<p>The analysis at bottom was based on an incorrect reading of Opener's first call, as being 1S rather than the current 1C. This doesn't actually change the response structure much, but it does make a big difference in the understanding of what is going on. Before, Opponents were in a confirmed Spade fit and headed to either a nine or ten contract in that suit, with the slight chance of doubling your side for a modest penalty. That's no longer the case, but there are two possibilities.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>LHO has made a Strong Jump Shift into 2S</p>

<p>Ouch! Opponents are very likely to get a good score on this hand. The goal is to entice them to try for their slam, while making as few bids as possible on your side, as uninformatively as possible. Then hope they go down one in their slam, or pass on it when it might have made. Be prepared to lose a telephone number if opponents double, but hope that number, but that that number (800, 1100 or 1400) is less than their slam might have been (920 not vulnerable, 1430 vulnerable).</p>

<p>To do this: </p>

<ul>
<li>Bid a five card Minor suit if you have one;</li>
<li>Bid a four card Heart suit if you have it; </li>
<li>Bid a four card minor if you have shortness in any other suit;</li>
<li>Pass - informing partner you have no preference on the escape suit.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><p>LHO has made a Weak Jump Shift into 2S.</p>

<p>This call typically shows 5-9 HCP with a decent 6 card suit containing most of the points. Opener's Redouble suggests they have about 22 points to your side's 18, give or take. The goal is to quickly find a three-level fit where you might get out for down 1 doubled.</p>

<p>To wit:</p>

<ul>
<li>Bid a five card Minor suit if you have one;</li>
<li>Bid a four card Heart suit if you have it; </li>
<li>Bid a four card minor if you have shortness in any other suit;</li>
<li>Pass - informing partner you have no preference on the escape suit.</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>

<p>Notice - both bidding structures are the same. Opener's Redouble has removed the burden of a forced call from you, by ensuring Partner another call. Thus you suggest an escape suit only if you have a distinct preference.</p>

<p>Also, in all cases Opener's Redouble is suggesting that their side collect a penalty; but at the cost just noted. It likely suggests a doubleton Spade holding. This means you are not showing values with any call, but just distributional preference. </p>

<p>To finish, a little follow up:</p>

<ul>
<li>Pass any and all bids by partner, whether you bid or passed.  </li>
<li><p>Pass any and all future Doubles Partner might venture. If it is a Double of a slam reached by Opponents assume it is lead directing and act accordingly.</p></li>
<li><p>If Partner Redoubles a Double of your suit it is SOS, asking you to choose between the other two suits not being Spades. Making a Takeout Double with a two suiter hand is an abominable call - but somehow partners occasionally decide to do it anyways</p></li>
<li><p>If Partner Redoubles his own suit, he is either brilliant or a dunce. In either case Pass and keep out of his way - it's all on him.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>And finally, if you end up as Declarer, expect bad breaks and protect against them if you can. For this much action on the hand I expect two or three singletons and voids to show up around the table.</p>

<hr>

<p>The general agreement, across a wide variety of systems, is that this Redouble will not be left in by your side because Opener has shown a better than minimum hand, probably 16+. (If Opponent's agreement is different, then the following may not apply.)</p>

<p>In consequence, knowing that Partner has asked you to assume a three-suiter, you should make a minimal call in any suit other than Spades precisely when you have a preference. Generally this would mean showing:</p>

<ul>
<li>a four card Heart suit;</li>
<li>a five card minor suit; or</li>
<li>a four card minor suit with shortness (singleton or doubleton) in either the other minor or in Hearts.</li>
</ul>

<p>If you fail to make a bid you have assured him that you have none of the hands above, and he will then make a final call for your side based on that knowledge.</p>

<p>The goal in this auction is to quickly find a fit good enough that the opponents are not sure of a set - and so re-enter the auction with a bid rather than a double. It's Poker Time. Keep a straight face; don't agonize over your call; don't give away any <em>tells</em>; and of course don't react to whatever Partner chooses to do.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-12T20:30:58.003Z
2019-09-17T12:18:46.763Z
2019-09-17T12:18:46.763Z
Forget I was ever here
<p>The dealer bid 1♣.</p>

<p>I am the second chair and had no high card points and no 5 card major. My highest card was a ♥9 therefore, I passed. </p>

<p>The dealer's partner raised her bid to 2♠. My partner doubled the 2♠ and the dealer re-doubled. </p>

<pre><code>Recap:
  1C   P   2S   Dbl
  RDbl ?
</code></pre>

<p>Based on 0 high card points and no 5 card major I pass or bid. If I bid what should I bid?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-12T18:13:10.000Z
Please specify your bidding system.  Answers will vary greatly among systems.  Are you using Standard American (or variation)?  ACOL?
ryanyuyu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-12T20:40:20.370Z
@ryanyuyu: Generally, our system is irrelevant in this circumstance and only the Opponent's system is relevant. If Opener is showing strength we are in an escape sequence, and system options over a Redouble are ***very limited*** - bid or call - and rather obvious. Only in the very unusual case that Opener's Redouble shows weakness (Does anyone anywhere play that?) might there be variance.
Forget I was ever here
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-12T20:41:24.457Z
To potential close voters - this question contains everything necessary to be answered - unless a ***very very very unusual***system is being played by Opponents. Please vote to keep open. That the question is flagged  as Party Bridge strongly suggests that very standard systems are in effect.
Forget I was ever here
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-24T04:08:34.493Z
@ForgetIwaseverhere would you include precision bidding systems as "very standard" ? As this particular example strongly reminds me of a precision bidding opening where 1C indicates purely strength; and the redouble confirms that they're happy with clubs as the suit to be chosen.
Peteris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-24T09:44:11.177Z
The Redouble is of a Spade call - presumably you meant to say that a Precision Redouble call by the 1C Opener expresses satisfaction with Responder's denomination - Spades in this case.I see no sense in expressing an opinion on CLubs when neither Opener nor Responder has shown any Club values or length.
Forget I was ever here
<bridge><bidding>
Responding to partner's double in Party Bridge
Nettie Johnson
# Responding to partner's double in Party Bridge

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-12)

The dealer bid 1♣.

