Auctions after Immediate 2 NT Overcall

Advancer bids three of his longer minor. With a game force, the astronaut bids three of a major (or raises if he has both minors). 3 NT by advancer over three of a major asks for the second suit. Advancer is expected to drive past game with a moderate fit and two cover cards.

Auctions When the Opponents Double

In direct seat, a pass of a double shows 2, 3, or 4 cards in the suit doubled. A redouble shows five or more. In balancing seat, a redouble shows exactly 4 cards in the suit doubled. If you must run from a double, you always run to your cheapest suit of 2 cards or more. Some illustrations:

¹Without the double, advancer would bid 2 ♦. After the double, he passes, showing two, three, or four clubs.

²The astronaut redoubles to show four clubs.

³If advancer had three or four clubs, he would pass. With a doubleton, he runs to 2 ♦ showing two or more.

⁴With two, three, or four diamonds, the astronauts passes. With 0-4-5-4, he would redouble.

⁵Advancer redoubles to show four diamonds, giving partner a chance to run with two. With fewer than four diamonds, he would run to his next suit of two or more cards.

⁶The astronaut passes, since he knows he has found a seven-card fit.

Note that the meaning of the redouble depends upon whether you are in direct seat or balancing seat--not on who bid the suit. For example, if the double of two diamonds in the previous auction had come from responder, advancer would pass, denying five, and the astronaut would run to two hearts, since he might be facing a two- or three-card diamond suit.

¹Without the double, the astronaut would bid 3 ♣. After the double, he bids his cheapest suit of two or more cards. Pass would show a doubleton diamond. (Had he passed, advancer would pass also.) Thus two hearts, by inference, shows a singleton or void in diamonds.

²With five hearts, advancer would redouble and partner would sit. With two, three, or four hearts, he passes.

³Had the double come from opener, the astronaut's redouble would show five. In balancing seat, he simply passes with five; his redouble shows four.

⁴Since he only has a six-card heart fit, advancer runs to two spades, showing two or more spades. If opener doubles, partner will pass showing at least two spades and advancer will pass also. If responder doubles, advancer will redouble, showing five spades, and the astronaut will pass.

The downside to playing redoubles this way is that you sometimes play a redoubled contract when you'd rather not. This is not so bad as it seems, since, even if the contract is poor, you often have more to gain than to lose by upping the stakes. The upside is that it allows you to find seven-card fits that would be difficult to find any other way.