[Vampyr]

pescetom, on 2020-April-22, 14:32, said:

I think the whole auction is rather poor, but very suspicious is an overbid IMO.
One sees bids like this all the time in bridge, not everyone knows what they are doing even on a good day.

I have never seen bids like this.

[helene_t]

Some random psyche is of course always an option with such weak hands, but even as a psyche 2♣ seems pointless.

I don't think it is particularly suspicious, though. Even if S had a wire there's no way he could know that he wouldn't get doubled.

It's just a misclick or brain fart.

[Trinidad]

I will make some other noise:
If RHO had passed, this would be an automatic raise to 2♥ for my partner and me. We are well aware that this hand is flat and that the honor placement is... err... horrible. But, then again, we describe our raises as destructive. With RHO bidding, it would not be automatic anymore, since they have conveyed information, but it pays to be bold, particularly when it won't surprise partner, since she is used to this style. So, it depends on style.

There is a strong pair in Stockholm (Sweden), Göran Hammarström and Mikael Arnberg, who go as far as using this principle in response to an opening (admittedly in the context of a strong 1♣ system). 1♠-Pass-2♠ means: "STOP right here, partner!" The raise can be made on 0 HCPs with 2 or 4 card support or with 9 HCPs and a doubleton spade. These are all hands where the opponents are supposed to figure out what to do.

I have played against them and I will tell you that it is not easy to figure out what to do. They win on these auctions. (On other auctions they win too, but that is because they are strong players. Here, they win even more.)

Having said all that: 2♣ would not have occured to me.

Rik