricks.

Best regards from Orkanger