I am the second chair and had no high card points and no 5 card major. My highest card was a ♥9 therefore, I passed.

The dealer's partner raised her bid to 2♠. My partner doubled the 2♠ and the dealer re-doubled.

```
Recap:
  1C   P   2S   Dbl
  RDbl ?

```

Based on 0 high card points and no 5 card major I pass or bid. If I bid what should I bid?

**Tags:** bridge, bidding

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please specify your bidding system.  Answers will vary greatly among systems.  Are you using Standard American (or variation)?  ACOL?  
> **username_2**: @username_1: Generally, our system is irrelevant in this circumstance and only the Opponent's system is relevant. If Opener is showing strength we are in an escape sequence, and system options over a Redouble are ***very limited*** - bid or call - and rather obvious. Only in the very unusual case that Opener's Redouble shows weakness (Does anyone anywhere play that?) might there be variance.  
> **username_2**: To potential close voters - this question contains everything necessary to be answered - unless a ***very very very unusual***system is being played by Opponents. Please vote to keep open. That the question is flagged  as Party Bridge strongly suggests that very standard systems are in effect.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 would you include precision bidding systems as "very standard" ? As this particular example strongly reminds me of a precision bidding opening where 1C indicates purely strength; and the redouble confirms that they're happy with clubs as the suit to be chosen.  
> **username_2**: The Redouble is of a Spade call - presumably you meant to say that a Precision Redouble call by the 1C Opener expresses satisfaction with Responder's denomination - Spades in this case.I see no sense in expressing an opinion on CLubs when neither Opener nor Responder has shown any Club values or length.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-09-12. Score: 4

The analysis at bottom was based on an incorrect reading of Opener's first call, as being 1S rather than the current 1C. This doesn't actually change the response structure much, but it does make a big difference in the understanding of what is going on. Before, Opponents were in a confirmed Spade fit and headed to either a nine or ten contract in that suit, with the slight chance of doubling your side for a modest penalty. That's no longer the case, but there are two possibilities.

1. LHO has made a Strong Jump Shift into 2S

   Ouch! Opponents are very likely to get a good score on this hand. The goal is to entice them to try for their slam, while making as few bids as possible on your side, as uninformatively as possible. Then hope they go down one in their slam, or pass on it when it might have made. Be prepared to lose a telephone number if opponents double, but hope that number, but that that number (800, 1100 or 1400) is less than their slam might have been (920 not vulnerable, 1430 vulnerable).

   To do this:

   * Bid a five card Minor suit if you have one;
   * Bid a four card Heart suit if you have it;
   * Bid a four card minor if you have shortness in any other suit;
   * Pass - informing partner you have no preference on the escape suit.
2. LHO has made a Weak Jump Shift into 2S.

   This call typically shows 5-9 HCP with a decent 6 card suit containing most of the points. Opener's Redouble suggests they have about 22 points to your side's 18, give or take. The goal is to quickly find a three-level fit where you might get out for down 1 doubled.

   To wit:

   * Bid a five card Minor suit if you have one;
   * Bid a four card Heart suit if you have it;
   * Bid a four card minor if you have shortness in any other suit;
   * Pass - informing partner you have no preference on the escape suit.

Notice - both bidding structures are the same. Opener's Redouble has removed the burden of a forced call from you, by ensuring Partner another call. Thus you suggest an escape suit only if you have a distinct preference.

Also, in all cases Opener's Redouble is suggesting that their side collect a penalty; but at the cost just noted. It likely suggests a doubleton Spade holding. This means you are not showing values with any call, but just distributional preference.

To finish, a little follow up:

* Pass any and all bids by partner, whether you bid or passed.
* Pass any and all future Doubles Partner might venture. If it is a Double of a slam reached by Opponents assume it is lead directing and act accordingly.
* If Partner Redoubles a Double of your suit it is SOS, asking you to choose between the other two suits not being Spades. Making a Takeout Double with a two suiter hand is an abominable call - but somehow partners occasionally decide to do it anyways
* If Partner Redoubles his own suit, he is either brilliant or a dunce. In either case Pass and keep out of his way - it's all on him.

And finally, if you end up as Declarer, expect bad breaks and protect against them if you can. For this much action on the hand I expect two or three singletons and voids to show up around the table.

---

The general agreement, across a wide variety of systems, is that this Redouble will not be left in by your side because Opener has shown a better than minimum hand, probably 16+. (If Opponent's agreement is different, then the following may not apply.)

In consequence, knowing that Partner has asked you to assume a three-suiter, you should make a minimal call in any suit other than Spades precisely when you have a preference. Generally this would mean showing:

* a four card Heart suit;
* a five card minor suit; or
* a four card minor suit with shortness (singleton or doubleton) in either the other minor or in Hearts.

If you fail to make a bid you have assured him that you have none of the hands above, and he will then make a final call for your side based on that knowledge.

The goal in this auction is to quickly find a fit good enough that the opponents are not sure of a set - and so re-enter the auction with a bid rather than a double. It's Poker Time. Keep a straight face; don't agonize over your call; don't give away any *tells*; and of course don't react to whatever Partner chooses to do.


---

