Both sides vul, IMPs. 1D opening on your right (opps playing 4cM weak NT FWIW). The two choices are to X first, or to overcall 2C and follow up with X. What do you think is the best approach on this hand?
My first instinct was that you should overcall 2C:
- It eats more room
- When the bidding comes back to you at 2D (or if you're brave, 3D) you can X again quite comfortably, showing the shape and maximum overcall values
- If it's responder who's bust and partner has something, you have an easy raise of anything he bids to game
But bearing in mind a previous discussion I had on BBF about TOXs, and worried about losing a major-suit fit if partner didn't have much, I tried X first at the table, only to find myself a bit stuck after (1H)-1S; (p). 1S can be on four cards, so you can't really raise spades directly to more than 2S, which is a huge underbid.
So then...
- What's the minimum you'd expect for partner's 1S here?
- How forcing is 2D here - given that a prototypical hand for 2D would be say 19 BAL without any stop in diamonds, should it be GF opposite a free bid from partner?
- What about 2C - does that still promise the "big TOX type" hand (18+ HCP or similar, or GOSH) at this low level?
- Or do we just assume partner will have 5 spades almost all the time, because he might have responsive Xd with 4-4?
Thanks,
ahydra